B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[dncarr09]

ok, I am the proud new owner of 5 20 week SG's I am not that happy with the roo as I don't think his type is that great. But, from what I've read from you all its hard to find a great one. I will post pics of them. I am a little concerned because all of their combs even the ones on the pullets are flopped over. I also noticed they had runny poo. They seemed extremely happy when I put out the food and water. Could it be dehydration? Is this common in Dorkings to have floppy combs? Any other ideas?

 

[ki4got]

dorking hens (mature) should have floppy combs, but it's not normal at 20 weeks old. i've noticed some of my hens that go broody flop over more when they're a bit dehydrated (good to note for broodies, especially if they're new to it). usually the comb will be a darker almost purplish red too if they are. a normal floppy comb will still be bright red, and have a normal texture to it (not thin and 'wilted' looking).

i might just attribute that to travel though for the first day, the same with runny poops. it's stress. give them a few days and i'll bet the combs all perk right back up.

here's 'pinky' my one sg hen that DOES have a decent floppy comb, and 'beauty' my colored broody who went floppy (but came back up once the chicks hatched). interesting to note, pinky is the only unrelated hen in the sg's...

 

[greenhorn]

We didn't get the floor poured today but are all set up for Friday. Every day is another step closer.

 

[DaveK]

Yeah, Dave! Oh I love dialogue! The young I am describing were all being artificially brooded indoors, where this was their sole diet. Can you expound on this more?

I'll try to answer this as best I can. If I've missed the point/question just let me know. We learned long ago that our best results came from doing two things a little differently than many do. We don't feed starter. We start them out on a grower and from day one the grower crumbles are not the sole diet. We add rolled oats. New hatches get the quick oats as these are more cut up but regular whole oats could be put through a food processor as well. Protein % is very much lowered by adding at least 25% oats to their ration but chicks seem to really thrive. Eat like pigs, grow well and no pasty butts or fading away. The Call duck people sometimes feed like this and oddly enough different friends from north of the border. There's some idea that these very processed foods are kind of a powerhouse diet and some have suggested that brand new digestive systems may have a hard time with these foods. Obviously an awful lot of birds do not. Still, science based or not we have been very satisfied with the rolled oats added to a grower crumble. Chicks gotten out on to the ground as early as possible just take off and thrive even if the environment doesn't offer a lot of variety diet wise. Wheat then becomes a very good way to add flesh while oats provide fiber and bulk. Sunflower seed (when it's not $$$$$) provides fats and oils without the problems associated with corn. At any rate it all boils down to not just feeding out of the bag. Or at least out of only one bag.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Thank you, Dave. It appears that oats are a secret ingredient to a lot of goodness. Many reputed breeders swear by them.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Hi April,
I ws thinking about those chicks the other lister had whch died last night. Was surfing the web for "hunched lethargic chicks died". I don't rightly remember where I came across it, or what the illness was, but I ran across one (or more?) problems which were transmited in the egg. It seemed so unlikely to me,I didn't make a note of it. Now I wonder if it could be a possibility. I don't know, just throwing it out there. Please everyone, don't go throwing stones at anyone. I am just wondering.
Best,
karen

Hi Karen,
There are a few infectious diseases that can be transmitted from an infected hen into an egg and will then infect the chick, namely Mycoplasm Gallisepticum, commonly called MG (a bacteria that primarily shows respiratory signs) and Avian Encephalomyelitis (a virus that infects the nervous system, typically showing signs by 2 weeks old, with chicks either dying or recovering by 6 weeks old).But neither of these would explain 100% loss in 24 hours, or have the right symptoms. There are a number of other viral and bacterial diseases that could have been transmitted to the chicks, but since the "Rudy chicks" are the only ones that were affected, they would have to have a shared and unique susceptibility to whatever was brought in. Overall, getting eggs from another breeder is much safer that getting chicks, since there are fewer diseases that can come with the eggs. When getting chicks, it is safest to get them from an NPIP certified hatchery, or a breeder that you know is disease free.l l100% loss But neither

 

[cubalaya]

i would think after 6 weeks, whole oats at 50% of their diet

 

[ki4got]

well, i don't feed scratch grains or other whole grains as a rule, but the free rangers do get occasional scraps from the horses' sweet feed (pellets, corn & oats primarily with molasses).

and i do offer free choice chick grower crumbles to all the free rangers too, in the afternoons. i figure the grower works for all ages, and if the hens need extra calcium, i keep a tub of oyster shell in easy reach.

the only pens i offer layer pellets to are the breeding pens, mostly because crumbles are wasted so easily.

 

[greenhorn]

Dog gone rain has been holding up the concrete pour here. Man I want to get the Dorking coop finished.

 

[pysankigirl]

I think I did something stupid today. I gave away my big BCM rooling.

All my chickens are not even laying age yet, and I realized pretty quickly that I had too many roosters. the BC Maran was supposed to be a girl. but wasn’t. the lady that I got my goats from has marans and wanted a roo so I offered him to her. but she wasn’t ready for him for a couple of months. I didn’t name him. I tried not to get attached

In the interim, he became the leader of my little flock. He was nice to the girls, and he was majestic and gorgeous. I don’t know alot about show chickens, but he was becoming a stunner. His comb was perfect, his color glorious, his stance was regal. and above all else he was nice to the pullets, never pulling out their neck feathers randomly like Spike (Dorking roo) who he chased off, defending them.

And she came to pick him up today. I am already missing him. Dh said: “you gave away the big black rooster? why? I liked him!”

what an idiot I am. all logic, no gut. I had a home for him that didn’t involve a pot of boiling water, so I took it. and I am wishing I had just given Spike to someone with the pot of boilling water…