New to meat birds

[Beekissed]

Expecting windchill temps to be -35 tomorrow. How exciting! Hope I don't lose anyone due to the cold. I am throwing extra straw in the coop and keeping them "cooped" up until this unforgiving weather passes. What do you do to keep the girls warm and cozy?

Maybe two people on these forums would find those kind of temps "exciting"....and here we both are! I do the same as you...extra dry bedding, wind blocking at the open air parts of my coop and let nature happen. These birds are well equipped for cold weather in their down coats. The meat birds burn fuel so quickly they are always hot, so just keep their fuel handy and they will do just fine.

 

[annie82005]

Here they are!

 

[my sunwolf]

Here they are!

So cute!!!

 

[catiescarlett]

We are going to start raising chickens soon. We live in southeast Arizona...hot in the summer but 20-30 degrees in the summer. We would like to raise chickens that are good layers but also good to eat when they stop laying. Is this realistic? I'm open to advice and am researching like crazy and find this site very valuable. What breeds do well in this weather and serve our goals???

 

[Beekissed]

We are going to start raising chickens soon. We live in southeast Arizona...hot in the summer but 20-30 degrees in the summer. We would like to raise chickens that are good layers but also good to eat when they stop laying. Is this realistic? I'm open to advice and am researching like crazy and find this site very valuable. What breeds do well in this weather and serve our goals???

A Plymouth Barred Rock will do well in the heat and cold, lay well for a few years and will still have a good carcass weight when you are ready to eat her. White Rocks are even better and they do well in heat up to 100, but above that I have no experience with so cannot say if they will do well where you live. They are the heaviest, best layers I have experienced in all the flocks I've had over the years.

 

[annie82005]

I have some greedy meaties at 1 week old! LOL

 

[ChickenGirl78]

I am raising broilers for the first time myself. I opted out of having them vaccinated and have fed them non-medicated feed. Within the first few days I lost 4 chicks and now they are three weeks old and today I have noticed that they are sneezing and breathing heavy. I have them outside in a tarp coop with pine shavings on the ground and there is grass in there also and there is also air flow through the coop, a heat lamp and a light. I add clean bedding layered with diamataceous earth every few days and they were just put on an automatic watering system last night which I add apple cider vinegar and crushed garlic to every other day, is the plan. Anyone know if the sneezing and heavy breathing thing is normal? They are on commercial feed as well and the 26 of them go through a alb feeder a day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you a bunch!! ;-)

 

[LindaB220]

I am raising broilers for the first time myself. I opted out of having them vaccinated and have fed them non-medicated feed. Within the first few days I lost 4 chicks and now they are three weeks old and today I have noticed that they are sneezing and breathing heavy. I have them outside in a tarp coop with pine shavings on the ground and there is grass in there also and there is also air flow through the coop, a heat lamp and a light. I add clean bedding layered with diamataceous earth every few days and they were just put on an automatic watering system last night which I add apple cider vinegar and crushed garlic to every other day, is the plan. Anyone know if the sneezing and heavy breathing thing is normal? They are on commercial feed as well and the 26 of them go through a alb feeder a day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you a bunch!! ;-)

What a bummer!!! What's the latest? Was it too much draft? I have 11 3 day old chicks outside during the day because it's so hot in La. I put them in the storeroom at night with the lamp beside them. So far they are ok. Good luck and

 

[ChickenGirl78]

Hi there,

Not sure what it was. It has been very rainy and a bit chilly at night here up until the other day. So far so good. Less sneezing and no loss of life yet...I'm hoping thats a good sign.

Hot day today!!! ;-)

 

[LindaB220]

Hi there,

Not sure what it was. It has been very rainy and a bit chilly at night here up until the other day. So far so good. Less sneezing and no loss of life yet...I'm hoping thats a good sign.

Hot day today!!! ;-)

I got in 18 eggs today. The USPS is an idiot. They ignore the sign that says call me and send it bumping all day to my house. I'm letting them rest for a day or so until I put in the 'bator. SBEL's Super Blue Egg Layers. I've got my 11 5 day olds out under the shade for the rest of the day. They will go back in the storeroom tonight. It only gets to 70 as low so I think I'll not put the heat lamp on again. First day they are running around having fun. These were pullet eggs and they are TINY.