The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[gojira]

I haven't found a dealer for Show Gold in my area, so I've fed all my chicks Purina Chick starter. I contains Aztec Marigold, but I'm not sure of how much is in it. I wouldn't think color would matter, since it's the nutrients in Marigold, not the pigment, that helps brighten the legs.

Just curious, where did you hear that it was not the pigment in Marigold that helps brighten the legs?

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Perdue grows huge fields of marigold to feed their broilers to make skin and meat more yellow. Here's and interesting study on marigold...

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...CFYwDg&usg=AFQjCNH0E4G_0o9d2qMpurcdvtMd23LNHw

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Just curious, where did you hear that it was not the pigment in Marigold that helps brighten the legs?

I made a mistake... it is the pigment. My bad...

 

[ShrekDawg]

Little known fact i learned last year: full phrase is actually curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought him back.

Confirmed by Google (cause tbh i couldn't remember the ending but knew there was more and googled it)

 

[karenj32]

I know I am a week behind on this topic, but I finally got caught up. I have been toe punching for a little over 2 years, but I still have trouble with them growing back. I have used the small manual ones. I have used the larger nail clipper style . On the advice of an Orpington breeder I used a leather punch this season to aim at slightly bigger holes in the web.



When I was using the chicken toe punches, I always used a tweezers to make sure I got any hanging chads pulled off. With my new leather punch technique I am getting perfect clean
holes now, no tweezers required, therefore much less bleeding. BUT I am still having about 20% of holes growing back closed. Because of this I still leg band in addition to punching until I can be sure the hole has "taken". This banding requires weekly band checks, which I would love to stop doing .

I have tried different timing of the toe punching. Right out of the hatcher, at 3 days, at 4 days, at 5 days, at 6 days, at 10 days, at 2 weeks and once sort of cruelly at 3 weeks. I am having better luck now than ever, punching at 4 days, with the leather punch, but I would LOVE to have better than 80% success rate, I calculate that I have toe punched over 300 chicks now, and I am glad I am having better success than I was at first, but I am still frustrated.

What am I doing wrong? I am running out of ideas to try.....Thanks for any help you can offer, I feel certain I am missing something obvious!

 

[desertmarcy]

I know I am a week behind on this topic, but I finally got caught up. I have been toe punching for a little over 2 years, but I still have trouble with them growing back. I have used the small manual ones. I have used the larger nail clipper style . On the advice of an Orpington breeder I used a leather punch this season to aim at slightly bigger holes in the web.



When I was using the chicken toe punches, I always used a tweezers to make sure I got any hanging chads pulled off. With my new leather punch technique I am getting perfect clean
holes now, no tweezers required, therefore much less bleeding. BUT I am still having about 20% of holes growing back closed. Because of this I still leg band in addition to punching until I can be sure the hole has "taken". This banding requires weekly band checks, which I would love to stop doing .

I have tried different timing of the toe punching. Right out of the hatcher, at 3 days, at 4 days, at 5 days, at 6 days, at 10 days, at 2 weeks and once sort of cruelly at 3 weeks. I am having better luck now than ever, punching at 4 days, with the leather punch, but I would LOVE to have better than 80% success rate, I calculate that I have toe punched over 300 chicks now, and I am glad I am having better success than I was at first, but I am still frustrated.

What am I doing wrong? I am running out of ideas to try.....Thanks for any help you can offer, I feel certain I am missing something obvious!

Why not just switch to using wing bands? They don't come off and no holes to grow back in. That's what I did.

 

[waddles99]

At the last show I went to there was a man selling plastic leg bands there, among other things. I overheard a discussion between him and someone who raised Jersey Giants, and they were saying how easily they slip off the leg bands. The Jersey Giant breeder had said he started using the metal leg bands that you use a tool to snap on. Apparently, you just cut them off when you are done with them. That seems like a good solution to identification without it slipping off or having to puncture any part of the chicken. I know it isn't too painful, but it just seems very permanent when you do a toe or wing band.

 

[cmom]

At the last show I went to there was a man selling plastic leg bands there, among other things. I overheard a discussion between him and someone who raised Jersey Giants, and they were saying how easily they slip off the leg bands. The Jersey Giant breeder had said he started using the metal leg bands that you use a tool to snap on. Apparently, you just cut them off when you are done with them. That seems like a good solution to identification without it slipping off or having to puncture any part of the chicken. I know it isn't too painful, but it just seems very permanent when you do a toe or wing band.

Most of my birds keep their leg bands. I do have a couple that can get them off but most don't. I also keep the birds separated in different coops and pens.

 

[karenj32]

Why not just switch to using wing bands? They don't come off and no holes to grow back in. That's what I did.

Good Question.....I know 4 breeders who wing band. 2 have had bad experiences with infection and the cocks outgrowing the bands. 2 have had no trouble at all with them. I need to investigate it further. I know legbands are very easy to let get too tight and cause distress and injury, so its not like that system is without a downside. Since I weigh my grow outs every other week, its not hard to keep on top of that during grow out. I bet I could just check wingbands when I weigh and catch any problems early. Once they reach sexual maturity, I switch to quarterly weighing, so I have my hands on each bird less often.

I currently have my adult birds tagged in 4 ways. Individiual legband number with both Bandettes and cable tie numbering system. NPIP metal bands the state puts on, and colored bands metal bands I put on denoting their breeding pen. They all have issues and fall off occasionally, so I enjoy having backups.

 

[RCleghorn]

Good Question.....I know 4 breeders who wing band. 2 have had bad experiences with infection and the cocks outgrowing the bands. 2 have had no trouble at all with them. I need to investigate it further.  I know legbands are very easy to let get too tight and cause distress and injury, so its not like that system is without a downside. Since I weigh my grow outs every other week, its not hard to keep on top of that during grow out. I bet I could just check wingbands when I weigh and catch any problems early. Once they reach sexual maturity, I switch to quarterly weighing, so I have my hands on each bird less often.

I currently have my adult birds tagged in 4 ways. Individiual legband number with both Bandettes and cable tie numbering system. NPIP metal bands the state puts on, and colored bands metal bands I put on denoting their breeding pen. They all have issues and fall off occasionally, so I enjoy having backups.

Wing bands work wonderfully. They are permanent and you can get them customized in any way you would like. I have been using them for 2 years now (close to 500 birds) and have inly had 2 issues with them as the birds grew. Both of those birds were bantams. And i think that was caused by me putting them on too early. As far as large fowl go i put them on at 7 days and so far no issues from them.