Best ratio?

[katheria]

1 to 5 in my large pens

 

[Otter22]

I have 1 male 5 hens and have just been seeing the hens getting a bit bald in the last few days no blood just bald.

is that pretty normal? I was thinking about taking out the male for a few weeks and giving the hens a break.

 

[Robo]

They might be starting a molt. Mine molted right when my roosters started breeding again. Their necks stayed bald for the rest of their molt.

 

[shelleyd2008]

If it's the tops of their heads and not the backs, it could be that the hens are picking each other or they are getting spooked and braining themselves on the top of the pen. Males aren't the only reason for balding

 

[Otter22]

It's more back of the neck and seems I think it has more to do with the male.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
THAT BOY'S ON FIRE!

SOUNDS LIKE HE MAY BE A LIL OVER AMOROUS

YOU CAN ALWAYS GIVE HIM A BIGGER HAREM, OR PLACE THEM IN A LARGER PEN AND GIVE THE GIRLS SOME "HIDES" TO SEEK REFUGE IN.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

Hi I have my 11 growing quick, still haven't established who is a roo, but looks like I have plenty of females, at the moment they are in the house with the heat if they need it, how long do they need that extra heat? I'm amused at the fact that I have 2 chicken chicks with a heat lamp and 4 with a mom outside running around in the tractor run outside, I'm guessing that the 1s outside have gotten used to the cold and it would shock the indoor chicks more to bring them outside, just like us florida people as soon as the temp drops 10 degrees we're freezing, and I know from living over in scotland I didn't used to feel the cold like I do now, I probably should have kept all the chicks with the heat lamp outside in screened porch so they felt a little of the cold.
ok the question is when do I take the heat lamp away?

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
ONCE FULLY FEATHERED, ABOUT 3 WKS OF AGE, START DECREASING THE TEMP SLOWLY AND GRADUALLY WEAN THEM OFF OF IT... I HAVE WEEK OLDS OUT IN THE BARN DOING FINE... THEY ARE UNDER HEAT, BUT DOING WELL DISPITE OUR COOL NIGHTS RECENTLY

 

[Madcap621]

I took out the feed trays and put in a chick feeder. They promptly hopped INTO the holes and started running around INSIDE of it! Guess I should shorten the depth-contrl a little so that the feed comes closer to the holes!

Will the 10 Gallon aquarium-brooder be big enough for 3 weeks [until feathered [19 chicks] or do I need to plan on an interum [30 gallon storage-tub] brooder? Next question: I plan to move them to a 3' x 3' x 12" Brooder-coop [w/heat light on a thermo-cube ... on at 34*, off at 40*] on the glassed in porch for the winter. The wire spacing is 1'' x 6". Is that too large for grown Coturnix or should I cover it w/ 1/2" hardware cloth or chicken wire? I know that 9 square feet for 19 birds is only half the recomended size What kind of problems should I look for with over-crowding?? I can make a larger enclosure once I get the

!@#$%^&

hottub moved. Seems young muscle is hard to find and motivate!

 

[JJMR794]

" I took out the feed trays and put in a chick feeder. They promptly hopped INTO the holes and started running around INSIDE of it! Guess I should shorten the depth-contrl a little so that the feed comes closer to the holes!"

YOU SHOULD TRY THE FEEDERS THAT SCREW ONTO MASON JARS.... THEN WHEN YOU GET HOME AFTER A BAD DAY YOU CAN ENJOY YOUR CANNED QUAIL

INVARIABLY SOME LIL ROCKET SCIENTIST IN THE CROWD WILL MANAGE TO GET INSIDE THE FEEDER, POP UP THRU THE FEED STILL IN THE JAR AND BE RUNNING LIL FRANTIC CIRCLES INSIDE THE JAR ON TOP OF THE FEED DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR THE DOOR. GRANTED ITS CUTE AS ALL GET OUT TO SEE, BUT ALSO A PAIN IN THE BUT TO HAVE TO RESCUE JR AS IT DOESNT HAPPEN UNLESS THERE'S STILL FEED IN THE JAR....


AS JOE WALSH ONCE SANG, " I GO TO PARTIES AND STAY UNTIL 4, ITS HARD TO LEAVE WHEN YOU CAN'T FIND THE DOOR.... LIFE'S BEEN GOOD TO ME SO FAR..."