Arkansas folks speak up.........

[Dobela]

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Why did they come to your homes? Yes, those carts are rolling germ wagons. I should probably be more nervous about them than the chicks because it's easier to wash my hands after handling chicks than after using a cart!

According to the pediatrician it is because salmonella is considered a 'communicable disease' and they wanted to make sure that no one else would get it. It was standard proceedure of that particular ped to alert the department of health anytime a child, especially one that young, became ill with one. It wasn't a big deal, although it made me nervous. And yes, we use someone different now as the doctor.

 

[jenjscott]

Salmonella as a communicable disease listed by cdc as reportable, your doctor is required by law to report it to the health department, it's not just a matter of being his policy.

 

[jenjscott]

THE LARGEST FLOCK OF BARRED HOLLANDS IN NORTH AMERICA IS IN ARKANSAS!!! Or at least that's what the guy said whose flock I just brought from Oklahoma. Add to that the 10 I already have and maybe it's true. Maybe in a few years, they'll even be approaching the barred holland standard.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

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[tuhraycee]

I'm getting ready to order our chicks but I'm nervous!

What size/kind of bulb do I need for my heat lamp? We'll be keeping the tub in our storage building (coop isn't built yet but will be by the time they are big enough) and as you fellow Arkies know, the weather is up and down right now!

Also, what can I use as a roost in the plastic tub? Just use sticks kind of rammed in there?

Thanks for being so patient with my newbie questions! You're helping ensure the survival of the chicks.

 

[juliechick]

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You'll want to use a red brooder bulb. They should have them at a farm store. You will know if the chicks are too hot or cold by their behavior. If too hot, they will pant and get as far away from the heat as possible. If too cold, they will huddle up and cheep. They should be spread out around the brooder most of the time if they are comfortable. The red light will let them sleep at night.

They will roost on about anything they can get on, including your waterer! So, just be creative.

Just check up on them every so often at first, as I'm sure you will. They are so much fun to watch!

Edited to add: I don't know if you have a cover on your brooder or not, but at 2-3 weeks old they will be able to fly out, so be careful. Don't worry about asking questions. We all love helping other people with chicks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

For a roost in the brooder, I took two pieces of 2x4 about 5" long and nailed a small strip of wood maybe a 1/2" thick and wide to the side. Drill a pilot hole so the wood does not split. Instant roost made out of scrap. They do not need a roost, but they like playing on it. With the base wider than it is tall, it should be stable. Or make the 2x4's longer and put two strips across for two roosts.

Set your brooder up and really secure the light over it. Do not use that clamp. Throw it away so you are not tempted in any way to depend on it. Secure it with wire that will not burn through. Get the temperature in the correct range in one area of the brooder but let other corners be cooler. Too much heat is more an enemy than too little. Put a thermometer on the floor of the brooder and adjust the height of the lamp until the temperature is in the correct range. Or you can change the wattage of the bulb. You should get out there when the temperature is pretty low to check it. You don't have to be dead center accurate. Close is close enough. As long as they have an area that is warm enough and room to go to a cooler area, they will find their comfort level. If you have one spot warm enough and the rest cooler than it "should" be, they willl find their comfort level and roam all over. Julie gave you what to look for if the whole brooder is out of the correct range, either all of it too hot or all of it too cool. By far the easiest way for me is to heat one area and dont worry about the rest as long as it is cooler.

The "correct" range is

Week 1 - 90 to 95
Week 2 - 85 TO 90
Week 3 - 80 to 85
Week 4 - 75 to 80
Week 5 - 70 to 75
Week 6 - Fully feathered out. No more heat needed.

They will sleep in a pile, probably under the light. That's for companionship as much as heat. I find the first couple of days they pretty much stay under the heat, but by the third day they are playing in all areas of the brooder, even if the far corners are 20 to 30 degrees cooler.

 

[AJsCityChicks]

I got my incubators (2) in yesterday!! YAY!!

Now I just need to find some eggs!

We got the shed cleaned out, and the vinyl for the floors... now I just need to nail down a design for the inside.


Do you all know about how old the chicks at TSC are?

 

[juliechick]

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Depends on how long they've had them. Look at the wing feathers. At the end of the first week, they'll have tiny little wings in. By two weeks, their wings will reach the end of the body on most chicks. They may even have a little tail.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Spring Poultry Testing Clinic and 4H Poultry Club Meeting, Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

The Drew County 4-H Poultry Club is sponsoring a Spring Poultry Testing Clinic, one day only, on March 15, 2010, 4PM to 6PM at Drew Farm Supply in Monticello . Fee will be $.50 per bird. Certificate is good for 90 days and is required to exhibit poultry in Arkansas . http://www.arlpc.org/regs/NPIP.pdf

The Drew County 4-H Poultry Club meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Oak Grove Assembly of God on the corner of Oakland and Winchester in Monticello. Contact club leader Jim Hall for more information at 870/723-3724.

http://www.monticellolive.com/spring-poultry-testing-clinic-and-4h-poultry-club-meeting-march-15/