Quote:

Originally Posted by enel 1 

check out www.hubbardbreeders.com/products.php?id=5 this site will explain alot

Those are Freedom Ranger type. I did feed my FR higher protein do to their slower growth.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassie 

I can't help you on this one. I don't raise my meaties in a tractor nor have I ever had them them out on pasture. That method seems like a lot of work to me, but some people swear by it. I have never had the losses you are describing in that age group, and most of the losses I have had have been with Cornish X that I meant to butcher like yesterday but for whatever reason I didn't. Of course I have never tried to raise 230 of them at a time, either. Could they be crowded in the tractor? Exposed to heat? I'm guessing here.

It isn't bad for work wise, I have no coops to clean besides the brooder and it doesn't take long to move them. Also I think the pens are cheaper to build then a coop. I don't think they are crowded, they have quite a bit of room. I know they were before I got them into my new pens and that is why some died but now they shouldn't be dying. It isn't hot here either but it is rainy, could that be why? I am trying to feed them less to see if that helps. I have done it this way before so I don't see why they would be dying like this. I got them from the same hatchery, I am feeding them the same food (unless the feed store changed there food) and I am doing everything pretty much the same although they are at someone elses house this year but I don't think that would effect it.

Those of you with dying birds, what is the temperature where they are kept?  Cornish Cross do not tolerate heat well. If they are confined in tractors are the tractors in direct sun?  Even with a tarp thrown over the tractor, it can get dawn hot under a tarp that is in the sun.

Also, they can die fast if they are ever out of water, even for a short time. They seem to get disoriented if they are even slightly dehydrated and that's when they seem to get stepped on enough to injure their legs.

I am not sure the exact temp here but I don't think it has gone over 24 degrees, not very hot I would say. They have galvalume roofing on top and three sides of the pen, I don't think it is too hot in there also they have not run out of water yet.

We just slaughered our Cornish X Rocks.

We lost one to splayed leg/broken foot a month ago.

Other than that at 8 weeks exactly they all dressed out a 5.5 pounds.

Fed them Purina Chick starter 12 hours from 530 am until 5:30 pm and then they only had access to water.... Birds also got to free range. They only wanted to go out in the late afternoon ( we live in Southern Fl) They panted all of the time from when they were really small.

Very large birds.

Will do again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy_FJ6qvR6Q

I just had a thought. The water I am giving them has a high iron content, could that be causing the heart attacks? That is one difference from the last two years that I have done this, they are at a neighbours place so the water is different.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoker 

I just had a thought. The water I am giving them has a high iron content, could that be causing the heart attacks? That is one difference from the last two years that I have done this, they are at a neighbours place so the water is different.

I think you are corect and  the problem is the iron. 

" However, two outbreaks of type C botulinum in commercial broiler flocks were associated with elevated iron content from feed and water sources. Iron promotes the proliferation of enteric bacteria, including C botulinum "

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/205400.htm

Botulism in chickens associated with elevated iron levels

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10611996

Would this cause the heart attack simptoms that I have been seeing: Upside down when dead, some with bloody vents, blue bodies.

We changed the water source today, it has a higher content of sodium, would that cause problems?

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoker 

Would this cause the heart attack simptoms that I have been seeing: Upside down when dead, some with bloody vents, blue bodies.

We changed the water source today, it has a higher content of sodium, would that cause problems?

The article does state heart attacks, so I would gather there is some merit to this research.

I am interested in knowing if your birds stop dieing thistle I think there may be something to give them to detox the iron out of them ( milk thistle I think) You would have to research this. 

Birds can't process salt, they do store it in their crops, how much sodium are you talking about? 

Ya it sounds like overfeeding. I"ve got 33 of those kind of birds and by looking at the size of mine I figure a quarter cup per bird  in the morning and the same in evening then they get a few scraps of shredded lettuce or apple when I clean out my fridge. I've also got 12 laying hens the same age and two roosters. My measuring cup holds 4 cups so I just give them 3 scoops in morning and 3 scoops evening. Mine are 5 weeks old now so hope I'm doing the right thing. They seem healthy so far. They graze outside too during the day in their 30 ft run.