Help with timing of chick deliveries

[NHMountainMan]

I'm trying to place my orders for Spring deliveries, with chicks coming from 3 different hatcheries. I'm looking for some help with how quickly I can move chicks from the brooder to their unheated coop or tractor.
Working from our last frost date of May 22, I wouldn't move any chicks outside before 6/1.

1) I've read that CornishX feather out at about 2 weeks - so would it be ok to put them outside at 2 weeks (therefore arriving ~May 15th? (these are coming from Meyer hatcheries)

2)I'm also getting freedom rangers.(These I'm ordering from Freedom ranger hatchery) How quickly could I put them outside? I've heard 2 weeks and 4 weeks before feathering out - anyone with experience on how quickly I could put them outside?

My brooder holds 20 chicks. I'm planning on 10 each of the above, with a reorder of one of the above mid summer. If they arrive 2 weeks apart, can they share the brooder without problems?

Finally- as an FYI - I'm adding 5 layers that will come from Greenfire. Ordering cold weather chicks - and as they don't vent sex their chicks, expect I'll have some cockerels to get rid of in the fall next years.

Thanks for any help you might offer.
And HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

[Folly's place]

You are making things complicated here!
The Cornishx chicks will need less heat sooner, and sit around eating, not interacting very much with the more active more normal birds.
The FRs will grow faster than those layers from Greenfire, but be more active and need heat longer than the Cornishx chicks.
When we use out hoop chicken tractor, we park it close enough to the house that a heavy duty extension cord runs to it with a heat lamp, so the meat birds do have some extra heat for another week or three. It gets them on grass sooner, and still okay with weather. The hoop is covered in a tarp for shade and weather protection.
Those five straight run chicks could turn into four or five cockerels.
Mary

 

[NHMountainMan]

You are making things complicated here!
The Cornishx chicks will need less heat sooner, and sit around eating, not interacting very much with the more active more normal birds.
The FRs will grow faster than those layers from Greenfire, but be more active and need heat longer than the Cornishx chicks.
When we use out hoop chicken tractor, we park it close enough to the house that a heavy duty extension cord runs to it with a heat lamp, so the meat birds do have some extra heat for another week or three. It gets them on grass sooner, and still okay with weather. The hoop is covered in a tarp for shade and weather protection.
Those five straight run chicks could turn into four or five cockerels.
Mary

I have two tractors set for the cornishX and Freedom rangers. I'm trying both, to compare meat taste. If I'm happy with the rangers, I'll skip the cornishX next time, as I do not like the idea of a chicken that can't move and range easily.
The tractors be too far from the house to heat. If I order the rangers to arrive two weeks before the cornishX, can I brood them together?

And yup - the straight run could all be cockerel. But I'm ordering a few of each to improve my odds. I'm fine eating of selling the ones I don't keep.

Thanks as always!

 

[ValerieJ]

I might be coming too late to this discussion, and you may have placed your orders already, but here's my 2 cents worth anyway.

My chicks don't go outside until they are about 8 weeks old, but I understand that's not necessary at all. When one of my hens raised her own babies, she had them outside when they were 3 days old! Basically, chicks can go outside as soon as they have feathers, but experience with the mama hen says they can go out sooner if there is a warmer place to retreat to. I don't know how far your coops are from the house, but I have been known to put a couple 100' outdoor extension cords together to get electricity to a coop in a pinch. Just have to make sure the connection is protected from getting wet.

As for raising chicks 2 weeks age difference, I think it should work. I raised Pippi with brooding mates that were 1 week to 10 days older and there were no problems at all. He was smaller and got knocked down a lot, but he didn't get hurt, and they didn't mean to knock him down. Chicks are clumsy.

It will be interesting to see how this all works out for you.

 

[NHMountainMan]

I'm still trying to figure it out. I think the CornishX are feathered out at 2 weeks, and the rangers at 4. So I'm thinking getting 10 rangers, then having the cornish arrive a week later - and moving them to their individual tractors at 5 wks/ 3 wks. The tractors are set in the garden, a little to far to run a cord - so they'll need to be able to handle the weather.
I've sent a note to the freedom ranger hatchery to ask about speed of feathering, and waiting to hear back - hopefully soon our I'm just going to follow my plan above.

Thanks!

 

[silkie1472]

I'm still trying to figure it out. I think the CornishX are feathered out at 2 weeks, and the rangers at 4. So I'm thinking getting 10 rangers, then having the cornish arrive a week later - and moving them to their individual tractors at 5 wks/ 3 wks. The tractors are set in the garden, a little to far to run a cord - so they'll need to be able to handle the weather.
I've sent a note to the freedom ranger hatchery to ask about speed of feathering, and waiting to hear back - hopefully soon our I'm just going to follow my plan above.

Thanks!

Good evening!

I see where you’re trying to figure out when to move your birds outside. Meat birds, in general, do feather out faster...and if you’re wanting them to go outside (assuming the order is late may so they can be out early June), I don’t see why they couldn’t unless the weather is really unpredictable.

However, you seem to have a concern about meat taste as well. Both birds you are getting are great, but there are 2 things that can affect the quality of the birds.

