they all look healthy! no signs of lethargic chicks- or the dreaded PASTY BUTT. however, i dont know what spraddle leg looks like.
I grew out 37 cobb 500 cx last year and am in the middle of harvesting another 37 this year. I have two kids who love holding them, they are a sweet and inquisitive chick with lots of energy. they bounce around and stay active if you employ a few tricks. here are my tips:
- continuous access to starter mix for the first 10 days. raise the feed and water as they grow so they have to stand up to eat and drink.
- over the first two weeks, as the chicks feather out enough to venture away from the heat lamp, gradually move the water and food further apart, forcing them to move, six to eight feet seems like a good target.
- at day 10 I begin throwing in a high protein grow out formula pellet till I can see they are easily getting it down and pooping healthily, then I switch to 100% pellet.
-at day 10 I begin a 12 hour on, 12 hour off feeding regime, to help prevent various leg and cardio problems. these birds have an endless appetite, they are never truly satiated, they can eat themselves to death.
-they will stay happier if you have a large enough brooder to allow them to run about, mine is about 9 feet by 4 feet and they occupy the whole thing within about 3 weeks or so. I use two, three foot boards screwed together in an "L" shape to provide a draft block early on and gradually move it away from the heat source as they grow till they don't need it any more
- if you are adventurous and want to get rid of the dreaded heat lamp, you can go with multiple Mother Heating Pads (search MHP) and if you are really adventurous you can try a wooly hen (no heat, using a heat trapping hut) varient. I will be doing this next time around because I feel that letting them sleep normally at night is better for them, making pulling the food at night a more natural transition. heat lamps eat electricity, pose a fire hazard and put the birds in a strange biorhythm, it's my prediction that the hobby will move away from their use rather shortly with so many viable alternatives being successfully used.
- as for food, you'll have to see what you feel is best. the higher the protein, upwards of 20% will produce a wattery dropping and birds that consume copious amounts of water. they take on weight very fast this way but they seem to suffer. I used a 17% modesto organic grower formula this time around and they stayed active till about 6-7 weeks and then slowed down. a few eventually developed walking issues in the last 5 days approaching harvest. I made the mistake of switching brands to a high molasses formula in the last 10 day grow out period and my beautiful white birds got muddy.
- managing the poop is a bit of an art. I used a partially composted wood chip/wood dust mix that was a little damp. the chicks loved it, ended up eating some of it and overall they had fairly firm droppings that were easy to stay on top of in terms of spot removing. I removed the clods that formed, mixed with some wood chips and composted it using a jaraform insulated tumbler composter (it can process a lot of waste quickly, because it reaches high heat temps). last year I used pine shavings and became overwhelmed with the volume. this year, it was much more managable with the wood chips. I think the wood was from a maple and left exposed to the elements for 1-2 years.
- I harvest using kill cones made from plastic buckets, super cheap, easy to make and easy to clean.
- I have decided to buy a Yard Bird chicken plucker, found one on line for $399, it is a champ! cleans two birds at a time in about 20-30 seconds. it makes processing SO much easier, worth every penny. I have not found a more economical approach to plucking.
- a word about watering! I took the shot gun approach and bought several styles of waterers. the thing to look out is a watter that leaks or spills too easily. I would recommend avoiding the "free range" brand, they are poorly designed and leak through the tongue and groove attachment at the bottom. it ends up looking like the chickens are being messy but instead the water is leaking through the bottom. I not sure if I will even give mine away, they are flawed by design. your hens can stay clean and white if you manage the water and droppings well. they will be happier.
I try and respect their dignity and well being, give them room to play and frolic while also keeping a mind on economy and return for effort. the cobb 500 is, IMHO, hands down the best balance of economy and quality of life.
