Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[DesertChic]

this is the best I could get now

Woohoo! Congratulations!

 

[DesertChic]

Hmmm.. Weights for the boys in this batch at 4 weeks are:

17.64
16.12
18.06
16.37
16.4
14.39
15.45

Girls are:
14.18
12.73
11.15

I'm feeding the same as I did last time - Dumor 20% chick starter (decided against the higher % protein). The only two differences from Tank and friends and these are:
- Hatched at home (though I drove to the hatchery to pick up Tank and friends, so they did not suffer shipping)
- Fall vs. "spring" hatch (if you count January 10 as spring)
- I gave this group Poultry ProVita for the first week of life (no idea if that matters, but it has probiotics, so, gut heath and digestion?)

Just some thoughts...

- Ant Farm

I have noticed subtle differences in growth in different seasons with November being the best hatch month for me. But I saw the greatest overall improvement in growth and hardiness when I started adding probiotics + vitamins to water and food on a very consistent basis for up to the first 4 weeks after hatch. I still start all of my hatches on gamebird feed for as long as it takes to go through a 5 lb bag, and then switch to a 20% protein grower feed, both soaked or fermented with probiotics added directly to the feed during the soak. I've actually found that adding the probiotics to the feed rather than the water gets me better results. They never go through all of the water before it needs to be changed and I feel like I'm literally throwing money away with each water change. That said, I always give newly hatched chicks probiotics and electrolytes in their water for the first three days. Hatching is hard work, and they seem to do a lot better with that addition in their water and begin eating and scampering around sooner.

It's all about good nutrition, right? (I say as I chow down on a Whopper.)

 

[Kev]

Quote:

22% chick starter. eventually when they were big enough, BOSS and cat food mixed in.

btw they are hen raised. been cold with a couple weeks of extreme heavy rains. maybe that's slowing them a little bit. They are looking 100% healthy though.

 

[Kev]

It's all about good nutrition, right? (I say as I chow down on a Whopper.)

 

[Kev]

Quote:

Thanks for that and the chart on the first batch. I am telling myself to just wait and see what the results are at 'butchering age'. But it makes me wonder, those have cx blood, yours and desertchic;s don't....


Perhaps I'll be able to get weights today- 10 wks one day old.

 

[draye]

I have noticed subtle differences in growth in different seasons with November being the best hatch month for me. But I saw the greatest overall improvement in growth and hardiness when I started adding probiotics + vitamins to water and food on a very consistent basis for up to the first 4 weeks after hatch. I still start all of my hatches on gamebird feed for as long as it takes to go through a 5 lb bag, and then switch to a 20% protein grower feed, both soaked or fermented with probiotics added directly to the feed during the soak. I've actually found that adding the probiotics to the feed rather than the water gets me better results. They never go through all of the water before it needs to be changed and I feel like I'm literally throwing money away with each water change. That said, I always give newly hatched chicks probiotics and electrolytes in their water for the first three days. Hatching is hard work, and they seem to do a lot better with that addition in their water and begin eating and scampering around sooner. 

22% chick starter.  eventually when they were big enough, BOSS and cat food mixed in.

btw they are hen raised. been cold with a couple weeks of extreme heavy rains.  maybe that's slowing them a little bit.   They are looking 100% healthy though.  

It's all about good nutrition, right? (I say as I chow down on a Whopper.) 

For the past six months or so I've been feeding everything a 22% game bird layer crumbles ( except for when I run short on the feed during the month). They all seem to like this better than anything else I've tried. It doesn't seem to affect the growing birds or anything. They also get leftovers and scraps from the kitchen.

 

[Kev]

For the past six months or so I've been feeding everything a 22% game bird layer crumbles ( except for when I run short on the feed during the month). They all seem to like this better than anything else I've tried. It doesn't seem to affect the growing birds or anything. They also get leftovers and scraps from the kitchen.

