She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[cppeace]

Still no pipping action on any of the final 3, the upside down one's shell is turning dark and icky looking but when I candle it is still alive

These last three are being slow pokes I tell ya.

 

[FridayYet]

If I had to choose between chicks and poults, I'd choose poults every time. I still love my feather-legged, puffy cheeked easter egger chicks, but my Narragansett poults are my absolute favorites.

One thing about poults that is different than chicks, you have to be careful with brooder temp the first day or so after hatch. While chicks will move in and out of the heat to be comfortable, poults, like Cornish cross chicks, will tend to lay in the warm spot even if they overheat. If they start to raise their chin and pant, move the lamp higher so that the warmest spot is not over 100F. If they are still laying down after 10 minutes or so, raise it a little more. A freshly hatched poult that is overheated will not seek water and will not seek a cooler spot. If they are very, very quiet, they are probably too warm. If they are cold, they will yell. If they are just right, they will make little two or three note trills to talk to each other. After a couple of days they are much more active and move around a lot more. I think this is why people think poults are "stupid", they are not, they are just different. They are much more snuggly than chicks and love to cuddle, they will walk right into your hand and lay down, and look at you with curious, bright eyes.

When they hatch, if you are watching, if you chirp or whistle they will stumble and tumble right to the window and look at you.

When you mix poults of different ages, the older ones will act as nursemaids to the younger ones, allowing them to snuggle on their backs or under their wings. Male or female doesn't matter, they are very much community creatures. They also don't fight the little ones away from the food.

I was concerned about putting my five week old poults in with the three breeding hens and the tom. They are all fine, the hens poke at the youngsters if they invade the nest area but otherwise they all do just fine. They roost together, they eat together, and the youngsters play tag all around the adults.

Very cool. Would love to get some heritage turkeys some day!

I made a mamma heating pad for the brooder, from @blooie, just turned it on

Great! I think it's so much better than a heat lamp or having a light on all the time. My chicks seem to do great with their brooder plate.

 

[rossfam06]

Chicken Math at it again!!! I just sold 3 pullets and I will be picking up 3 pullets on the 6th!!! LoL!!! Gotta love it!

Plus my hatch is due to hatch on the 7th. Man I love chickens!!!

 

[WVduckchick]

I'll have to catch up later, but I just got home from being gone for the weekend and my poor little cripple chick is worse. Leg laying straight out behind her, she tries to crawl on her belly some, but its just pitiful. I'm so torn because I feel like putting her down would be the most humane thing to do at this point, but I also hate to give up on her. I'm a mess....

 

[NTBugtraq]

Chicken Math at it again!!! I just sold 3 pullets and I will be picking up 3 pullets on the 6th!!! LoL!!! Gotta love it!

Plus my hatch is due to hatch on the 7th. Man I love chickens!!!

Raining here today so not much to do, so I just spent the last 4 hours working out a spreadsheet that outlines when each hatch can start, and then follows the hatches through the brooder, the young chicken run, and then to main coop or processing. Had to do this as otherwise I would end up with too many in any of those spots...so with that all worked out now I have to find the customers for the 204 birds I haven't sold yet...

 

[NTBugtraq]

I'll have to catch up later, but I just got home from being gone for the weekend and my poor little cripple chick is worse. Leg laying straight out behind her, she tries to crawl on her belly some, but its just pitiful. I'm so torn because I feel like putting her down would be the most humane thing to do at this point, but I also hate to give up on her. I'm a mess....

My Brother's dog had to have leg removed at 1 yr-old, and lived to be 15 without it...give nature a chance!!

 

[caesargirl]

I'll have to catch up later, but I just got home from being gone for the weekend and my poor little cripple chick is worse. Leg laying straight out behind her, she tries to crawl on her belly some, but its just pitiful. I'm so torn because I feel like putting her down would be the most humane thing to do at this point, but I also hate to give up on her. I'm a mess....

Awww. Good luck. I'm sorry for tough decisions.

 

[FridayYet]

I'll have to catch up later, but I just got home from being gone for the weekend and my poor little cripple chick is worse. Leg laying straight out behind her, she tries to crawl on her belly some, but its just pitiful. I'm so torn because I feel like putting her down would be the most humane thing to do at this point, but I also hate to give up on her. I'm a mess....

 

[rossfam06]

Raining here today so not much to do, so I just spent the last 4 hours working out a spreadsheet that outlines when each hatch can start, and then follows the hatches through the brooder, the young chicken run, and then to main coop or processing. Had to do this as otherwise I would end up with too many in any of those spots...so with that all worked out now I have to find the customers for the 204 birds I haven't sold yet...

Yeah Raining here too. Really down pouring with lightening. Good luck with the 2004 birds you have now!!!! I would die, my hubby would die and I would be called out and the birds taken from me because of my small backyard. LoL!

I'll have to catch up later, but I just got home from being gone for the weekend and my poor little cripple chick is worse. Leg laying straight out behind her, she tries to crawl on her belly some, but its just pitiful. I'm so torn because I feel like putting her down would be the most humane thing to do at this point, but I also hate to give up on her. I'm a mess....

Im so sorry!!! If it was me....I would try and do my best to save her and help her in any way I could. Go TEAM PURPLE!!!

 

[WVduckchick]

We had a tornado touch down about 10 miles from my camp.. And I drove almost into it. I was within a mile and a half of it!

Guess I better get to working on a sling chair....