First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[Double Kindness]

I bit it and bought these chicks today. They aren't cornish x or rangers. I got them at big r in Elizabeth today.

27 total. 1 died the greyhound got it, another very injured.

I have them on 26% protein gamebird feed and chick grit. Water, dipped their beaks.

Considering these aren't fast finishers, and my elevation of 5700' above sea level, the feed I have them on.

 

[JessicaThistle]

I bit it and bought these chicks today. They aren't cornish x or rangers. I got them at big r in Elizabeth today.

27 total. 1 died the greyhound got it, another very injured.

I have them on 26% protein gamebird feed and chick grit. Water, dipped their beaks.

Considering these aren't fast finishers, and my elevation of 5700' above sea level, the feed I have them on.

Awww. I love chicks! They are so cute! What kind of chicks are they?

 

[Double Kindness]

I was told yellow cornish, barred rock, silver laced wyandotte but honestly idk?

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Congrats on the chicks! I love the little ones who have the dark stripes. They remind me of easter egger babies, but IDK enough to be sure (only that I'd love to get some in the spring).

Just got home to find that one of mine died He looks like he got in the corner of the brooder that they pile in to sleep, and possibly got smothered/crushed Very sad. Had a full crop and butt looked great, so IDK what else to look for. He was one of my bigger ones, too..

 

[Double Kindness]

oh no plaid!! I just turned off the lights in the barn.. hope the itty bitties will make it until the morning. Going to go close the coop on my egg layers.

 

[Double Kindness]

I meant turned the lights off

 

[Betsy57]

When I first got this batch, it was in the 50s during the day and dipping into the 30s at night. I left the light on pretty much non-stop for the first two weeks. During week 2 it heated up some and once the nights were dipping to the 50s, I started turning it off during the day and on at night. When I saw they weren't huddled under it, I just left it off totally.

With the batch I currently have, they are two weeks old tomorrow. I left the light on all day until I realized that our temps were 90 plus and they were not really peppy. I shut the light off totally when they turned one week old and they have come to life. Our temps came down some into the 70s during the day and we have a 50 degree night but even at a week old, they snuggled and were way happier than having a heat lamp.

I would keep the heat lamp on for at least the first 3 days 24/7. I suggest that you just monitor your temp where the brooder is and their activity level. If it is hot and they are laying around panting, shut it off. If they are active and running around, they are happy. If they are all snuggled in a chick pile, they are cold.

Okay so you're using a heat lamp that provides heat and light. What about just light? How long are they having light?

 

[Double Kindness]

I'm shutting the light off every 5 hours for 2-3 hours, but it's day one I have had them.

The barn is warm and retains heat especially with all the doors shut tight (dogs, squirrels, rbbits, mice etc.) There's just a t5 light on in the barn. I just checked on them, added more water, food/grit, new bedding. Everyone made it through the night. I added more to my temporary chick triage bin, just because it seemed a bit crowded in the other container. curiously the one with an injured wing, a br, is the most attentive in the triage.

The soonest my crew can set up the new run/coop is friday. 5 days in the barn, 26 chicks at 4 weeks old, what was I even thinking?

 

[JessicaThistle]

@ Plaid - I'm sorry you lost one. It just happens like that sometimes.

@ Betsy - Interesting question that I never totally thought about. Mine are in the garage and there is a window that lets in light. But I open all of the garage doors when I get up in the morning and shut them all up when it gets dark. So I guess they get light all day. In a few days when I move them into the chicken tractor on pasture, they will get light when it is light and none when it is dark. They will also not have a heat lamp because our outside temps are warm.

I can't believe my peeps are 2 weeks old today! I will have to do some random weights. They are growing so fast!

 

[Betsy57]

I'm shutting the light off every 5 hours for 2-3 hours, but it's day one I have had them.

The barn is warm and retains heat especially with all the doors shut tight (dogs, squirrels, rbbits, mice etc.) There's just a t5 light on in the barn. I just checked on them, added more water, food/grit, new bedding. Everyone made it through the night. I added more to my temporary chick triage bin, just because it seemed a bit crowded in the other container. curiously the one with an injured wing, a br, is the most attentive in the triage.

The soonest my crew can set up the new run/coop is friday. 5 days in the barn, 26 chicks at 4 weeks old, what was I even thinking?

You're giving them grit already? Not sure if that is wise since you've just had them a day.