Noticed the same back when feed was affordable and I had peafowl. They all liked the gamebird so much better than anything else. Fantastic results too for fertility growth and feathering out.

Had to stop getting the gamebird feed when it started to go over 20 a bag..

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Yeah, it's hard for me to get game bird feed. It's not the price that's the issue (though it is expensive) - it's that there's not enough turnover at my feed stores that carry it, and it's not always fresh. After trying lots of different things (including mixing turkey starter with layer feed), in the end, everyone's favorite, that they all do really well on, is Feather Fixer. I'm using it year round now...

You know, I've got these huge healthy chicks, and they're "only" on 20%. Here's the thing, we've talked a lot about animal vs plant protein. The added protein in the other feeds is all vegetable protein - I figure if I want them to have more protein, they'll get eggs and cat food. (None so far.) Also, I think a lot of that protein is wasted and you have a very stinky brooder with lots of ammonia - it's been so much less stinky with 20% than it was when I used 24% starter. I want birds who can grow well on regular old standard feed plus (when they go out) forage (which varies in quality and quantity around here)...

BTW, here's the largest boy (#003, but I've started calling him "Big Boy") - he loves to cuddle with me int he mornings.




- Ant Farm

 

[draye]

Noticed the same back when feed was affordable and I had peafowl. They all liked the gamebird so much better than anything else. Fantastic results too for fertility growth and feathering out.

Had to stop getting the gamebird feed when it started to go over 20 a bag..   

I'm getting this for $11.00 a 50 lb bag. Cheaper than even I can get the 16% layer fir and it doesn't come in the crumbles.

Also genetics question @Kev
I have a Blue Birchen hen in with my Red Wing Black NN rooster ( basically a red Birchen I suppose). Would this be line a sex Link breeding ( red over silver)? Anyway I'm wondering if there would be any regular Birchen female chicks from that breeding or would all the Birchen be makes? Do I make sense to you?

 

[Kev]

Forgot to quote your post, @DesertChic , but I'm convinced the probiotics help in those first few days. I think the TankxGNH group got probiotics through almost 2 weeks of age - I think I would have done it longer, but all these chicks in overlapping groups made it too complicated. So the babies always get it for at least the first week, and beyond that, I do my best. I was starting with Brita filtered water after that, and finally just started filling a waterer with tap water and letting it sit - they're going to have to adapt to tap water when they go outside. (We have good tasting tap water here - at least I think so, it comes from a limestone aquifer.)

How do you put probiotics in the food? (I don't do FF, I do dry.)

Quote:

Yeah, it's hard for me to get game bird feed. It's not the price that's the issue (though it is expensive) - it's that there's not enough turnover at my feed stores that carry it, and it's not always fresh. After trying lots of different things (including mixing turkey starter with layer feed), in the end, everyone's favorite, that they all do really well on, is Feather Fixer. I'm using it year round now...

You know, I've got these huge healthy chicks, and they're "only" on 20%. Here's the thing, we've talked a lot about animal vs plant protein. The added protein in the other feeds is all vegetable protein - I figure if I want them to have more protein, they'll get eggs and cat food. (None so far.) Also, I think a lot of that protein is wasted and you have a very stinky brooder with lots of ammonia - it's been so much less stinky with 20% than it was when I used 24% starter. I want birds who can grow well on regular old standard feed plus (when they go out) forage (which varies in quality and quantity around here)...

BTW, here's the largest boy (#003, but I've started calling him "Big Boy") - he loves to cuddle with me int he mornings.




- Ant Farm


The feed store only has 22% chick starter, scratch(three way), 15 or 17% layer pellets, gamecock mix, broiler raiser.. that's it.. other than the gamebird feed. fortunately turnover is very good for the chick starter and layer.

the only reason for cat food is animal protein source. If the feed had it would not bother with it.

I do miss feeding gamebird feed to everything. Maybe bit of a waste.. but man the birds sure did good on it. might not make such a difference any more now that even these have gone vegan.