The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Fred's Hens]

I need to update the Red chicks photos. They are growing spectacularly. These birds are thriving. I'm feeding a Game Bird starter and I am very pleased with their growth rate. I lowered the heat today, at 2 weeks, to 70 degrees. They are packing in the feed.

 

[immyjay54]

I need to update the Red chicks photos. They are growing spectacularly. These birds are thriving. I'm feeding a Game Bird starter and I am very pleased with their growth rate. I lowered the heat today, at 2 weeks, to 70 degrees. They are packing in the feed.

Hey Fred, this is what I start all my chicks on from day one and put just a dab of ACV in their water. Like you said, they really shoot up fast
http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...ory_rn=&top_category=&urlLangId=&cm_vc=-10005

 

[Fred's Hens]

As has been discussed a bunch of times, finding animal protein feed, in Starter or other feeds, is growing increasingly difficult to source. We're fortunate to still have a small regional feed company that makes GameBird Starter that still contains animal protein.

I do like Manna Pro products. The Calf Manna is new to me, but I'm going to give it a try this year as a supplement.

 

[desertmarcy]

Does anybody else have problems with their young, not yet fully feathered RIR chicks getting picked? I found 3 in the outside brooder today that had been picked and had bloody spots where their new feathers are coming in. Today was the day I moved all the chicks out of that brooder into a bigger space, so hopefully the new environment with more room to move around will put an end to it.

So in the meantime, I opened up a brand new bottle of Blue Kote to put on their wounds. I had two of the chicks in a 5-gal bucket and the bottle sitting on the floor. Just when I was trying to get the dabber out of the bottle, one of the chicks jumped up on the rim of the bucket and in my movement to grab the bird, the Blue Kote bottle tipped over and spilled all over the wooden floor!! What a mess! It is a good thing that is a utility building because there is about a 2 foot oval of dark purple stain now. Then I put the bottle upright and grabbed a roll of paper towels and was mopping as fast as I could (yes, my hands are purple, too), and I dumped it over AGAIN!
I was not having a good afternoon. Why do they put that staining substance in a tall, light plastic bottle instead of a heavier squatter glass bottle that won't tip so easily

 

[immyjay54]

Does anybody else have problems with their young, not yet fully feathered RIR chicks getting picked? I found 3 in the outside brooder today that had been picked and had bloody spots where their new feathers are coming in. Today was the day I moved all the chicks out of that brooder into a bigger space, so hopefully the new environment with more room to move around will put an end to it.

So in the meantime, I opened up a brand new bottle of Blue Kote to put on their wounds. I had two of the chicks in a 5-gal bucket and the bottle sitting on the floor. Just when I was trying to get the dabber out of the bottle, one of the chicks jumped up on the rim of the bucket and in my movement to grab the bird, the Blue Kote bottle tipped over and spilled all over the wooden floor!! What a mess! It is a good thing that is a utility building because there is about a 2 foot oval of dark purple stain now. Then I put the bottle upright and grabbed a roll of paper towels and was mopping as fast as I could (yes, my hands are purple, too), and I dumped it over AGAIN!
I was not having a good afternoon. Why do they put that staining substance in a tall, light plastic bottle instead of a heavier squatter glass bottle that won't tip so easily

Sure not meaning to be smart but you sure did put a grin on my face. Sounds like some of my endeavors. I really can't help you to much with this. I've never had the picking problem but it sounds to me like you might have just had to many in to small of an area. That or being to warm is the only thing that I've ever heard will cause them to pick at each other.
Jim

 

[desertmarcy]

You are probably right on both counts. There were too many in that brooder space, and our temperatures the last couple of days have gone from a nice low 80's to low 90's. Glad I made you laugh at visions of purple stain everywhere. That's the only thing good I can think of that came of that mess!

 

[Rancher3535]

Washing eggs is up to the individual. I just read an article by Will Morrow in the back yard magazine about how he does it. Very interesting. I have had some of his welsummers shipped into me and WOW I have never had such a great amount of chicks with such vitality. There are those who say just put them in the incubator and other say wash and clean. again it is all up to the individuals opinion about that. Personally after talking to several commercial hatcheries ... some kind of washing has to go on in order to get rid of bacteria that is on the shell.

 

[Yup44]

As has been discussed a bunch of times, finding animal protein feed, in Starter or other feeds, is growing increasingly difficult to source.  We're fortunate to still have a small regional feed company that makes GameBird Starter that still contains animal protein.  

I do like Manna Pro products.  The Calf Manna is new to me, but I'm going to give it a try this year as a supplement.

Thanks for this I will see if my local tractor supply has any so I can give it to my reds

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Does anybody else have problems with their young, not yet fully feathered RIR chicks getting picked? I found 3 in the outside brooder today that had been picked and had bloody spots where their new feathers are coming in. Today was the day I moved all the chicks out of that brooder into a bigger space, so hopefully the new environment with more room to move around will put an end to it.

So in the meantime, I opened up a brand new bottle of Blue Kote to put on their wounds. I had two of the chicks in a 5-gal bucket and the bottle sitting on the floor. Just when I was trying to get the dabber out of the bottle, one of the chicks jumped up on the rim of the bucket and in my movement to grab the bird, the Blue Kote bottle tipped over and spilled all over the wooden floor!! What a mess! It is a good thing that is a utility building because there is about a 2 foot oval of dark purple stain now. Then I put the bottle upright and grabbed a roll of paper towels and was mopping as fast as I could (yes, my hands are purple, too), and I dumped it over AGAIN!
I was not having a good afternoon. Why do they put that staining substance in a tall, light plastic bottle instead of a heavier squatter glass bottle that won't tip so easily

I had one of those days when my toddler found my supply of duck eggs in the kitchen. I got what I thought was all of the egg mess cleaned up only to step in some of the whites I missed and walk all the way to the washer to toss in the kitchen towels. An hour or so later I notice all of these foot prints of white film. I also found all of the tiny toddler footprints.

 

[har]

I've read on here over the years where folks would say make sure you wash your hands before touching the eggs because of the oil on our skin.  I just laugh at a lot of these things. I can still remember how my dad used to be out feeding pigs and cattle and when he was done would go gather the last eggs. I'm sure he probably had a little pig or cow poo on his hands and I'm sure he didn't run somewhere and wash his hands before he gathered the eggs. Gosh, we used to all have coal furnaces and us kids used to eat the snow and icicles that would hang off the roofs. I'm sure there was probably soot int them and how we'd pick tomatoes of the vine and wipe them on our pant legs and sit in the garden and eat them. Geez. dad was 81 and mom 97 when they passed so I don't think it bothered them. lol  I'll go with the old way anytime. All this artificial stuff is not for me. I love all the old memories.