Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LadyBehir]

LMP,I don't think I am doing more chicks this year. Monday will be the anniversary of getting the 6 I have,so I suppose either today or Sunday is their birthday. Big Guy has decided he can't kill rabbits that he has tended (yeah right. I bet I would be the one doing that) but he could do meaties. So I may be doing those later. We have a lot of projects planned for the yard first.

 

[emorems0]

These guys are all one week old now... I took a couple out of the big brooder to clean their feet, missed a day changing the paper yesterday and wow, they poop so much! I really need to find some time to finish the new brooder pen that will have a wire floor.

Cornish Roaster from MCM (supposed to grow a little slower than the standard CornishX with fewer problems), Delaware, and Dark Cornish. The difference in growth rate is unbelievable and they are only a week old!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

You need to be careful when using a trough style feeder with meaties...they tend to eat and sleep in the same spot..they will pile into an empty feeder and sleep when young..those on the bottom of the pile do not do well.. My opinion is to ditch the high protein feed and the pasty butt will stop. But I am in the minority in my thinking on that......the healthiest birds I ever have, no matter what they are, is when they are broody raised, they eat what everyone else is eating in that case. And only get extra protein in the treats they are given. if you are worried about cocci you could just add oregano and cinnamon to the feed. All my meaties start on this instead of medicated feed.

Is them roomy thing the equal liana of "Breast is best"? Sounds like it! I certainly loved having my broody raise my two chicks. Kinda look forward to her being broody again...

Picked up my new silkie chicks today. Woo hoo!!! They were afraid of the camera and wouldn't sit still. I got 3 blue and 3 partridge silkies.

So cute! Congrats! I originally never wanted Silkies, but afte I was given a couple.... Now I would like a few more!

I just spent my entire afternoon in a retirement home with my father in law for a birthday party. Never would of thought I could talk chickens there, but apparently those old timers have fond memories of chickens. Wonder how many of them could come help me clean pens out.. Of course many of them told me I was doing it all wrong and chickens do not need all that stuff...kind of interesting how much things change.. And I thought it was gonna be a boring day.

That's awesome! I bet you stirred up a lot of great memories and started a lot of conversations. Now you need to bring a "Therapy chicken" next time!

Photo for AnneInTheBurbs' Here is the cockerel you hatched and brought back to us. He fit in real well with the batch of chicks we already had. They are all the same size, so it worked out great. He is a beautiful Cubalaya cockerel. It looks like he will turn out to be a sharp and flashy looking individual! Definitely potential breeder quality.

Thanks For the update Troyer! He is handsome! I'm glad he will work out for breeding for you.

I have absolutely no-idea what has been happening here with the PA group....and I just can not bring myself to reading through thousands of posts... So, I hope everyone is doing well..and your birds...goats...rabbits..ducks..hahahaha It is good to have a little PA friend -time again..you guys are so great

Always nice to hear from you! Oh and BTW, Roseschicks had her baby last week. A healthy 9 lb. little boy! Went to see her the other day. He's so cute!

 

[DuckLover1]

Is anyone looking to get rid of a few ducks? I have room in my flock I could adopt two. I might be able to adopt more depending on how my original two do with the additions.

 

[emorems0]

Lost one of the meaties this morning... When I went down to feed them I noticed one was really lethargic, just laying with it's head down so I knew something was wrong. I brought it up and put it under the second heat lamp in a box so I could try to feed it some electrolyte water. It was too far gone, I'm thinking it was on the bottom of the chick pile last night. I'm going to hang the second light down in the big brooder and keep them spaced apart to try to avoid the nightly chick pile. Hubs and I are fine, even the girls (6 and 3yo) handled the death really well. The DOG is devastated! She's still pacing around where we tried to save the chick, I've never seen such sad puppy eyes as when the little chick convulsed and died. She still tried to push it with her nose to coax it to get back up, it was the saddest thing ever. I never would have thought that a 9 year old dog would ever get so attached to baby birds.

Starting fermented feed today, so they'll still be eating dry for the next 2 days. There are a few other Cornish Roasters that are looking less vibrant than the others, think it would help to put Sav-A-Chick electrolytes in the big waterer? Anything else I can do for them?

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Is them roomy thing the equal liana of "Breast is best"? Sounds like it! I certainly loved having my broody raise my two chicks. Kinda look forward to her being broody again...

So cute! Congrats! I originally never wanted Silkies, but afte I was given a couple.... Now I would like a few more!
That's awesome! I bet you stirred up a lot of great memories and started a lot of conversations. Now you need to bring a "Therapy chicken" next time!

Thanks For the update Troyer! He is handsome! I'm glad he will work out for breeding for you.
Always nice to hear from you!

Oh and BTW, Roseschicks had her baby last week. A healthy 9 lb. little boy! Went to see her the other day. He's so cute!

thank you!

