Texas

[hungnguyen]

That's right, Melissa. Sorry to hear the bad news.

Mel, may you rest in peace.

 

[showbarnmom]

That's right, Melissa. Sorry to hear the bad news.

Mel, may you rest in peace.

I really miss her. She was so much fun to talk too. And she supported my addiction lol

 

[SlipsWife]

Look like they peck each other. Mite will concentrate heavy at the vent.

whew...I'm glad it doesn't look like mites. I didn't feel like it was but at the same time I didn't want to ignore it and it get worse.

I haven't seen them pecking at each other but I've noticed the netting we put over the top of the grow out pen isn't keeping the wild birds out like we had hoped. I wonder if they are getting pecked by the other birds that are going into the pen and since they fly out when we go outside, we aren't noticing it.

There are a couple that I think are growing to fast to keep up with their feathers, mainly the cochin. Their feathering or lack of feathering, looks different from the ones that seem to have feathers and then just nothing...

 

[tjo804]

So I have decided that the more I read the less I seem to know.

Can anyone help me to answer a few questions?

Q. Sugar for Chicks? Brown Sugar for Chicks? What would be the reason or is this an old wives tale?

Q. Vitamin supplements? What kind do they sell special chicken vitamins?

Q Is the electrolyte single pouch a good way to start new chicks from the feed store Or is there a better product out there to give them a good foundational start?

 

[SlipsWife]

So I have decided that the more I read the less I seem to know.

Can anyone help me to answer a few questions?

Q. Sugar for Chicks? Brown Sugar for Chicks? What would be the reason or is this an old wives tale?

Q. Vitamin supplements? What kind do they sell special chicken vitamins?

Q Is the electrolyte single pouch a good way to start new chicks from the feed store Or is there a better product out there to give them a good foundational start?

I only give fresh, warm water to our chicks. We are usually at the feed store when they get them in or we have them shipped directly to us. I haven't had any issues with losses when using just warm water. We gave sugar water last year with our first group. I want to say we had more pasty butt with sugar water but I can't say for sure.

We did have one bad shipment/order this year. The chicks kept dying, for up to a week. I don't believe that starting them on anything would have made a difference, I have my own theory on why they didn't do to well. The other shipment from the same hatchery and other shipments from another hatchery did fine, minus a few DOA's from extreme cold.

That's just my experience and what's worked for me.

ETA:
I think its best to have all of the above on hand so if you want to use them, you have them.

 

[tjo804]

Quote:
do you use acv in the water at all or just water water?

 

[SlipsWife]

do you use acv in the water at all or just water water?

Just water, but I make sure its warm, I've made the mistake of being in a rush and not giving them warm water and you can tell it chills them. It took a lot longer to refill their water and watch them to make sure they warmed up than it would have to just waited for the water to get warm...

Last year we did everything different...we kept them under heat for longer, kept them inside for longer. I think this year our chicks seem stronger and healthier getting outside and in the sun and dirt. I'm big on power in numbers and will try to have 20 chicks at a time. I kept them on heat for only about 3 days, being brooded inside, outside by 2 weeks with an upside down large Rubbermaid tote with a cutout and hay on the ground. Its amazingly toasty when they all group up together inside at night. The coldest it got was right at freezing, they did fine. Our only losses after moving them outside was our grow out pen had spots they got out of and our dog killed a few before we got it completely secure.

Do what makes you feel comfortable, if you want to do it all, try it...I just found I'm happier with easier and the chicks seem healthier and spunkier to us this year.

 

[TammyTX]

Ok, is this normal, slow feather growth, pecking at each other or maybe mites? There's a number of the group with feathering similar to this but most of the group looks great. They are a month old. It was a hatchery surprise so I don't know their breeds but most of the chicks that look like this appear to be old English or old English game bantams...maybe... There's also one cochin that looks like this, and the frizzle looks almost naked! I haven't seen any signs of them pecking, I haven't noticed any signs of mites either so I'm leaning towards weird/awkward feathering in... ETA: I'm almost embarrassed for the poor guy...

Bald spots on the back usually mean your birds are too crowded or too many Roos for the amount of hens. Since they are young, I would say give them more room and their feathers will grow back.

 

[tjo804]

Quote:
WOW do I feel like a slacker,
Mine are 4 weeks and are still in the house it is warm enough outside for them I am sure and Certain from what you have said. I had a few problems with parasites and rats but have that all figured out now. Hopefully they can go out this weekend after we section off part of the large coop for them and put in a kiddie run off the back for them to be next to the layers without getting picked on I am sure we have waited to long for them to just be added without the hens seeing them as competition.

 

[SlipsWife]

Bald spots on the back usually mean your birds are too crowded or too many Roos for the amount of hens. Since they are young, I would say give them more room and their feathers will grow back.

There are 30ish one month old chicks and about 10 bantams that are less than 2 months. I need to sit down and figure out exactly how many but I know its right a 40 total. A number of the one month olds are bantams too.

They are in a 10x10 pen and don't seem crowded at all, but I was thinking the same thing even though I haven't seen any signs of pecking...I almost thought that a few of them look like something tried pulling them throw the pen by their feathers but there's no way with the metal lathe we have on the bottom for that to have happened. I'm starting to wonder if we have one or two culprits that are picking on the others.

Hopefully the extras sell quickly and it calms down with more room.