Recent content by mocluckin

Beekissed... AWESOME info! Thanks so much for sharing. :-)

thanks!

So we have a flock of 15 layers (from our starting flock of 24 two years ago) and I know they are going to start slowing down egg production in the coming year. The plan is to start a new batch of chicks that will start laying this summer and take over from the existing girls. My question is do...

So I'm a little worried about our FR chickens... they are 8 weeks old tomorrow and they have been growing like crazy. We lost 4 on July 4th during several days of 100plus degree weather but knock on wood we've been fine since then. They get fed every morning and that sees them through the day...

ok, so I'm not missing something super obvious. :-) thanks!!!

Ok, so reading all of the great, informative threads here has me scratching my head about something. So many people write that "my chickens weigh blabbity blah" at 4 weeks, etc"... and my question is how do you accurately weigh a live chicken? Short of putting them in a sack and hanging from a...

Sounds like the best course of action for her... it's hard to admit defeat, but there are times when it just isn't going to work out and I think it's best for the chick (or whatever animal) to give them relief. :-) Knock on wood, I haven't had any leg problems yet with our FR's (5 1/2 weeks...

Do you have the book from Whiz Bang? In the back, he has a home-made tool design for installing the fingers. Sort of pinches and pulls them in.

Thanks everyone for your comments... yes, I was spraying the hose on "mist" in front of the fan for a while and no, they weren't happy, but it made me feel better. :-) and I also sprayed the ground, just wet everything down too. We made it through the rest of the day with no more losses. I...

After nearly a week of plus 100 degree weather, our 3 week old FR chicks are starting to drop. Had 2 dead this morning when I went out to feed and then just before lunch time, went to add fresh water and 2 more were dead. They are in an outside pen 10'x20' with tarps over most of the pen (plus...

Megan, what feed did you use? The info I've been reading has "starter" feed for 1/3, then "grower" feed for the last 2/3's... I also read an estimate for 5# feed/ 1# of bird weight, but maybe that was for Cornish X??? I'm at week 3 and have started reducing feed from free choice to putting out...

my thoughts too.... I would think taking them live to the processor would simplify things all around. Not sure how it would work trying to scald/pluck etc birds that had been deceased for a while. But then again, I'm a newbie at this, so I only know what I've read. :-)

thanks for the info! :-)

I have to agree with the FR chickens... have our first batch of 50 underway (just over 2 weeks into the process) and everyone is doing great! (knock on wood). We have 21 layers on pasture that are a year and a half old, the FR's will go in a separate pasture area in another week. While the FR's...

we are doing our first batch of meat chickens... have 50 (well actually 51) Freedom Ranger chickens... weather here has been very warm so I let them out of the brood box during the day at just over a week of age... put them in at night with the heat lamp, but switched to just a 60 watt bulb when...