Australorps breed Thread

[MrsBrooke]

That looks like an excellent brooder (if you have an easy way in and out for yourself). Looks like you have two heat lamps which could be over-kill in your climate. As long as the temp stays around 85*F with no serious drafts, they are good to go. I would leave the box out. put down about 2 or 3 inches of bedding, make sure all doors are closed except when someone is coming or going (I would leave the cars outside for now if possible because of the exhaust, even a little could be dangerous), don't let the kids rip and run around them for a few days and the chicks will settle in before you know it.

Chicks are very adaptable. It wouldn't hurt to give them some chicken electrolytes in their water for a while...I give it to my chicks right through 6 weeks and back off at that time...still give it every day but at ever decreasing amounts for about a month. I then give it to them full dosage one day a week.....as long as they are alive. It doesn't cost much and it's good for them.

If you haven't wormed them, I'd get that done next week some time. Should have been done a couple or so before you moved them but wouldn't want to stress them with it just now...they can wait another week, if they haven't been wormed.

Again...just my opinions, based upon a lifetime of messin' with chickens.

EDIT: A standard red brooder light...you do mean 250 watts?

If you think they would be happier, you could divide the brooder in half with a piece of heavy cardboard or better, a piece of thin cheap plywood that can be screwed on, and easily removed.

NO mamma hens...no other birds at all. Talk about stressing them out!

No kids yet, cars are outside, and the dogs that are banned from the garage until further notice. The second lamp is an empty socket in that picture. We're only using one bulb... I removed the spare after I took the pic (before I put babies in!). I figured that two would be WAY too warm for them. The whole thing is filled with pine shavings now.

It's easy to hop in and out for MrB and me... I'm 6' tall, and he's taller still!

I have not wormed them... They've been kept inside in a very controlled environment and have been in the garage for one day. I have boots that I leave outside and do not wear them anywhere near the brooder. Is it possible they got worms somehow? They hatched out of my own flock, and none of my birds (the bigs or the littles) show any signs of worms. I'm curious as to your reasoning from your experience. I will happily do anything beneficial for these sweet babies!

I'll mix up some Sav-A-Chick in their water when I get home. Thanks for your input!

MrsB

 

[hellbender]

No kids yet, cars are outside, and the dogs that are banned from the garage until further notice. The second lamp is an empty socket in that picture. We're only using one bulb... I removed the spare after I took the pic (before I put babies in!). I figured that two would be WAY too warm for them. The whole thing is filled with pine shavings now.

It's easy to hop in and out for MrB and me... I'm 6' tall, and he's taller still!

I have not wormed them... They've been kept inside in a very controlled environment and have been in the garage for one day. I have boots that I leave outside and do not wear them anywhere near the brooder. Is it possible they got worms somehow? They hatched out of my own flock, and none of my birds (the bigs or the littles) show any signs of worms. I'm curious as to your reasoning from your experience. I will happily do anything beneficial for these sweet babies!

I'll mix up some Sav-A-Chick in their water when I get home. Thanks for your input!

MrsB

The vermin young chicks are annoyed by most at this age are hook worms and they can and will kill pups and chicks alike.

Use of a good wormer is essential to keep chickens and pups alike healthy.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Fireball the Australorp /Rhode Island Red

Striking bird with such a cool name. A perfect match either way.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Uh-oh. Fireball may have inspired a production project. My hubby likes the look as well. We do not have RIR Cockerels because they seem to get mean. Therefore we cannot breed our RIR girls pure anyway, but they are great producers and are sweet like our other birds. It would be a shame to lose out on some good genes. We do have an Aussie roo. If we get boys we will eat them early or give them away.

 

[Gramma Chick]

They both look like pullets.

It is hard to tell from the pictures. White australorps are rare though.

Maybe you have Austrawhites? It's a cross with Australorp and Leghorn. They will be predominantly white with some black markings and will be fantastic layers.

yes they look like they are going to be white to me too .

 

[MrsBrooke]

The vermin young chicks are annoyed by most  at this age are hook worms and they can and will kill  pups and chicks alike.

Use of a good wormer is essential to keep chickens and pups alike healthy.

Would you recommend Valbazen or Safeguard? Or is there something else?

MrsB

 

[hellbender]

Would you recommend Valbazen or Safeguard? Or is there something else?

MrsB

I use lots of wormers over te life cycle of a flock but Valbazen is the one I would start with for the first two or three wormings.

You know it needs to be used 3 days in a row then repeat in about 11 or12 days...That is one worming.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: Do you ever use natural wormers like Garlic , or hot pepper seeds ?

 

[hellbender]

Do you ever use natural wormers like Garlic , or hot pepper seeds ?

I use crushed peppers throughout the cold seasons. I haven't seen where they effect the worm load at all. I don't worm older birds at all unless the flocks are carrying a heavy worm load, this I know because I test several fecal floats every two or three months.

Chicks are born with worms and gather up more as they go along. I worm chicks automatically at three weeks of age or so with Wazine17 and never use that wormer again for that bunch of birds. All Wazine17 is good for is round worms so by the time I worm again, they have usually or almost certainly picked up whip, tape and/or any number of other internal parasites that I see under the microscope so I worm them with Valbazen because it has a very broad spectrum of action and is just about as safe as water.




EDIT: In the post above, I was discussing Mrs.B's chicks that have gotten old enough to skip the Wazine17...in my opinion.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Chicks are born with worms and gather up more as they go along.

I am dying to know how that is even possible.

MrsB