The Middle Tennessee Thread

[minuteman_23]

No they were running and flying around before with absolutely no ill signs.I use straw for bedding and I change water and fresh food daily. I keep all my feed in my house

 

[matlock585]

I'm sorry to keep talking over you, minuteman... I wish I could help, but I'm new to chickens myself.
Having said that, I've got 3 hatched now, and a fourth is pipped. I'm so pumped. Totally addicted. Just bought a bigger styro cooler at wal-mart for version 2!

 

[cpegram]

minuteman I am sorry I don't know I am still kind of new only been doing this for a yr myself....

maybe it will get better...

Good Job Matlock!!! It's so addicting!!! I love the babies....I have an order of LF Lav Ameraucana from Blehm ordered....

will already have splits from Foley so i will be ready to rock and roll

each time i incubate and clean the incubator I think ok I am done....then I see something I gotta have UGH DH asked me last night how many chickens are out there....I said do you really want me to count? He said NO LOL, partly his fault whenever i incubate he throws in some extra eggs...UGH I said some i am growing out a bit and figure out what i want to keep....I have been letting all the extra roosters out to free range...going well so far ....

Jenski that would be a very cute coop!! and right here close too dang it...I am sure someone will scoop it up quick!!

one more day of Bonaroo or maybe they go home tomorrow YAY we get our town back LOL...g'nite all!!

 

[Tracyree]

Matlock-congrats!!!! How exciting!! Did you get any sleep at all?

Question for everyone, what kind of starter feed do you all recommend and where do you get it? Is there a local source for organic feeds?

 

[Tracyree]

Minuteman- I'm so sorry. Could it be the heat? I'm just getting back into chickens myself, so guessing. Hopefully one of our local experts will chime in.

 

[matlock585]

I had to break the cardinal rule and open my incubator while #4 is still pipped. One of my hatched chicks got on top of my therm/hrygro and got itself over the divider that separates the egg rack from the light bulb. It was stuck under the 60 watt light bulb and doing some serious yelling when the light was on. I got the bathroom really steamy and opened it in there to get it out and back with the others. It seems fine so far, but I hope I didn't shrinkwrap #4. It looks ready to zip at any time. The humidity never got below 64% and I re wet the sponge and it shot right back up. I guess after that one hatches and dries up, I'm gonna go on and move 'em to the brooder.

 

[Jenski]

Morning all!

minuteman - how are your chicks doing now? Hope all is well.

matlock - how has your hatch progressed?

Tracyree, maybe HBuehler will check in and give you some good feed information. She gets some good mixes, but I can't remember if they are organic. I recall the only place I could find organic a couple of years ago was in Virginia, and the shipping was ridiculous.

1newegg, did y'all survive the Bonnaroo weekend?

And to all our TN folks - - just caught this on the web news this morning. It appears there has been a Salmonella outbreak from "a hatchery in Ohio." http://www.thirdage.com/news/salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-chicks-ducklings_06-13-2011

 

[sheaviance1]

Hi Minuteman, just wondering, is it possible that the two mommas are fighting over the chicks and injuring them or that the mommas have rejected them, and they are cold?

 

[HBuehler]

My feed store carries the Organic layer pellets and I'm sure if anyone wanted them to get starter they could. Of coarse I recommend my feed store since the feed is made every day there..never old and stale.Plus they make mash which is so much easier for tiny chicks to eat than a crumble. They also make an awesome higher protein scratch with vits and the good stuff scratch all kinds of goodies in that bag

Minuteman-this heat is very hard on chicks that size..and the big one's as well.Many times the chicks are still snuggling in this heat and the chick near the bottom or most in a corner will over heat...if you can try and observe them still asleep and watch those chicks most apt to be too hot and see if that one is the one having issues after.I have done that with my bantam Cochins after watching them snuggle.Solved the problem by giving them one of those new low wattage flood lights..no heat but light so they spread out. Also,Corrid as well as the medicated feed don't get all strains of cocci just the most common...you may have to try other things like Sulmet which isn't as effective on most Cocci but may work better on yours.In this heat the mortality rate with young birds is very high compared to Spring and Fall hatching.

matlock-I open my bators all the time during lockdown..I have no lockdown rules other than never allowing my humidity above 55% when I remember to lock them down. Bet your little chick was very happy to get out of that spot.

 

[NEK38583]

I was just wondering what does every one do with their excess roosters. I have been bless with roosters, and I am trying to fiqure out what to do with them to cut down on the feed bill some.I would apprecate any advice.

PS: If any one here would be interested in 10 or 20 let me know.