The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[15littlem]

From what?

From say a small dog or small cat?

 

[melroseladi]

Most of us are in that time of year where we are growing out our new birds. Think this thread will get a boost when this years birds get some age on them.
I am going to set a few more eggs this Saturday, because believe it or not I only got 4 cockerels from my Janurary birds. I did not get any chicks to keep for myself after January. Because of a tragic accident I lost my February chicks when they were 5 1/2 weeks old, and had already made commitments to others, .
Now watch, I will set 40 eggs Saturday and get 35 cockerels.
I had planned on having all my birds hatched by February, oh well not every plan works out.

Ron

Dang Ron, sorry to hear about your loss. Good luck with your next hatch.

Penny

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Hey Anthony

Hope everything is going great for you my friend!

All 10 birds doing wonderful!!!!!! Getting big!!

 

[immyjay54]

Thanks Jim.
I was sick over it and still feel really bad.Here is what happened.
I spent the better part of a weekend digging a 150+ foot trench and installing a waterline to my grow out pens and brooding area. I used 20' lengths of 1" PVC and a frost free hydrant. I finished just as it was getting dark on Sunday. Bone tired I retired for the day. The next morning before leaving for work, I ran the water until it ran clear (not very long) and watered my chicks and young birds.
The first water I filled was the 5 1/2 week RIR.
When I came home that evening they were all dead. Also a bird in the pen with the next water I filled was very ill. No other pens that received water that morning were affected.
I can only assume that there was something in the water line that poisoned them.

Ron

Oh my gosh, that is just terrible. Gee, I was feeling bad because I lost 3 of my young Underwood chicks this week. I've been expecting the one to die for a couple of weeks. She's been a little droopy since hatch but one day she would look down and then the next day she would seem fine. I guess she just never got the strength that she needed. I think what happened with the other two is that they just piled on each other and smothered them. They were fine last night and when I went to move them to their coop today they were dead in the corner of their pen. I'm thankful now since reading your story. That is sure an awful loss. You will come out okay though. You've helped out a lot of others in the past month or two. Wishing you all the best. One thing Ron, we will all know to really run a lot of water through any new PVC pipe that we install. Who would ever think of that.
Jim

 

[FOGELLY]

Thanks again Jim, and Thank you Penny.
My wife told me that the best bird I will raise this year will come from this next hatch.

It has be a joy helping get some more folks going with RIR.

 

[Eggcessive]

Ron, so sorry to hear about the loss of your chicks. What a horrible tragic thing to happen. I'm glad you told this story because it could happen to others, and may be a lesson. Hope you get a great hatch. My 8 chicks from you are doing great--I promise pictures.

Kim

 

[docdandc]

Oh my gosh, that is just terrible. Gee, I was feeling bad because I lost 3 of my young Underwood chicks this week. I've been expecting the one to die for a couple of weeks. She's been a little droopy since hatch but one day she would look down and then the next day she would seem fine. I guess she just never got the strength that she needed. I think what happened with the other two is that they just piled on each other and smothered them. They were fine last night and when I went to move them to their coop today they were dead in the corner of their pen. I'm thankful now since reading your story. That is sure an awful loss. You will come out okay though. You've helped out a lot of others in the past month or two. Wishing you all the best. One thing Ron, we will all know to really run a lot of water through any new PVC pipe that we install. Who would ever think of that.
Jim

One big lesson here is to share your bloodlines with other people like Ron did. In case most of his stock died, he could regain all his hard working bloodlines by getting chicks from some of the people that have his lines. This could have happened to any of us. Glad he didn't take a slirp of the water first.......

 

[immyjay54]

One big lesson here is to share your bloodlines with other people like Ron did. In case most of his stock died, he could regain all his hard working bloodlines by getting chicks from some of the people that have his lines. This could have happened to any of us. Glad he didn't take a slirp of the water first.......

I was thinking of that when I was writing my post doc. About sharing the birds. We never know when some kind of storm or other weird thing could happen just like this and be wiped out of these good birds.
That's true also doc about the taking a drink. How many times we (I know I have) take a drink out of a hose etc when we are outside working. Geez

 

[cmom]

Quote:
So sorry for your loss. It is hard for me even to loose one bird. That is really strange. I'm sure it's too late to take a water sample. Most counties have water testing for free or a minimal charge. Just curious what could have been in the water line. Certainly makes me think if we run anymore PVC to flush it well. We have hundreds of feet of PVC pipes with auto waterers to all of our coops. We do run water through the lines before we actually let the birds drink it. We have PVC pipes running water to our house, garage and an apartment we have on the property. Makes a person think...

 

[LilBeaverDoms]

Here is a RIR and his buddy in the background that I got out of the 'frying pan special' at the feed store. I was actually trying to get a pic of some other chicks, but these birds are so up in my gridness anytime I go out. Funny birds!


They are about 6 weeks old now. About what age are they usually best to butcher?
Thanks!
Jason