My meat chicks arrived Jan 6, 2011

[Lippincott'sHomegrown]

The babies arrived this morning. I would like to post updates week by week including their one really bad day...hope you don't mind

20 chicks hatched Jan 5, 2011 : 13 Cornish Rocks, 3 Red Broilers & 4 Mystery Roosters for warmth

Cornish Rock

Red Broiler

Mystery Rooster

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Adorable chick nuggets

 

[CDennis]

So cute! Hard to believe mine were ever that small! Where did you get them from?

 

[Lippincott'sHomegrown]

I bought them from Ideal Poultry. So far all are doing just fine. It is actually cold here (30s) and so they have been in a big box the house since I got them. The plan was to keep them in the garage in their elevated wire bottom brooder, but the heat lamp couldn't keep them warm enough. Hopfully the weather will cooperate and they can go back to the nice cage so the poops can fall through. Not the first or last time the house has smelled like a barn!

 

[CDennis]

I will be interested to see your grow out time, its been really cold here and my grow out is taking forever. Mine are also from Ideal. But nice healthy chicks, no losses other than my own stupidity.

 

[Mamaperreca]

Hey cool! We got our Ideal Poultry chicks on Jan. 7th. We got 3 Americana pullets and 6 Cornish X birds. They also sent 4 males for warmth but 1 died the first day. My warmth males were also Americana (not sure I am spelling that right?) so that is cool. We will still probably eat the extra males unless we can find a new home for them.

 

[Lippincott'sHomegrown]

Cool. It would be fun to see your chicks too, since they are the same age and from Ideal. Feel free to post them on here if you want...just for comparison.

I grew up in West Plains, Missouri.

 

[Lippincott'sHomegrown]

One Week Old update

I still have 20 healthy chicks. They are in the house since it is still too cold in the garage. I moved their wire bottom cage into the living room and put it on plastic sheeting so that it is easy to clean. They were getting too dirty in the box.

I took some photos to try to show the size differences between the cornish rocks, red broilers and black mystery chicks. Just holding them, I'd say the cornish weigh twice as much as the blacks and 25% more than the reds. I should get a scale when I go to town. The chicks are curious and will peck anything that gets close enough. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and they can be pastured soon...whether they actually eat any grass is yet to be determined!

They are definitely growing faster than my layers did.

They are eating Medicated Manna Pro 18% protein. "Medicated with Amprolium to aid in the prevention of Coccidiosis & Fortified with vitamins and minerals for healthy growth and sound development". I bought two 5 lb bags of this for thier first week ($4.99 each). When this is gone, they will be on 20% chick starter ($7.99 per 25 lbs) on the 12 hr on/off rotation.

Curious Cornish Rocks

Red Broiler eating with Cornish Rocks

Red Broiler, Cornish Rock & Black Mystery Roo for size comparison (not a very good comp, since they are turned different directions, but they wouldn't hold still)

 

[Jacklynn]

They are adorable. I wouldn't be able to eat the little buggers.

 

[Mamaperreca]

Here they are the first day

I have 7 meaties and 5 Amerucanas.

Yes, my Meaties are growing much faster than my Amerucana's we got. The Meaties are such fat little things. I haven't started taking the food away yet. Right now they have a chick feeder with a lid that has the holes they stick their heads in. I am only filling it about once a day for 12 chicks. It hasn't run out of feed yet. I dumped the last little bit outside for the wild birds today because it was full of poop and bedding.

I will post a new picture of them in a bit.

We have ours in the laundry room/back porch with a heat lamp. We had -10 degrees this morning. So yeah...