White Rock Chicks

[~Wind~]

So we got 20 straight run day old white rock chicks. They are 2 weeks old yesterday. They are adorable, they peep peep, they love cuddles and.... They are pigs!!

I have raised RIR before without these issues. They poop non stop, spill out feed, splash their water. They can soak and soil bedding in about 2 hours.

Is this common with this breed or do I just have a bunch of pigs? lol.

I dont know how to keep them clean without losing my mind. Right now I have them in a Rabbit cage with 1/4 inch hardware cloth bottom so the mess falls down into a big bucket. Will this hurt their feet?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Fred's Hens]

20 chicks will outgrow most any brooder pretty quickly. Since in most of the US it is warm and summer time, I'd move them out to where they will be housed. A coop of say, 10x12 would not be too big for them. I'd brood them out there. Likely wouldn't use much, if any heat during the day. That way there is lots of space. I'd make the feed and water stations on platforms, 4"-6" above the floor. This helps keeps the mess out of the feeders/waterers. 20 chicks, growing fast, will also need multiple waterers, or a large one, and multiple feeders helps cut down on the competition as well. Personally, I don't care for raising chickens on wire, but each to his own. Just some thoughts to ponder.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Another thought, perish the thought, actually.

I trust you have White Rocks, not CornishX. It wouldn't be the first time such a mix up occurred.

 

[~Wind~]

I'm assuming they are White Rock. We ordered 20 "day old meat birds" thats what they were listed as on the order sheet at the feed store. Then when they came the paper said White Rock. So really they could be anything because I'm not experienced with telling one breed from another as chicks lol.

I was debating putting them out in the tractor coop we built for them, but because they only have wing and tail feathers I wasnt sure if they would be okay. It sure would be alot easier and more space for them.

 

[duckinnut]

I ordered 4 White Rock pullets and ended up with 4 roosters.With 20 Rocks good luck!They were veritable eating machines, crowing all the time and beating up my hens. I had one die and two shipped to a farm for rooster bachelors and kept one. All chicks are pigs and poop but the Rocks are big birds and require alot of food and what goes in must come out.

 

[thehbcrew]

I only had 6 baby chicks in my house and couldnt believe the mess they were making, they wanted nothing to do with shavings they seemed to like there feed as their floor, i started in a rubber maid container but it grew out fast so i switched to my old dog crate that i put cardboard around most of it. Couldnt believe how much i was cleaning every day, let alone them constantly knocking everything over. However the roosts helped a bit, kept them from kicking constantly at the bottom. But now they are in their coop and i have less worries

2RIR, 2 BR, 1 brahama , and 1 comet

 

[Fred's Hens]

I've raised White Rocks for 50 years, off and on. They are wonderful birds and not really much different in personality than a Barred Rock, sex links or other dual purpose breeds. I don't quite understand the previous posts descriptions of WR being extra-ordinarily piggish, clutzy and dumb. Are we still talking about White Rocks or CornishXRock? Maybe I just misunderstand?

 

[~Wind~]

We have six laying chicks... No clue on breed all the paper said was 3 white egg layers and 3 brown egg layers... go figure. 3 are a reddish color and 3 are yellow. All 6 of them are growing in white wing feathers. Anyways...they make hardly any mess at all. And even the small mess they do make doesnt really smell. The others wow they stink. I know there is alot more of them, but there is deffinatly a smell difference. Its a good thing they are all cute and very tame or else they wouldnt last lol.

 

[Amyh]

~Wind~ :

I'm assuming they are White Rock. We ordered 20 "day old meat birds" thats what they were listed as on the order sheet at the feed store. Then when they came the paper said White Rock. So really they could be anything because I'm not experienced with telling one breed from another as chicks lol.

I was debating putting them out in the tractor coop we built for them, but because they only have wing and tail feathers I wasnt sure if they would be okay. It sure would be alot easier and more space for them.

If you ordered meat birds, they are probably not White Rocks but Cornish X. They will grow very quickly and you can probably get some good advice on the Meat Bird thread.​

 

[~Wind~]

They are very smart and friendly, at least mine are lol. Just messy and stinky lol. Dont get me wrong I love them all and they get great care, They get handled and played with and they love following me around the yard. Please dont think I'm putting any specific breed down

I'm just not used to having so many at a time I think.


@Fred's Hen - They could be CornishXRock. The paper said White Rock but I have no clue really