Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Perris]

Another possibility that could be affecting it to a degree would be the chick not sleeping directly under Janeka. During warmer days, some of Cruella's chicks would sleep next to her, not under her

you think this might encourage more rapid feather growth? Interesting idea. Do you have any refs to pursue the idea?

 

[fluffycrow]

you think this might encourage more rapid feather growth? Interesting idea. Do you have any refs to pursue the idea?

Don't know if it counts, but just what I've observed with mine, other than that, nothing at all. The brooder babies didn't use their heating plate almost at all. The first three nights they spent in the opposite corner. The next four they went under the brooder plate to sleep. At the mark of 7 days they climbed on top of the brooder plate and have been sleeping there ever since. I should mention, they would completely avoid the brooder plate when it was on the lowest setting, the one that was age appropriate. When I put the heating plate on the 2 week old setting, they would go under it for some time, but never spent too much time. On the other hand, Cruella's babies are significantly behind on feather growth, and while they don't go under her fluff at all during the day, they do sleep under her on most nights (except the few times I mentioned)

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hey X Batts blazing hot right now ! no humidity 27 percent 90 temps.
Can hardly wait till my two cockerel give me fertile eggs.
Feel safe having young ones in the main coop.

 

[Shadrach]

I have tribes that share coops that sit next to each other. Red and Cholo's tribes share a wire wall and they hate each other. I have other groups that share wire wall dividers as well. They are distinct different tribes in close proximity. I can't let certain tribes range together though because boys will be boys. Most roosters won't fight to the death but Red and Cholo will. On multiple occasions they've nearly killed each other.

I think a lot of keepers who use a multi coop system find rooster conflicts easier to deal with when their coops are a good distnace apart.

 

[Shadrach]

View attachment 3609046

Mine are still segregating themselves.

Incredible really isn't it. That's a lovely us and them picture.

 

[fluffycrow]

I think a lot of keepers who use a multi coop system find rooster conflicts easier to deal with when their coops are a good distnace apart.

I've found this to be true. Especially since big red and the brahma girls free range for significantly less, and are interrupted by nightfall. For some reason Big Red is a night owl, so once it starts to get dark, and his girls shimmy in the coop, he goes over to fight Kolovos. Then he goes in the coop and preens

 

[lightm]

Janeka's chicks are 1 week old today and one of them is way ahead of the others in feather development - I've not seen one grow them so fast before
View attachment 3609096

View attachment 3609096
"Yes Mom!"
"OK Mom!"
"Huh?"
"No Mom!"

 

[Shadrach]

In your case, I think it's just some kind of gene at play? Another possibility that could be affecting it to a degree would be the chick not sleeping directly under Janeka. During warmer days, some of Cruella's chicks would sleep next to her, not under her

First to hatch maybe (?) Just a few hours difference can make a noticable difference especially if the first to hatch has food at the nest site and eats it.
Cheepy had an excellent hatch speed. She had all ten of them out of their shells in a 12 hour period.
Fan was another hen who hatched quickly but she was ready to sit with four or five eggs.

 

[fluffycrow]

First to hatch maybe (?) Just a few hours difference can make a noticable difference especially if the first to hatch has food at the nest site and eats it.
Cheepy had an excellent hatch speed. She had all ten of them out of their shells in a 12 hour period.
Fan was another hen who hatched quickly but she was ready to sit with four or five eggs.

That could potentially be what's going on with Janeka's chicks. In my case, the brooder baby (the one I said was 8 days old when the photo was taken) was taken out of the incubator later than Cruella left the nest and gave her chicks food and water, at which point some were a day old. I also gave them some food on the nest, when the brooder baby was still in the incubator

 

[Perris]

mine didn't have food near the nest; but one may have hatched earlier than the others. It will be interesting to see how long it takes the other 3 to catch up in the feathering game.