First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[duluthralphie]

I forgot to mention my Broody EE appears to have taken the eggs/nest.

She is very nervous in her new cage/surroundings. but she is setting on them. If I get close she jumps off an acts scared.

So I will simply let her be for a few days she has enough food and water. After a few days she should calm down.


And 7 more creamette eggs are incubator including the "repaired" egg.

 

[Doylehomestead]

Right now we they are still on the starter feed. They are almost all the way feathered. I think its just the Purina Starter Feed. We have it in a feeder. We let them go outside yesterday and today and I would just throw feed on the ground so they could scratch for it. and then I ended up just putting the feeder back out for them to eat for about an hour and then took it away for a few hours.

I will try the 15 minute thing and also look into fermented feed. Thank you for that information!

 

[duluthralphie]

Right now we they are still on the starter feed. They are almost all the way feathered. I think its just the Purina Starter Feed. We have it in a feeder. We let them go outside yesterday and today and I would just throw feed on the ground so they could scratch for it. and then I ended up just putting the feeder back out for them to eat for about an hour and then took it away for a few hours.

I will try the 15 minute thing and also look into fermented feed. Thank you for that information!

How old are they now?

Make sure they have lots of water and the water is a fair distance from the feed.

 

[JessicaThistle]

Doyle: I fed mine Nutrena Meatbird food. The nice thing about this feed is that you can feed them this from chick to processing time unless you want to do a period of medicated feed in the beginning. I fed enough for them to eat in 10 minutes 4 times per day and free ranged. I basically gave them a 2 quart pitcher of feed each time.

To be honest, I can't say that raising you own meat birds is saving money. If you add your time along with the feed, you could have bought a lot from the store. BUT, you know that you are eating healthy happy chickens that were raised by you! You know exactly where they came from and the kind of life they had. Besides that, the meat is so much better than store bought and you aren't supporting that corporate disgustingness that is corporate chicken raising!!

Linda: Yay! So close!

Update: Chicks are going to be 6 weeks old this week! 47 of the 93 pullets that we have at home are laying now!

On the downside, one of my personal hens was acting funny today and I found lice on her. Dang it! Everyone is getting dusted and coops cleaned. I am going to need to make some spare time. Of course this happens the week that I have to work on a rush print job!

Here's chicken tractor pics:


This is the feeder. We will set it up so hens can eat from inside or outside. It holds about 400 pounds of feed. We will also have a barrels of water here that will serve inside and out.


This is the start for the roll out nesting boxes. My hubby is constructing it so eggs roll away from the hens after laying to a tray that we can access from the outside of the tractor. At night the nest will swing up to move hens out of the nest so they don't sleep in there and make a poopy mess of the nesting boxes. In the morning they will open up to allow access for egg laying.

We found this was an absolute necessity with the hens from the farm that will be moving in to this. They have the bad habit of sleeping in the nesting boxes instead of going to the roosts. It is a big mess to clean up each day. Grumble....

 

[duluthralphie]

So Jessica basically you are forcing each bird to be homeless every night of their lives......

That tractor is looking so cool.........



Linda you will be gator wrestling in no time now...

I had a terrible heart break this morning.

I got up made my coffee, took a sip so I could see and I saw the thermometer on my diamond encrusted crested cream leg bar creamette eggs due to hatch Friday was at 91.2 degrees....


My heart fell my first reaction was to turn the thermostat up. I resisted the urge. I looked closely at the set up....Whew.... It was ok. When I put the new diamond encrusted crested leg bar creamette eggs in last night I accidentally pulled the thermostat out of the incubator, sort of, and the probe was in the air vent and not at the level of the top of the eggs..

This happened 5 minutes ago,, I am currently at 100.5 ( high but I get that much variation) it ranges from 99 to 100.5.

Tomorrow the eggs leave the incubator and move to the hatcher.....I can't wait to have 2 more million dollar babies! and the rest of the birds.

 

[mountain mom]

Whew! I am so glad it was just a thermometer issue! I can't wait to see some of those diamond creamettes!

The tractor is looking great, Jessica! I really like the design.
Lice? Yuck. I hope you find time to dust everyone... and to have a cranberry vodka.

Doylehomestead- Good luck with the meaties!

I need to build a new coop today. Or rather, a lean to type structure. Wish me luck. I don't love building things. I don't mind it, but also don't love it.

 

[holm25]

I have a concoction made from YL essential oils. Any brand oils will work but this is what I have. Its a mix of Black Pepper oil, Theives and Oregano. It kills them BUT ONLY SPRAY NEST BOXES AND ROOSTS!!! It will bjurn a hens little butt severely a Oregano BURNS VERY BADLY. But if u mix a few drops of each with about 1-2 cups of water it works well... At least it did for me... Add more oils for bigger amounts of oil.

And ur tractor looks great!!

Happy ur million dollar eggs r OK Ralph!

 

[Dandelioness]

Aromatic oils are very good for preventing and sometimes treating lice and mites. I apply neem oil directly to roosts and nest boxes, rubbing it into the wood, twice a year. I had lice on a broody silkie once, but just dusted her twice with DE and her nest area (cause she uses the floor), and didn't have to do anything else. I didn't even have to remove bedding. But I did put some neem oil on some 2x4 scraps and laid them by her nest. I think those essential oils would work, too, but I can get the neem oil in larger bottles for a better price. The rest of the flock has never had lice or mite issues. I hope that helps you clear up or prevent future outbreaks!!

Neem oil is contraindicated for topical use on people or livestock who are pregnant or may become pregnant. So I always use latex gloves and a soaked rag to apply the neem oil. Not sure of your age/status, but it's worth knowing in case you pass the remedy on to another woman.

Good luck, Jessica!

 

[1zooman12]

Hello Mountain Mom!
Turkeys generally do NOT nest in trees but in a secluded hidden nest on the ground. At least this old former zoo bird curator never heard of an exception. Even so I refrain from saying never about the behavior of any animule. They will double cross you every time! Also they are federally protected under various state and federal auspices. Hubby had better not get caught possessing a wild bird egg of any kind, save house sparrows, starlings and the so-called pigeon (rock dove). The penalties can be severe. I get a big kick out of your blogs (essays).Sincerely,
Neal, the Zooman

 

[JessicaThistle]

So the chickens are all dusted. I think my hubby and I got more dust on ourselves than the birds but on the bright side, we won't get lice. But if I seem to just disappear forever, I died from the dust. I hope you will all miss me! Let me tell you, that job sucks and to think that we have to do it again in a week makes me crabby. No fun!

Thanks Holm and Dandy for the essential oil suggestions. I will look into that. My age/status: 38, married and done, done, done having kiddos! It's my kid's turns as they are grown now. Yippeee!

So, the kids grow up and move on and I become a chicken farmer. Sometimes feels like I have 800 kindergartners now.

I am a glutton for punishment, I'm sure of it!

Hubby went to the farm today so I could get a rush print job done. Yay for him doing that. Meh for me. Still have to work.