Cornish cross leg and heat issues

JMotuzick

Songster
Oct 31, 2017
387
493
166
Northwest Connecticut
We have raised both rangers and crosses for meat in the past, so we are not new. last year we took our time as we where not going far due to COVID. This year, we are planing a few trips and would like to butcher In the advertised 8 weeks. We have been using the 12 on/off feeding method rather then the measured amounts (witch always seam small) like we have used other years. Agin to speed things up, we are doing 2 tractors instead of 1. Everything has been going well for the first 5 1/2 weeks, today in 90 degree heat/humidity we lost one of the larger roo’s. After I got home from work 3pm I filled water buckets and added feed, we are moving them twice daily at this point, and started to move them. I only got a partial move as they where panting so badly. I gave them a quick cool shower with the hose and went to run some Errands after diner I checked on them again and found one passed. The rest still panting badly. Again a shower and I was able to move 1 tractor. The other seams to be have 2 with leg issues. One small and not moving much, the other large and again not moving. We have had issues in the past but always able to move the the tractor. I’m afraid to move it !

thoughts include showers every few hours.

cutting the feed back

lowering the protein (still on a 22% starter)

any advice would be helpful!

looking like 48-72 hours more heat and sun, rain starting Thursday should cool us down to the 70’s for a few days then 80’s next week.
 
Picture of your set up and the birds in question might help. Hard to say what is causing them to fail. 5 week old cx could have trouble in 90 degree heat. When I lived in the desert I would run homemade PVC misters over the tractors. Seemed to work but you do have to think about wet ground which will cause bummble foot in a hurry if you constantly run them over wet ground. Obviously make sure they have access to cool water all the time. I had a problem with waterers getting hot and the chickens stopped drinking water because the water was hot. My solution was a plywood board about 2'x2' on top of the bucket with a weight to hold it down shades the bucket nicely.
 
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Sorry no pictures on my phone.
I was able to move them both at sun up today. I did move one larger roo across the tractor for fear of crushing in, as it was not moving. I was a bit light on the amount of feed and plan on skipping the afternoon feeding. My wife will pop in at lunch to give them a shower if needed. I’m home around 3 the heat of the day and will shower again as needed. With little air movement I’m thinking a box fan on the end of each tractor could be helpful we have power at the coop less then 100’ from the tractors current location.
Thoughts?
 
What style chicken tractor are you using?
I've never had problems moving the pens across the ground except sometimes on the first day they go in. I always try to move my pens first thing in the morning before it starts to warm up.
Fans could help but sounds like alot of extra work and, if you have to buy fans, extra dollars.
 
Using the John scovitch style hoop houses. We have fans running a cord won’t take much.

That roo I had to move seams to have leg issues when he does walk it’s with a bit of a limp. I figured cutting back on the food will help him grow into his legs!
 
I found this from a few weeks ago when they went outside. My German friend was just checking them out!
1A72A4B0-1491-4AFA-9F20-D7AA3927F9E1.jpeg
 

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