1) What you’re feeding the bird greatly influences the meat (as you most likely know).
2) Moving a bird places stress on them (especially moving them outside). Doing so on younger birds would help alleviate this problem.

Also, I don’t know if you’re wanting to take an organic approach or not, but placing chicks outside places a pretty big coccidia threat on the bird. I, personally, would recommend medicated gamebird feed for the chicks if you are wanting to place them outside early. 24% protein compared to the 22% recommended is not such a big deal — especially when considering the fast growth rates.

Hope this helps!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I once got 7 pullets from an order of 7 straight run. In that same order I got 4 cockerels and 2 pullets in a straight run order of 6 chicks of a different breed. You get what you get. That's why I now order what I want, whether pullets or cockerels. They are still not always 100% but at least I have some control.

I've never raised Cornish X or Rangers so I can't help you with how fast they feather out. I will mention that the frost date is an average, each year it could be off by weeks. That delay to June 1 may be enough, it's always a gamble. I might try to get a little more flexibility in it.

I don't know how big your brooder is but how many it can hold depends a lot on how big they are when you finally let them out. That's why I don't like these magic numbers for space or much of anything else, too many variables.

You might enjoy reading this, both for the wooly hen and for the huddle (or hover) box. I personally have not used either, but many people on the forum have. I'd still provide supplemental heat the first couple of weeks but if you insist moving them out early this might be a good fallback. Both methods trap body heat.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...possibly-no-supplemental-heat-at-all.1126460/

A broody hen can have baby chicks just a few days old out foraging in freezing weather. When they get cold they go under her and warm up, then go back out to forage some more. I think heat is really important the first two or three days, they tend to spend most of their time under the broody then. But it doesn't take them long to spend a lot of time out foraging. They do need a place to warm up.

I certainly don't believe that 95 degrees the first week and drop it 5 degrees a week. Those are very safe guidelines, you will never get in trouble if you follow that. But I've raised too many chicks with a brooder and with a broody to believe that is a requirement.

Can you raise day old chicks with 1 or even 2 week old chicks? Sometimes. Often it works. But I saw a chick less than 2 weeks old kill a hatchmate and try to kill another. Even if they are hatched together you don't get guarantees. You can always try but have a plan B ready.

 

[NHMountainMan]

Good evening!

I see where you’re trying to figure out when to move your birds outside. Meat birds, in general, do feather out faster...and if you’re wanting them to go outside (assuming the order is late may so they can be out early June), I don’t see why they couldn’t unless the weather is really unpredictable.

However, you seem to have a concern about meat taste as well. Both birds you are getting are great, but there are 2 things that can affect the quality of the birds.

1) What you’re feeding the bird greatly influences the meat (as you most likely know).
2) Moving a bird places stress on them (especially moving them outside). Doing so on younger birds would help alleviate this problem.

Also, I don’t know if you’re wanting to take an organic approach or not, but placing chicks outside places a pretty big coccidia threat on the bird. I, personally, would recommend medicated gamebird feed for the chicks if you are wanting to place them outside early. 24% protein compared to the 22% recommended is not such a big deal — especially when considering the fast growth rates.

Hope this helps!

Thank you- very helpful

 

[NHMountainMan]

I once got 7 pullets from an order of 7 straight run. In that same order I got 4 cockerels and 2 pullets in a straight run order of 6 chicks of a different breed. You get what you get. That's why I now order what I want, whether pullets or cockerels. They are still not always 100% but at least I have some control.

I've never raised Cornish X or Rangers so I can't help you with how fast they feather out. I will mention that the frost date is an average, each year it could be off by weeks. That delay to June 1 may be enough, it's always a gamble. I might try to get a little more flexibility in it.

I don't know how big your brooder is but how many it can hold depends a lot on how big they are when you finally let them out. That's why I don't like these magic numbers for space or much of anything else, too many variables.

You might enjoy reading this, both for the wooly hen and for the huddle (or hover) box. I personally have not used either, but many people on the forum have. I'd still provide supplemental heat the first couple of weeks but if you insist moving them out early this might be a good fallback. Both methods trap body heat.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...possibly-no-supplemental-heat-at-all.1126460/

A broody hen can have baby chicks just a few days old out foraging in freezing weather. When they get cold they go under her and warm up, then go back out to forage some more. I think heat is really important the first two or three days, they tend to spend most of their time under the broody then. But it doesn't take them long to spend a lot of time out foraging. They do need a place to warm up.

I certainly don't believe that 95 degrees the first week and drop it 5 degrees a week. Those are very safe guidelines, you will never get in trouble if you follow that. But I've raised too many chicks with a brooder and with a broody to believe that is a requirement.

Can you raise day old chicks with 1 or even 2 week old chicks? Sometimes. Often it works. But I saw a chick less than 2 weeks old kill a hatchmate and try to kill another. Even if they are hatched together you don't get guarantees. You can always try but have a plan B ready.

Really helpful, as always!

 

[Merrymouse]

I don't have anything useful to add Im just nosy and wondering what you're getting from greenfire? Im thinking of adding Hedemora and/or ancona to my flock so I was curious. Have you had success ordering from them? Are you getting hatching eggs or chicks? Kinda hijacking your post sorry