Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

[lalaland]

They are not as bad as the Cornish Cross but they will overeat. Do you plan to free range or keep them in a run? After about 3weeks I start limiting their food a bit, before that I let them eat as they want.begin putting mine out in a run (depending on weather) at 3weeks and let them root for food there. Then by 4 weeks I keep them in the run and only feed mine twice a day as much as they can eat in about 15 min. My run moves so I make sure they get new area to root. By 6weeks i let them free range and may only feed them in the morning as much as they can eat in 15 min.
You do not have to be quite as strict as you do with the Cornish Cross and they will be more active willingly. But the more you can allow them to move the healthier they will be.

Mostly in a new run, there are a lot of foxes this spring! limited free ranging when I can supervise. They are in a 10'x 20' hoop coop now, and have access to half of it. They are enjoying eating the grass/clover/weeds/etc.

Thanks for the advice on feeding them - there is a lot of info about cornish but not so much about the red rangers. They have free access to feed now, and I think I will follow your lead and let them feed twice a day when they are a bit older.

 

[perchie.girl]

I've heard that Muscovy are great meat birds.

They are a red meat almost like Beef... you can use it like beef for example

Duck Proscheuto or ham

Duck Pastrami

Corned Duck
the difference between corned beef and pastrami is Pastrami is smoked... same spices and cure times

Muscovy males run between 12 and 14 pounds too.

Here is a better one by a Chef Unfortunately he didnt make a part two....

Male Muscovys can weight up wards to 15 pounds.... females about half that.

deb

 

[bruceha2000]

Thank you, this is very helpful. I'll stop messing with them. Question though-- when they are cheeping loudly, all of them, I have generally interpreted that to be an indication that something is amiss. It appeared to me that the ones that have perched on top of the brooder enclosure, the ones on the lower roost, and the ones actually inside the brooder are trying to get the others to come with them. Sounds like it's really that they are just making sure they all know where each other is but not needing everyone to be together. ??

When I've done the traditional brooding in the past, of course (with purchased chicks), the chicks were all in a relatively small space for way too long. So MHP method is a whole new thing with all kinds of new things to learn.

I don't know about your chicks but my girls (1 and 4 years old) can ALL get started if the Faverolles start up and don't stop. Don't know if they are joining the chorus or saying SHUT UP!!!!! (which is what *I* am saying

)

I think you are probably right about them all wanting the group to be together. I would imagine they will sort that out pretty soon, they should all be wanting to roost higher (where they naturally feel safer) in the near future. Check back in the thread and you will find posts about ALL the chicks being in a pile outside the MHP if they've grown big enough they can't ALL fit under (which might mean it just needs to be raised).

 

[COChix]

Just paying some brigade dues even though our babies are now 10 weeks old, at about week 6-7 they begun roosting with the adults. Man they grow so fast, wish they would stay chicks forever!

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote:
Heheh. Yes, I'd witnessed them doing the "all together" thing earlier in this process, so I've been inclined toward that interpretation. Last night I gathered them up and got them inside the coop, easier yet than the previous 3-4 nights, so that's cool (some were already inside on their own). Once they were in, they were cheeping loudly and all in disarray and looking at me like, "do something" and I told them, I'm not moving any of you tonight, you go wherever you want to go." Well, I had to refresh a water reservoir, so left to do that and when I came back, all the chicks had settled inside the brooder snuggled up together and quiet. YAY!

Thank you! For being here and helping me to learn.

 

[bruceha2000]

Just paying some brigade dues even though our babies are now 10 weeks old, at about week 6-7 they begun roosting with the adults. Man they grow so fast, wish they would stay chicks forever!

No you don't! At least not if you ever want eggs from them

Though .... looking at them and their coloring, they don't look like they will lay eggs anyway so go ahead, wish away!

 

[bruceha2000]

Heheh. Yes, I'd witnessed them doing the "all together" thing earlier in this process, so I've been inclined toward that interpretation. Last night I gathered them up and got them inside the coop, easier yet than the previous 3-4 nights, so that's cool (some were already inside on their own). Once they were in, they were cheeping loudly and all in disarray and looking at me like, "do something" and I told them, I'm not moving any of you tonight, you go wherever you want to go." Well, I had to refresh a water reservoir, so left to do that and when I came back, all the chicks had settled inside the brooder snuggled up together and quiet. YAY!

Thank you! For being here and helping me to learn.

Pretty funny aren't they? No peeping when some have gone to bed early but once they are all in the same room "hey over here, no over HERE, no ..."

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote:
That is EXACTLY what it sounds like to me.

Well just to report further, as of yesterday the chicks broke out of the semi-protected yard and are now free-ranging at just under 4 weeks old. The rooster is able to gather them up periodically and they are pretty much staying in the shade and overhangs just like the adults do. They are following the adults around while also finding their own spaces.

They were able to fly up onto the fence, above where we'd laid on the 1" chicken wire, and over. So then we opened the portal so that the adults could free-range again too. Everyone seems very happy. We check on them every hour or so.

 

[COChix]

No you don't! At least not if you ever want eggs from them   Though .... looking at them and their coloring, they don't look like they will lay eggs anyway so go ahead, wish away!

Yeah, been waiting and heard the grey one crow this am when I was collecting eggs. I suspected a cockerel after looking at wing feathers at day 3. We will wait.....:/

 

[perchie.girl]

Were did you get the heat pad?

go back to the first couple of pages and read.... I believe its mentioned there

Oh and Welcome

and give us a bit of an intro....