Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[chickadoodles]

Quote: I use what ever I can find and I make DH keep some blocks around for the chicks. It does help some but yes I do have to wash every water container out for all the birds. I am going to switch the older birds over to nipple water's so cut down on the scrubbing every day.

I put my waterer as high as I can get it after they know what it looks like. Right now, I have chicks in a very large cardboard box and the waterer is about 6 inches off the floor. I make a ramp so they can get up there when they're little. The top of the jar sits right under the wire covering I have on it so nobody can get on top. Every once in a while they still manage to poop in it which I just don't get and as soon as I see it, it's gone! New water right away. I scrub the whole thing out every morning cuz it stinks! Yuk!

My chicks that are outside have two of the waterers per pen up on cinder blocks. They don't poop in theirs but every morning when I scrub them out it literally turns my stomach big time because of the slime that has formed in the red pan part. Ugh! It's all I can do NOT to add to it!

I think its happening because its so hot. I've never had waterers get as slimy as they are this year!

I have pans of water out in all my pens that have to be scrubbed every day. I go thru so much clorox I should invest in their stock. lol
My daughter is going to come run my water lines for me and hook up the nipple water's. I may use drink cups in the grow out pens. But I am going on vacation in Dec. so I have to get the trained on how to use them before hand.
The tukey will get to keep their pools to keep cool they are full of mud every morning though. UGH

 

[armorfirelady]

This year I put black weed block around the sides of the lean to I keep their water under. It doesn't get any full sun on it and doesn't turn green. I clean/change the water once a week. It's on a cinder block with smaller bricks around it so my month old chicks can get to it. They can reach it easily & also drink out of the black rubber bowls I put out on hot & humid days. Of course all my hens prefer muddy puddles after,it rains. Yuck

 

[LindaB220]

This year I put black weed block around the sides of the lean to I keep their water under. It doesn't get any full sun on it and doesn't turn green. I clean/change the water once a week. It's on a cinder block with smaller bricks around it so my month old chicks can get to it. They can reach it easily & also drink out of the black rubber bowls I put out on hot & humid days. Of course all my hens prefer muddy puddles after,it rains. Yuck

Today I spray painted the cat litter container I'm going to use black so it won't turn so nasty in the heat. I have the little cups to drill and insert in the sides tomorrow. We'll see if it helps. I need to put ACV in it also.

 

[subhanalah]

Today I spray painted the cat litter container I'm going to use black so it won't turn so nasty in the heat.   I have the little cups to drill and insert in the sides tomorrow.  We'll see if it helps.  I need to put ACV in it also.

is the spray paint food safe?

I wouldn't use ACV in the heat.

--Black Oil Sunflower Seeds are fairly high in both Phosphorus (3205.50 mg per lb) and Indigestible Fibers (21%) both are known to interfere with Calcium intake.
--Apple Cider Vinegar is acidic (2.4 pH) and neutralizes Calcium. Over using Apple Cider Vinegar can lower both stomach and blood pH to a unhealthy level if the bird can not take in enough Calcium.

 In summer it is not the dehydration that affects the calcium in take, it is that chickens pant rather then sweat.  Panting changes the ph level in the body.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
Well got everything straightened out. The youngest are
still in a paper towel brooder. But tomorrow the oldest
are going to the outside brooder and the youngest get
their large brooder with chips. Then everyone will have chips.
Thanks for all your help!
Best Regards,
Karen

 

[Lacy Blues]

Today I spray painted the cat litter container I'm going to use black so it won't turn so nasty in the heat. I have the little cups to drill and insert in the sides tomorrow. We'll see if it helps. I need to put ACV in it also.

I would make sure to keep that container in the shade. They won't like that hot water. As far as the ACV is concerned, regarding what subhanalah quoted, I would probably still use it but in much reduced amounts. Apparently the ACV keeps the slime from forming... I need to add it to my chick's waterers.

Maybe you might consider just using an open topped white 5 gallon bucket. I deliver water to all my pens using a white bucket. When I finish, sometimes there is water left over and I leave it there. Late in the afternoon, whenever any waterers need to be replenished, the water in this bucket is still cool, even in this horrible heat. Plus, with an open bucket, you can reach in and clean it if needed. I would make a hardware cloth top for it though just in case a young bird jumps up to the top. The hardware cloth will keep them from falling in and drowning.

 

[subhanalah]

I would make sure to keep that container in the shade.  They won't like that hot water.  As far as the ACV is concerned, regarding what subhanalah quoted, I would probably still use it but in much reduced amounts.  Apparently the ACV keeps the slime from forming... I need to add it to my chick's waterers.

that's why I like the nipple waterers. No more yucky nasty lol and I don't have to add anything

 

[Lacy Blues]

that's why I like the nipple waterers. No more yucky nasty lol and I don't have to add anything

I bought some of those nipple waterers and I may yet use them... I wouldn't dare change up the watering system right now with this heat. It will be fall at the earliest before they get installed and maybe not even then. We have fall weather for maybe three days here and then we have winter! Maybe next spring.

 

[subhanalah]

I bought some of those nipple waterers and I may yet use them... I wouldn't dare change up the watering system right now with this heat.  It will be fall at the earliest before they get installed and maybe not even then.  We have fall weather for maybe three days here and then we have winter!  Maybe next spring.

maybe you can get working on a no-freeze horizontal watering system now so when winter comes, you don't have to worry about frozen water!

 

[Lacy Blues]

I think that THAT project is always in the back of my mind. Right now, I'm almost finished rearranging birds and I'm just about ready to take the "roof" off of my barn and make an actual, REAL roof up there, one that is sloped instead of flat; one that will allow the hot air inside the barn in the summer to rise to the peak and exit through a gable I plan to make up on the top; and one that will convince the rain to run off the roof instead of through it and into the barn making a muddy mess!

Would anybody care to share their record keeping strategy with me please? I'm trying to keep records and I'm so darned unorganized that going through my notes that I've taken is driving me bonkers and I just can't seem to keep information categorized and neatly in columns that I can refer to in an instant. I'm pathetic when it comes to this part of my breeding program. When I started it seemed easy and I can't for the life of me, remember how I kept track of everything... now... I'm older and WAY LESS ORGANIZED than I used to be and the memory is questionable/debatable too.