Cornish cross feeding schedule problems.

[Corgo]

I echo the advice about heating plates being preferable to heating lights.

That being said, before I discovered heating plates -- and in cases where a large number of chicks make it impractical to use the one I had-- I have raised cx chicks with heating lamps many times. Where I have done so, I gave them access to food 24/7 for their first two weeks. Starting at two weeks, I gradually started reducing the food until, by week 4, I was only putting out food twice a day, each morning and evening. I put out enough, so that everyone got their fill and wandered away from food dish to go collapse in a food comma. It took about 20 or 30 minutes. Then, no more food until the next feeding.

By 4 weeks, they were done with the need for heat lights, so they could sleep through the night, and were also old enough to go outside to forage during the day. Giving them a chance to eat weeds, chase bugs and look for old produce I would scatter about, seemed to help them from losing their minds when the food wasn't around.

I had really good luck with this system, getting nice sized healthy birds, that I would butcher between 8 and 13 weeks of age.

Thanks so much for the help .. At this point, I think this will probably be my best option with this batch of chicks. In three more weeks when they are feathered out we should be having relatively milder nights ( I’m in NC). Generally we don’t have so many nights dipping into the 30’s in mid April, third week is our safe from frost zone for planting. Next batch I will change stuff around, probably raising smaller batches with a brooder plate in the Spring. Or raising a bigger batch in early fall where it would generally still warm when they were chicks, but would cool down as they were starting to get bigger.

 

[Corgo]

Then use a heat source that is not a light.

Thanks I will do some more reading, all the ones I saw built were with lights. I get what you are saying now, use it to trap the heat from the brooder plate? Sorry, I’m super tired .. been up since 2AM I went to check on chicks and found the one trampled.

 

[wolfwalker]

Thank you so much for the kind welcome
I did read about the Ohio brooders and it seems like a great ( and economical ) way to keep a big bunch of chicks warm!! With the lights inside the box though .. I think I would encounter the same problems with the chicks wanting to stay up and eat all night unfortunately.

Except this would be perfect to use with a reptile ceramic heat bulb

 

[Thomas Dailey]

How would using a portable base board heater work?

 

[Corgo]

How would using a portable base board heater work?

They are in my gym in an unheated cottage. A baseboard heater would warm the room up, but probably not enough to go with out the heat lights.

 

[Corgo]

I rearranged their brooder again so they should have plenty of room to make it through to their third week, at that point I’m hoping to evict them to the coop, run and free ranging. It looks like the worst of the cold snaps are over. Lows will be in the 50’s at night, so they will probably still need heat lamps until feathered. I weighed a bunch of the average sized in a bowl on my food scale and they are running right with Welp Hatchery weight charts, so I’m trying to keep them on course As much as I can. Hoping to get them in a more normal light/ feeding schedule as soon as weather allows. There‘s a definite learning curve, figured out a better eating system where they couldn’t make such a mess. Trying to keep them in clean living conditions. Hoping consecutive batches will get easier as I get better systems worked out.

 

[Corgo]

Now that they can’t fit through the slots on some old dog kennel panels I had .. I have put that across the front of the big brooder I built and put their food on the outside. Starting with the red feeders, then removed them when they got used to the trough I built. As they grow I will raise it up, (just zip tided to the cage) until they can go outside. This has cut down the mess and waste so much, trying to keep their living quarters clean. .. plus it is easy to fill. They were having parties in the feeders, standing on it, sleeping in it. Lol I can’t figure out how to post the video of my daughter in the brooder giving them a pep talk to try out the new system but here’s some pics.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That is a standard way to cut down on waste. They can't sweep their heads side to side and scoop the feed out.

If you can raise them to the height of their back (bricks maybe) they won't scratch as much bedding in.

 

[Morrigan]

That's a great feeding system you have worked out.

Another way to help out with food waste is to ferment their feed.

 

[Morrigan]

Your chicks look very healthy by the way. Nice job all around.