- Aug 11, 2010
- 146
- 16
- 103
OK, here is the situation:
I use a 6' x 9' brooder I made myself. Heating lamp on one end, the food is across from the water one the long sides. Fine pine shavings, changed weekly. Is in the same area as the coop, but the brooder is in its own area. Chickens can not access it.
Imagine a long barn with a chicken wire wall down the middle, with a french door. The brooder acts as the bottom of the french door. Chicks and chickens see each other from day 1(probably why I have no integration issues).
They have 2 one gallon feeders, and 2 one gallon waterers. All are refreshed and cleaned as needed. The temps are going up to the high 80's and mid 90's here in the day, 70's at night. Feed is medicated 18% starter grower, and I cut grass by hand and give then 1/4 cut clippings every 3 days or so.
I keep 1 day to 3 week old chicks together. As the chicks feather out, I put them in the coop(I used a heavy fence to make areas that only chicks can fit through unit they are big enough to stay with the older pullets). This keeps almost equal sized chicks together. I have not lost a chick in the coop.
The coop pullets get 18% crumble that is not medicated. Same brand as chicks.
About a week ago I started loosing chicks in the brooder. No sign of illness, just dead when we went to care for them. it started as 3 the first night, by day 5 it was 15. At day 5 we were starting to deal with pasty butt. I called the area hatchery, and they advised me I likely had a batch of bad feed. So I want to the hatchery to replace lost stock and got new feed. A woman I had met there previously was doing the same thing, for the same reason. We got talking and realized we had both bought the same type of feed from the same store within a day of each other, so feed is likely was. I'm sure the heat is not helping, I am using a big fan in the coop, and a circulating fan on low in the brooder.
The new chicks are well(I changed bedding and food before putting them in). The remaining chicks from the food poison batch are recovering, but pasty butt is an issue. The only thing I have found says to remove feces, which I have been doing. I have not located anything to help stop causing the pasting. Any ideas out there?
I am tempted to put the survivors in the coop. Most have feathered out wings, but no feathers on breast or chest. The chicks I did that with are doing great, no losses- and they love playing in the grass in the run.
I also put electrolytes in ALL waterers. The chick area of the coop that is fenced has its own waterer and chick food, so the feathered out chicks can get food from 4 different sources. The brooder chicks only get chick food and limited "safe" grass(we dont use any products on our grass, I cut it from around our pool, where the mower cant reach).
House is A/C COLD. I dont like A/C its for hubby, so I spend a LOT of time in the coop/brooder or pool. I've also been dealing with a fox problem, and find it doesnt come around when I'm out and about. win-win for chicks/chickens.
What can I do better? There are way too many chicks to bring inside to monitor.
I considered probiotics, but have never had any success with that, plus it seems to me that might cause worse issues with the pasting.
I use a 6' x 9' brooder I made myself. Heating lamp on one end, the food is across from the water one the long sides. Fine pine shavings, changed weekly. Is in the same area as the coop, but the brooder is in its own area. Chickens can not access it.
Imagine a long barn with a chicken wire wall down the middle, with a french door. The brooder acts as the bottom of the french door. Chicks and chickens see each other from day 1(probably why I have no integration issues).
They have 2 one gallon feeders, and 2 one gallon waterers. All are refreshed and cleaned as needed. The temps are going up to the high 80's and mid 90's here in the day, 70's at night. Feed is medicated 18% starter grower, and I cut grass by hand and give then 1/4 cut clippings every 3 days or so.
I keep 1 day to 3 week old chicks together. As the chicks feather out, I put them in the coop(I used a heavy fence to make areas that only chicks can fit through unit they are big enough to stay with the older pullets). This keeps almost equal sized chicks together. I have not lost a chick in the coop.
The coop pullets get 18% crumble that is not medicated. Same brand as chicks.
About a week ago I started loosing chicks in the brooder. No sign of illness, just dead when we went to care for them. it started as 3 the first night, by day 5 it was 15. At day 5 we were starting to deal with pasty butt. I called the area hatchery, and they advised me I likely had a batch of bad feed. So I want to the hatchery to replace lost stock and got new feed. A woman I had met there previously was doing the same thing, for the same reason. We got talking and realized we had both bought the same type of feed from the same store within a day of each other, so feed is likely was. I'm sure the heat is not helping, I am using a big fan in the coop, and a circulating fan on low in the brooder.
The new chicks are well(I changed bedding and food before putting them in). The remaining chicks from the food poison batch are recovering, but pasty butt is an issue. The only thing I have found says to remove feces, which I have been doing. I have not located anything to help stop causing the pasting. Any ideas out there?
I am tempted to put the survivors in the coop. Most have feathered out wings, but no feathers on breast or chest. The chicks I did that with are doing great, no losses- and they love playing in the grass in the run.
I also put electrolytes in ALL waterers. The chick area of the coop that is fenced has its own waterer and chick food, so the feathered out chicks can get food from 4 different sources. The brooder chicks only get chick food and limited "safe" grass(we dont use any products on our grass, I cut it from around our pool, where the mower cant reach).
House is A/C COLD. I dont like A/C its for hubby, so I spend a LOT of time in the coop/brooder or pool. I've also been dealing with a fox problem, and find it doesnt come around when I'm out and about. win-win for chicks/chickens.
What can I do better? There are way too many chicks to bring inside to monitor.
I considered probiotics, but have never had any success with that, plus it seems to me that might cause worse issues with the pasting.
