Red broiler care

[Iguanahunter]

Thanks for the update. Sorry for the losses. Is bird pox contagious to ducks? Does this stunt their growth? Any chance of bad genetics?

Quail size at 6 weeks. Not good. Since these are red broilers, any desire to let them go to 12-16 weeks? Did the hatchery say 4 pounds in 8 weeks?

CX are at 1 week. 2 losses. One dead and one just gone the first day. Weird. Guessing garage snake? The other 24 are growing and getting the wing feathers. Happy little chicks. I saw a snake by the chicken tractor (garden) and I'm hesitating on putting them out. They won't last in the brooder another week though. May put them out during the day, but bringing them in at night will be rough and more work. Should work.

Looking forward to a full freezer.

Duck is delicious. How loud are the muscovies? I heading to quail next year. Maybe.

Bird pox doesn't seem to affect ducks, and it is supposed to stunt their growth but not stop it completely and they were supposed to reach 5 pounds by 10 weeks according to the hatchery. Muscovies are absolutely quiet, the loudest I have heard is peeps when I pick them up. They are arboreal ducks, meaning they prefer to roost and they are a different species. I am having a hard time raising chickens because of the pox and eliminating it is impossible in my terrain. Might just have to switch over to ducks until the ground is clean again. Once the infection is gone they are inmune to the virus but it lasts 3 months in the soil, and if a mosquito bites a contaminated bird, that mosquito carries it for life. Having other flocks nearby means I will always have it in the ground. And about the snake, buy a minnow trap and place a few eggs inside. Make sure that they are fresh and dirty. The snake will eat them and cannot get out, you can release it far away or make a snakeskin belt! I won't even consider cornish since my cousin bought 12 6 week olds and because of the heat he only butchered 2. The rest died within a week of being removed from the original facility.

 

[Iguanahunter]

From the Ideal website: five pound broilers in ten weeks. May want to run a little longer unless you are just done?

By the rate these are growing I'll be lucky if I get 3 pounds at 15 weeks. Not very bright future for most, except for brutus the cockerel, who has stayed healthy and is the biggest, prettiest, and naughtiest of the bunch. Maybe a few pullets if they pull through the pox.

 

[RUNuts]

Bird pox sounds nasty. Agree - try something different and ducks sounds like they will work. Now you know you have a pox. Best wishes with the muscovies.

 

[Iguanahunter]

Bird pox sounds nasty. Agree - try something different and ducks sounds like they will work. Now you know you have a pox. Best wishes with the muscovies.

Thanks! Best of luck with your batch!

 

[Iguanahunter]

Update tiiimeeeeee! All 7 left are healthy as can be, and I got only 2 cockerels! Yes!

 

[RUNuts]

My CX are now 2.5 weeks. More than a handful size wise, almost 2 hand fulls. 24 still going strong. Watched them lay in the grass, necks outstretched and panting. 94°F and 70% humidity. All still doing well. Out of 24, one is noticeably smaller than most. A couple noticeably larger.

Got 8 barnyard surprise eggs for learning how broody hens work. 2 little chicks at almost a week old are teensy compared to the 2.5 week old CX. They grow fast. Amazingly fast. Hoping for layers.

We have heat similar to you in Florida (without the sea breeze). I'm guessing from the move stress and maybe weather difference, your brother's 6 week old CX didn't adapt. Day old chicks adapt well. The 52 shipped in this batch were in the mail 3 days with no losses. Try it. I'm planning to try broilers. But I do like the speed & large size of the CX. Still thinking, CX in spring with coolness? Broilers in the fall? Quail next year. Quail are as quick as CX and can propagate. Broilers take longer and the roosters will make noise.

 

[Iguanahunter]

I might try again with the reds since the survivors are much more active than the cx, plus my two old reds are proof of their ability to lay and live healthy lives. Not so much the cx. About the quail, they do great if you have a good incubator. I have 9 in my hutch.

 

[Iguanahunter]

Long time coming update: let's start with a question. Does ideal sell bantam broilers?

10 weeks, less than 2 pounds. Ugh. The CX that I traded for three of my own line are at 6 pounds free forage. Meanwhile, the muscovy ducks are growing like weeds, the 12 week-old ducks are at 4-5 pounds and the drake is about 7 pounds. Looks like I'll be breeding meat ducks from now on!