So awesome to hear she had a healthy baby..and WOW..9 pounds!! hahaha..please tell her Congrats

for me, looking forward to having back on here when she can...hahaha... she really has her hands full now

Lost one of the meaties this morning... When I went down to feed them I noticed one was really lethargic, just laying with it's head down so I knew something was wrong. I brought it up and put it under the second heat lamp in a box so I could try to feed it some electrolyte water. It was too far gone, I'm thinking it was on the bottom of the chick pile last night. I'm going to hang the second light down in the big brooder and keep them spaced apart to try to avoid the nightly chick pile. Hubs and I are fine, even the girls (6 and 3yo) handled the death really well. The DOG is devastated! She's still pacing around where we tried to save the chick, I've never seen such sad puppy eyes as when the little chick convulsed and died. She still tried to push it with her nose to coax it to get back up, it was the saddest thing ever. I never would have thought that a 9 year old dog would ever get so attached to baby birds.

Starting fermented feed today, so they'll still be eating dry for the next 2 days. There are a few other Cornish Roasters that are looking less vibrant than the others, think it would help to put Sav-A-Chick electrolytes in the big waterer? Anything else I can do for them?

yes..do the electrolyte in the water..i used that stuff for the first 2 weeks ..if i remember correctly..i kept a note book of things, haven't looked at it for a while though...anyway..do the electrolytes..are you using medicated feed?..if they start to fade at a increased rate, you may have something going through the whole-brood...maybe want to think about medicated feed..i know a lot of people don't like to, but it could possibly save some of the others..cocci is a very fast killer...
This is all just my 2-cents , as Stake likes to put it..so take from this what you will. Good luck with your babies..and i am sorry you have any losses at all..-Danielle

 

[fisherlady]

Lost one of the meaties this morning... When I went down to feed them I noticed one was really lethargic, just laying with it's head down so I knew something was wrong. I brought it up and put it under the second heat lamp in a box so I could try to feed it some electrolyte water. It was too far gone, I'm thinking it was on the bottom of the chick pile last night. I'm going to hang the second light down in the big brooder and keep them spaced apart to try to avoid the nightly chick pile. Hubs and I are fine, even the girls (6 and 3yo) handled the death really well. The DOG is devastated! She's still pacing around where we tried to save the chick, I've never seen such sad puppy eyes as when the little chick convulsed and died. She still tried to push it with her nose to coax it to get back up, it was the saddest thing ever. I never would have thought that a 9 year old dog would ever get so attached to baby birds.

Starting fermented feed today, so they'll still be eating dry for the next 2 days. There are a few other Cornish Roasters that are looking less vibrant than the others, think it would help to put Sav-A-Chick electrolytes in the big waterer? Anything else I can do for them?

Sav-A-Chick in the water is a good start.... with ones acting lethargic I will mix a 2 Tablespoons of water, 1 Teaspoon of Brown sugar and a 2 drops of Nutri-Drench (available at TSC)... I put this in a very small container and pull the chick to a quiet area and encourage it to drink. Do this 3 or 4 times a day, or more if it seems cooperative enjoys the attention. I also offer them a dish of food when they are out for their drink so they aren't as stressed about fighting for their share at the feeder when back in the brooder.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

LMP,I don't think I am doing more chicks this year. Monday will be the anniversary of getting the 6 I have,so I suppose either today or Sunday is their birthday. Big Guy has decided he can't kill rabbits that he has tended (yeah right. I bet I would be the one doing that) but he could do meaties. So I may be doing those later. We have a lot of projects planned for the yard first.

Happy Chicken Crew Birthday!!

...doesn't the time go by so quickly?!..hahahha

yeah..the yard plans..hahaha, there is always yard plans!! It is just like having chickens..never settled, always making adjustments!!

On the whole rabbit issue, I understand completely..they are cute, but..they are food...just like the meaties/turkeys..etc.

I do care and appreciate life, in all forms, even if I am not -personally the one actually eating the processed animals,.. i guess being able to separate a little bit more is a good thing when processing time comes...it is not on the top of my list of things that must be done, for sure, but it must be done....let me know when you are getting ready to start the meats...maybe we could "brain-storm"..

You will have to share a few of those project ideas...and of pictures!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Busy chicken day for us today. Butchered 4 extra boys and moved our first hatched chicks of the year (from dheltzel) out to the little coop. They did not understand the concept of going in the coop for the night AT ALL. They didn't appreciate me shoving then in it either lol.

don't mind the messy pen. I'll be cleaning that up tomorrow lol

 

[barbiegirl]

My little silkies are settling in. I was changing the waterer and cleaning out all the wet chips. My 2 rottweilers thought it would be fun to stick their heads in and see the chicks. My darker of the blue silkies tried to bite their noses. That one is brave. I am wondering if that one will be a rooster.