yes .. a little stressful with the heat. hope everyone faired well in the Valley.
everyone seems happy and the young ones where thrilled to be able to kick and scratch in the dirt.
I recently read a post on BYC about chicks around the same age of the two groups you are thinking about putting together and the older chicks killed the younger ones. I would wait until the younger chicks are a couple of weeks old before trying to mix them. They are fragile at 4 days old and need a different brooder temperature than the 2 1/2 week olds.
I am picking up some more chicks (from same breeder I got my other chicks from). They will have a 2 week or so age spread. Mine will be about 2 1/2 weeks old and the new batch will be about 4 days old. Will the new ones be ok with the older ones- or do I need to brood them separately. There are 6 now and I will be adding 9 more. (and I'm done getting any until next Spring maybe) Thanks guys!
Haalllooooo! I had to mist my chickens today it was 110 at my place. Of course I was primarily misting my ducks with the hose. The chicks like it too. The hens were watching curiously..... so I decided they'd like it too escpecially since they were panting..... it was hilarious. They all ran to the furthest corner of the run and were jumping all over eachother in a great heep of feathers. My daughter and I were cracking up.
I am actually not ready to get laying hens yet. Maybe in the spring. I am determined to actually be one of the rare individuals to have a completed coop before getting chicks. Have been thinking about getting some meaties since they are so short term. Restock our chest freezer since our beef supply is getting low and we actually have room now. It would be a good summer project.
I am actually not ready to get laying hens yet. Maybe in the spring. I am determined to actually be one of the rare individuals to have a completed coop before getting chicks. Have been thinking about getting some meaties since they are so short term. Restock our chest freezer since our beef supply is getting low and we actually have room now. It would be a good summer project.
R.
I recently read a post on BYC about chicks around the same age of the two groups you are thinking about putting together and the older chicks killed the younger ones. I would wait until the younger chicks are a couple of weeks old before trying to mix them. They are fragile at 4 days old and need a different brooder temperature than the 2 1/2 week olds.
Good luck with them
Quote:
X2. Yes, keep them apart until the younger ones are a week old or so. Accuweather says it's 85 currently in Redding with a low 65 today and a high of 104. We won't be that hot, but this morning none of my chicks were under their heater. Using the ecoglow has convinced me that we keep chicks too warm for too long, especially in those parts of CA where it is so hot. I bet my Garage did not go below 80 last night.
Last year a guy bought 200 chicks and split them up into a bunch of rubber maid tubs. After 50 of them died, he asked for help. He had a small batch that did not die so he thought the large scale system would work. He had the temperature too high in the brooder and the heat was killing them. That seems to happen more often than too cold.
Well after that sad news, the best thing to do is make a spot for them that is warmer than the rest of the brooder. The chicks will self regulate by moving into and out of the heat. If in doubt, set the temperature for the younger ones. Most importantly, watch them to see what they are doing. If they are huddling together under the light, they are too cold. If they are panting, staying away from each other away from the light than they are too hot.
So, size and the ability to stand up for themselves is the thing to look at.
Ok, just to show that I am not making this up
and that I have put together older and younger chicks, I am posting a picture of my GL Wyendotte with the two EEs I bought to keep her company. The GLW was Two days old when I put them together. The EEs are at least a week older, probably more. The GLW is two weeks old not, sot the EEs are 3 to 4 weeks old. I took this picture this morning:
Notice the ecoglow on the left. They were not under it this morning. I really hope the GLW is a girl
I hope everyone has a happy Fathers day. I am cooking a Red Star packing Rooster in my smoker today.
I decided to take some pictures. I have Heritage RIRs now. The big guy comes from Dick Horstman. He hatched by himself and I put him with the week and half old Creme legbars. The little chicks are Nelson line from Ron Fogelly. Notice how ratty he looks. This is an example of molting and slow feathering. The chicks hatched on Thursday.
Don't worry, I am keeping them separate.
This is one of my older Crested Creme Legbars. Boy is this guy Crested too:
For my DH, I'm fixing a campine cockerel with a gimpy foot that was being beat up in freezer camp by two onery black star cockerels that out weighed him probably three to one. I'm going with Ina Garten's Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic after being brined by a Guy Fieri recipe.
Of course, I spent 4 hours yesterday at the emergency room. While eviscerating tonight's dinner, my new (and VERY sharp) knife splipped and made contact with my poorly placed digit. I now have four stitches where I attempted to remove the fingerprint from my left thumb.
Gorgeous boy, where did he come from? I've got CL going into lock down on Tuesday, at last candling I had nine developing nicely.
Deb
So Sorry about the knife accident. I looked at a guide on BC and the only knife that was used was a scalpel. One slip with that and oh boy! If the finger is numb, it will come back! Peripheral nerves keep repairing and do not stop like spinal nerves. I crushed my sciatic nerve that damaged the peroneal nerve that goes down to the foot. It is still repairing itself after four years. The nerve in your finger is shorter, so it should take a month or two.
Brining is great. Watch the cook time, unless yours dressed out at 6 pounds like the store birds.
The first Creme Leg Bar eggs came from cindylee53 on ebay. They are different from the second three I hatched. These have the great crest and not much color. The second eggs came from Hootie159 and those don't have as much crest but more color. The second batch came from bigger eggs too. I hope I have two of the lines that Greenfire sells. They definitely are not related. I have seen both of these in pictures of British birds. Did you know you can buy these at the feed stores in England? My Pet chicken is rumored to be selling them next year.
LOL, it was a six month old campine, it dressed at 2.5 pounds, but that's plenty for the two of us for at least two nights.
Believe me, right now nerve regeneration is not first on my list. The nerve block they gave me (which hurt like holy heck) was great. A couple of minutes after the two injections into the bottom joint of my thumb and I was able to tap on it with zero feeling. I would not have been able to tolerate them washing the injury and the suturing. I'm pretty tough and have a high pain tolerance, but this put tears in my eyes. I bled through three different compression items (two dishtowels from home & a heavy gauze wrap after triage). Each time it was changed out, it required soaking off, which relifted the flap of skin.
My weapon of choice, was a brand new boning knife. I can't tell you how careful I was this afternoon when I parted out the chicken with that knife, only using 1.5 hands.
And I'm only doing a quick two hour brine, then the recipe is more of a braise, yum. Enjoy your Father's Day chicken as well.
What do you want to do get?
