7 week-old broilers w/ lots of broken/misisng feathers

[NonnasBabies]

Quote:
Sounds like it! I processed at 8 weeks and my largest was over 6 lbs and the smallest which was a pullet was 5 lbs 2.2 oz.

 

[CANDLE98]

I was wondering the same thing with my meaties! THey look awful! I like Dogfish's saying "poke em with a stick!" That made me laugh. I tell you what these chickens are so dumb that mine won't even eat grass! I have them in a nice grassy area and they are ignoring it! All they want it is the bucket of food.....

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

I think there are some little things that can be done to reduce breast sores, bad legs, and maybe even heart troubles.

I'm just working on these so don't know if it works or not, but so far so good.

1 keep the food high so they need to stand up to eat, no laying in the feed or on the floor stuffing their faces

2 put feed and water a good distance apart so they are forced to move some

3 start with higher 22 plus % feed and then back it down over the first 4 weeks, giving them a good kick start with more expensive feed in the first couple weeks does not cost much as they are eating less to start.

4 like others said keep a limit on the food. So far, this batch I am feeding twice a day about 12 hours apart and try to figure the feed so they run out a couple hours before next feeding. Left without feed for 12 hours they get pretty rangy and trample each other to get the first crumbles that hit the feeder.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

yes time to slaughter.

 

[Scac2015]

my broiler chickens have been dying at 7 weeks. They are smaller than the rest, purple coloured flesh and just sit and die within 24 hours. I think it's their heart or circulatory system failing.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

Like others have said the feathering is normal...

My birds seem to thrive after I put them outside. They are fairly active, especially in the morning when I move the tractor. Even at 7-8 weeks they run when I move them.

When I first started I had birds dying in the brooder it freaked me out. I had raised hundreds of birds without a single loss.

CX have different rules and a curtain amount of loss is inevitable

 

[Scac2015]

Hi, I have the chickens outside in chicken tractors. This purpling of flesh and dying has affected 20% of the population.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

Hi, I have the chickens outside in chicken tractors. This purpling of flesh and dying has affected 20% of the population.

What age did you put them outside?

Did you lower the heat in the brooder as they grew so they would be ready to go outside?

I have almost 0% loss after the birds go outside, I've only lost one this season so far and honestly I should have culled it before it died, it was the runt and we had a cold night that killed it.

I now cull the runts before they go outside to avoid any future issues they may have.

 

[Scac2015]

Thanks. I put them into the tractors at 3 weeks but still had heater lamps on at night as it's been heavy frosts. Covered mesh section with tarps.

 

[wvhomesteader]

I agree that these look pretty normal. Mine are 44 days old today and they are still bare in some spots. I was wondering if it was normal the first time we did it and was glad to know that it was.
We are planning to cull next week as some are beginning to pant a lot during the day and are slower to waddle around.