First time with Cornish X

[RandRRanch]

Well this is shaping up to be a real comedy of errors already. Birds shipped yesterday from quite a ways away so I thought I had till Friday morning. Imagine my surprise when my phone had a message from the post office. We ordered 50 birds and I counted 51. Of course they arrive on the coldest night we have had in a long long time. I am borrowing a neighbors brooder and lamp and when asked if I should have a second lamp, he said no. So fast forward to now, 5 hours later. 1 dead and the rest huddled under the lamp trying to stay warm. I have lowered the lamp in hopes of keeping them warm but they are outside and there is little I can do given the time of night and lack of places open selling more heat lamps. I am hoping I didn't make a huge mistake taking this on in what has currently been the mildest fall I can ever remember in California. I figure I will keep a running log of this adventure and hope to hear from the experts that everything will be fine as I try to stumble my way through this experience to put food on the family table.

 

[SunnySkies]

So how are the babies?

An EcoGlow 50 might be your best bet to get these guys through what sounds like a cold snap.

I had a great time raising meat birds this summer. I started with 33 Freedom Rangers. Great fun and amazing meat.

 

[RandRRanch]

They are hanging in there. No losses over night and it is warming up quickly. I am off to the feed store to get another lamp in hopes that the two will carry them over for the next three weeks. Gonna be a bumpy ride for a while I think

 

[BCMaraniac]

They are hanging in there. No losses over night and it is warming up quickly. I am off to the feed store to get another lamp in hopes that the two will carry them over for the next three weeks. Gonna be a bumpy ride for a while I think

Good to hear that they are doing okay.....would some warm water for them to drink.....maybe with electrolytes....help?

 

[RandRRanch]

They have warm water and now they have a second lamp that I may have to disconnect during the day but for now everyone seems to be moving around like I would expect them to do. Everyone seems to be eating and drinking so I am hoping the second lamp will give them a bit more freedom to roam around the box and I will just keep checking them every hour or so throughout the day.

 

[BCMaraniac]

They have warm water and now they have a second lamp that I may have to disconnect during the day but for now everyone seems to be moving around like I would expect them to do. Everyone seems to be eating and drinking so I am hoping the second lamp will give them a bit more freedom to roam around the box and I will just keep checking them every hour or so throughout the day.

Great....sounds like you are right on top of things......

 

[RandRRanch]

So we hit the 48 hour mark and all seems to be well. currently 50 of 50 birds all seem to be eating drinking and being little chicks. I figure I need to start taking some pictures as these little buggars are already starting to sprout wing feathers. So one milestone down and now we start counting down to moving to the tractor. Anyone have feeding advise for when the birds get to the tractor? Feeders? Toss it on the ground and pull the tractor over the area? I am open to suggestions here.

 

[Angelicisi]

I use portable troughs made out of PVC and wood blocks on ends to keep it from tipping.
I free range but they can easily be moved to rinse or when you move the tractor.

 

[RandRRanch]

Lost another today. Lets hope that is the end of that mess

 

[Angelicisi]

Sorry you lost another.
Have you added any electrolytes or vitamins.
Theressimething called sav-a-chick in lil packets.
Easy to use. Add a pack of it to a gallon of water.
CX chicks have a vitamin issue with the B vitamins which they need bad or will have nervous system issues or quick deaths that aren't due to cardiac rhythms. A friend had theirs dropping dead by the pair daily, the vitamins added to water may have saved the rest of hers. The day she added it no more losses (until one got stepped on :/ )
I used a vitamin B complex vitamin ground up when I lost one chick and couldn't get to feed store the other chicks thrived afterwards.
Just a thought.