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Are any of you using organic feed for your birds? Anywhere near the Indianapolis area you've been able to find it?

Do any of you have a local (within an hour or so of Indianapolis) source for white broiler chicks? We just received our first batch of the year from Meyer and lost 12 within the first 48 hours - 6 were DOA. Frustrating. I have another batch on order from them, but if I could find a local...

This is my first group of CX meat birds. They are three weeks old now & I just moved them from the brooder to grass this morning. They handled the move fine and they all seem to be doing great.

Thanks for the suggestions, all. This morning I still have 21 happy chicks in the brooder. Let's hope they stay that way.

I just double checked my temps. Running 95 directly under the light, with plenty of room in the brooder to move around if they are warm. Ambient temp is about 80. Yesterday was a hot one, so I'm sure they were stressed in the mailing process. Just found the two I was concerned about ... so...

I just received my first batch of CX meat bird chicks from Meyer Hatchery today. They shipped 27 chicks. 2 were DOA. Since they've been in the brooder (about 10 hours), I have lost two more. On my last check of them a few minutes ago, two more chicks are looking very sluggish, laying back on...

Last spring I let mine run around outside a bit at that age. Really, I think it depends on the outside temperature. Where I am, it's only about 30 degrees at the moment. I think that would be too cold.

Generally speaking, they will just know to return to the coop in the evening. I think it helps if you leave them closed up in the coop for the first few days they are in there - just make sure they have plenty of clean food & water. That way they learn where "home" is.

I'm just about to order my first batch of meat birds, and have been doing some research. Seems like one of the major differences is the sheer amount of feed this birds will consume. To support their fast growth they have tremendous protein demands.

My hens are molting as we speak.

I'll be interested to read advice too, as I'm just about to start incubating some eggs for the first time. I think my kids will really get a kick out of it.

Just checked on my little flock, and they seem to be doing just fine, despite the cold. I gave them the option to go outside & they took it. They don't seem to care.

Never heard of such a thing. You have any pictures to share?

I'm a novice myself, but this is my second winter with chickens. My opinion is the more we pamper our chickens (heat lamps, etc), the more they depend on us for their survival. I don't like the idea of this. Leave the chickens to their own ways of dealing with things, and they'll be fine. As...

I'm a novice, but my opinion is the more we pamper them, the more they depend on us to survive. Leave the chickens to make it on their own & they'll be just fine.

I'm just west of McCordsville & we currently have a flock of 6 hens and a rooster. Mostly Rhode Island Reds with one Buff Orpington. We've been keeping chickens for just over a year now, and really enjoying it.

Great work. The more backyard chickens, the merrier.

Pretty amazing how well they adapt/adjust for the weather, isn't it?

Sounds like you're off to a good start. Good luck!

I have seen my chickens (including an Orp) go over my 8' fence. They don't do it all at once, though. They figured out how to hop up on one object after another, until they made their way high enough to get over the fence. But as long as there's nothing around for them to "leapfrog" up to an...