Dominique Thread!

[flitter]

Quote:
Not usually. I do fish nutrition research where diets are made with a range of levels for a given nutrient. Individuals fed diets with adequate level seldom exibit health issues or depressed growth but as nutrient level decreases an increasing proportion but usually not all individuals are affected. Only at extremely low nutrients are all individuals affected. Genetics definantly influences what proportion is affected at a given nutrient level so Waltenters logic is sound.

Rooster Booster is worth a try and I won't use him for breeding. Will his feet possibly correct... at least some? You are recommending I feed the additional Rooster Booster to all 20 4-5 week olds, pullets and cockerels? As free choice or mixed in? Are you recommending that I not breed any of the chicks from that source?

You said the problem could be storage. The feed is kept in a galvanized metal can. Always covered and with no rust or other contaminants ever in the can. Could you expand on that a bit?

Thank you.

 

[WallTenters]

It won't hurt to give it to all chicks, but this one in particular. If it is a vitamin deficiency, you've caught it early enough it should correct. I'm not sure on galvanized metals if the feed is medicated - I store myn in plastic tubs so I haven't looked into how the medication interacts with metal, but it should probably be fine. If it were a killer issue, all chicks would be affected.

What you're looking at is a lack of feed conversion (aka feed efficiency). You want to cull against that, just like you would if one bird didn't gain as much weight as the other. Yes, the feed could be lacking somewhere, but obviously some of the chicks are able to squeeze enough nutrition out of it to do just fine. Even if you were to change feeds, you would still want to keep only those chicks that did best in the worst situation.

 

[flitter]

It makes sense. Thank you.

I've been on the phone... Rooster Booster isn't easy to find... but I will.

 

[WallTenters]

If you can't find rooster booster, many vitamin drenches for just about any animal will work. Go to a pet shop and ask them about cage bird vitamin drenches, or drenches for reptiles. No matter what you use (including rooster booster) he'll be getting more than he needs, but the benefits far outweigh the risks.

 

[Chris09]

You can also use "SAV-A-CHICK" on your 4-5 week olds, pullets and cockerels.
You just add one packet to a gallon of water.

Chris

 

[WallTenters]

Chris have you had good success with the sav-a-chick? I didn't care for it, it seemed to be too much for the chickies, we thought about diluting it down some more, but then we kind of figured "why are we adding anything when we don't have a problem?". Do you use the dilution right on the label or do you do something different?

The only time we use it is if we get shipped chicks. I have added pedialyte and actually preferred that over the sav-a-chick, but maybe it's the combination of environment, water, etc etc etc.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
I myself don't add anything to the chicks water, but I have talked to a few people that use sav-a-chick and seem to like it.
The reason that I don't use any thing in the chicks water is, I feel that if a bird is in bad shape or of poor health as a chick it will never amount to much as a adult.

Chris

 

[KenK]

Six weeks old. Practicing her stink eye, not quite there.

Edited to say that I'm pretty sure this one is a cockeral. I need to send them to centrarchid for training, very hard to photograph. ; )

 

[JustTom]

Hi,

I'm figuring it's a long shot, but I'm wondering if anyone has a standard breeding age Dom rooster available somewhere reasonably near WV (zip 25401)?

A mixture of poor planning and poor weather have left my dom gals without a playmate, so my breeding program is on hold at the moment. I've tried the dom club forum with no luck, and just found this thread.

thanks,
tom

 

[Gallusfarm]

Quote:
Hey, you should check out the Maryland Poultry Fanciers swap this weekend - looks like it's not too far from you!! There should be a little of everything there.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=492984