NY chicken lover!!!!

[melbu23]

Sometimes I try to go back and find the original post and good garden o' peas, I never can.

I always thought that the feed had enough calcium but apparently not cuz times come when I get soft shells that crack easily. My Marans lay a nice hard shell most of the time. So maybe not. I do get bumps on the shells on occasion, which I think is due to a bit to much.

I just add the insoluble grit for my own peace of mind I guess. I always dump a bunch on top of greens I give them to make sure they have enough in their crop to grind things up. Then too I just dump it in a pile and let them do what they gotta do.

I reckon it can't hurt even if I don't need to do it. Right?

Oh dear - I did not mean to start this lengthy of a discussion =). It seems there are a lot of ways to "skin the cat" or "feed the chicks" for that matter. I have enjoyed reading everyone's comments and ideas/opinions.

For now I will try to go without grit since they are outside on the lawn unless I see there is a problem. Thanks Everyone.
When I was feeding the chicks tonight, i got pecked for the fist time (by one of my meaties). It didn't hurt but sure did surprise me.

I feed them every morning and night but I think the fact that he pecked at me means they want more food as one of their dishes was completely empty.
They also were out in the rain today for the first time. The tractor is half covered and they seemed fine and not wet.
I move the tractor twice a day - once in the morning and then again when I come home from work. They poop a lot but I hope the rain will wash it in and my grass will be nicely fertilized. It does smell a bit....my neighbor came over to find out what we were doing - he did not seem to pleased about the chickens. I made sure to tell him that most of them will go to freezer camp in another 8 weeks.
My coop is supposed to get delivered on Sunday

. Well enjoy my fellow poultry loving peeps =). Good night!

 

[SAHchickenmom]

So bummed!  I had an australorp pullet up and die on me out of the blue today.  :-(  Shortly before I took the kids to their baseball games, I noticed her wavering.  I picked her up and her crop was squishy.  By the time I got back from baseball, she was talons up.  :-(

No idea what happened...but I hope she didn't have something contagious.  And double darn because most of my current group in the brooder are cockerels.  

I'm sorry

I wonder if it was the heat?

 

[Sweetpea3829]

I'm sorry

I wonder if it was the heat?

I don't think so...they've been in the house today because there was a threat of t-storms all day and I didn't want to have to shuffle 19 chicks from the outside pen into the house in the event of a sudden downpour.

And the house never got too hot....I don't know...I think its related to her crop being so squashy. None of the others have ever been like that. Maybe she got sour crop?

 

[SAHchickenmom]

I don't think so...they've been in the house today because there was a threat of t-storms all day and I didn't want to have to shuffle 19 chicks from the outside pen into the house in the event of a sudden downpour.

And the house never got too hot....I don't know...I think its related to her crop being so squashy. None of the others have ever been like that. Maybe she got sour crop?

From what I have read sour crop usually doesn't kill them that fast, unless it started a few days ago and you didn't notice.

 

[chicken blessed]

Lynzi, I understand what you mean about cl ads. I have a puppy up there now and I couldn't tell you how many replies I have gotten but I still have the puppy

I haven't had a single reply for my guinea keets though, maybe $6 for day olds and $8 for 2 week olds is too much? All I know is I need to sell them cause they eat sooo much food! I can't afford to feed 25 of them, lol.

I think from what I've seen on CL that is a good price.

 

[chicken blessed]

There is a chicken and small stock tailgate sale in Sloansville once a month. It costs $5 to sell. That's where I take some of my excess. There is a facebook page http://www.facebook.com/groups/SloansvilleSwap/ where a lot of buying and selling goes on in between. I have had good luck with my contacts there and sold quite a few (including roosters) by PMing those looking for what I have.

Thanks horsekeeper! That sounds perfect. Thanks so much for the info!

 

[Sweetpea3829]

From what I have read sour crop usually doesn't kill them that fast, unless it started a few days ago and you didn't notice.

Yeah, I was kind of surprised, too....its possible it started a few days ago and I didn't notice. But I handle all of the chicks every day when bringing them from the brood box to the outside play pen. And I didn't notice anything unusual last night when I brought them in.

So weird. Here's hoping its an isolated incident.

 

[chicken blessed]

So bummed! I had an australorp pullet up and die on me out of the blue today. :-( Shortly before I took the kids to their baseball games, I noticed her wavering. I picked her up and her crop was squishy. By the time I got back from baseball, she was talons up. :-(

No idea what happened...but I hope she didn't have something contagious. And double darn because most of my current group in the brooder are cockerels.

So sorry to hear that Sweatpea3829 it is sad to loose any of them. I hope it was a fluke.

 

[Stuffedcritter]

How about giving them a pill ? treacherous too .

She's pretty good about that I just pack it in ground turkey or fish. Humid here changed gl size frozen bottles twice today added frozen slate tiles to cages. When do they start using the dust bath, how often do you change it?

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: Not a problem this is how we all learn ..from one another