Backyard Brahmas!!

[BrahmaDahDah]

Have to give some sad news: my chicks began to die within the last few weeks. Several were very week from the onset and inevitably perished while others began to develope severe scissor beak. Out of an order of 33, 10 died within the first 10 days and within three weeks 6 developed scissor beak. I have never had such crap luck with just one company. I don't get it. So out of 33 from my original order I'm down to 17 birds of mixed genetic quality. Calling this order a bust. Big shame. I was made monetarily whole, but the exsperience has me bummed.

 

[PhipN FarmGirl]

Oh goodness I'm so sorry to hear that, very rough experience.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That is super sad news. I am sorry you are dealing with such horrible losses.

Thanks for the heads up on poor quality birds.

 

[BrahmaDahDah]

I'm just thankful I was able to order more chicks from a local breeder. Hatch days were only a few days apart! So I lucked out there. I'm just not sure how to handle the rest of the birds from the previous order. They're doing well, well feathered and very boisterous, but the genetics behind them makes them a no breeding flock. The latter meaning for me being a huge bummer and an even bigger "now what!"

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I'd mark them to keep as layers or you could process them when they are full grown. Not a lot of options, but a few. Good luck, hope you figure something out.

 

[BrahmaDahDah]

All sound like viable options. I just have to figure out how I'm going to separate my breeding flock from the non-breeding flock come next year. My coop was designed for one large single flock for ease of care and egg flow. Sort of feel I have a responsibility to not accidentally produce chicks with potential genetic defects. That's a whole other year away, so fingers crossed!

 

[Huntress78]

I'm just thankful I was able to order more chicks from a local breeder. Hatch days were only a few days apart! So I lucked out there. I'm just not sure how to handle the rest of the birds from the previous order. They're doing well, well feathered and very boisterous, but the genetics behind them makes them a no breeding flock. The latter meaning for me being a huge bummer and an even bigger "now what!"

I don't think the birds you have left are genetically inferior...They faced adversity and survived which actually makes them superior!
If you are still worried about it, the simple cure would be to cull all the cockerels from the hatchery line and just use a male from the 'breeder' birds as your breeding cock...this way you'll add a new line to the hatchery birds for 'genetic diversity'.
Good luck!

 

[BrahmaDahDah]

The brooder I built and provided my chicks was tested for appropriate temperature and drafts and I know that was not the issue. The chicks have been in a 75degree room with a starting temp of 95 degrees warm hot spot temp. Chicks have been on electrolytes and vitamins from the day I received them. So I know my care parameters were spot on. I notified the hatchery as soon as the problem became apparent and informed them when it became a wider issue in my little flock. I was given no response but immediate refund via check in the mail. I'm not trying to knock this hatchery as I've ordered in the past and have hand wild success with them. My assumption is that the parent stock of these chicks was inferior.
I have to say from past exsperience that we give chicks little to no credit for how tough they are: I've had chicks in the dead of winter and in the blazing heat of August with no losses. I've bought several chicks from breeders and never had issues with such things as small flock breeders take more time and energy to provide clean lineage of birds. I just don't think the supplier of these chicks to the hatchery was either careful or dillegent as a lot of the research behind cross beak points to genetics. Eggs that are naturally incubated exsperience fluctuations in temp, moisture and rotation and are reared without defect. I never intended to knock the hatchery or argue details, I just wanted healthy chicks to add genetics to my flock,. The chicks that are left are spoiled rotten and that's how they'll stay until they decided to leave this earth! As for breeding they may never be mothers or papas but who knows, they may go broody and find themselves surrogates. They have lots of potential and a big spacious garden to call they're own I just want to make sure I do everything possible to be sure what I do hatch is viable. #yardcandy

 

[Huntress78]

Quote:
Can you quote your sources? I'd like to read more on this.

 

[BrahmaDahDah]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4157856/#!po=75.0000

I've found that this article is substantive. What is indicated in the article is that cross beak may be recessive. Again, I'm not a diffinitive fountainhead of information on this topic and would prefer not to argue it on this thread. There are SEVERAL threads that cover this topic on both sides of the argument.