The Wyandotte Thread

[MommaHen77]

Thank you, she's definitely a spunky pullet. I suppose over the next few days she may get use to snuggles. I love the colors of all the wyandottes! Wish I could have more! I'm at my limit for now.) hope to maybe have one of my girls go broody and do a mix of eggs.

You're welcome. Enjoy your Chick

 

[cassbickford]

Higher the quality of the bird the slower the feathering. My BR for example can be bare at 3 months old but will have AWESOME barring. Same with Laced birds. My Foley birds are pretty slow feathering especially the roos. Slow feathering and quality do not always go hand in hand.

I hope so! Thanks!

 

[dajen]

Mortality Rates in Chicks

I've asked several seasoned breeders this question but have yet to receive and answer back. What is a general mortality rate for chicks between the age of 1-4 months? I am working on my Golden Laced Wyandottes and have noticed healthy chicks one day who are dead the next. No noticable symptoms to indicate any problems. The weather is in the mid 80's to low 90's and they have plenty of space, shade, water etc.

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[Farmer Viola]

Mortality Rates in Chicks

I've asked several seasoned breeders this question but have yet to receive and answer back. What is a general mortality rate for chicks between the age of 1-4 months? I am working on my Golden Laced Wyandottes and have noticed healthy chicks one day who are dead the next. No noticable symptoms to indicate any problems. The weather is in the mid 80's to low 90's and they have plenty of space, shade, water etc.

I very very very rarely lose chicks. It will usually happen within the first few days of hatch, if at all. I would say under 5% mortality rate for all the eggs I hatch at home.

If possible, you may be able to send one of them in for a necropsy and/or blood test which could give you some answers. Often the university closest to you can do the testing... do you give medicated feed? coccidiosis is something that can strike fast and without warning.

 

[NanaKat]

Mortality Rates in Chicks

I've asked several seasoned breeders this question but have yet to receive and answer back. What is a general mortality rate for chicks between the age of 1-4 months? I am working on my Golden Laced Wyandottes and have noticed healthy chicks one day who are dead the next. No noticable symptoms to indicate any problems. The weather is in the mid 80's to low 90's and they have plenty of space, shade, water etc.

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Are you worming your chicks? I understand that Georgia may have a higher incidence...at least according to some breeders who have posted on the Heritage thread. Also, wild birds bring in about 60 varieties of diseases that our flocks respond to sometimes in low numbers and sometimes in greater numbers.
Mortality in high numbers should have a traceable cause...thus testing is extremely helpful.
Here in my area of Oklahoma, some years are harder than others. I keep an arsenal of remedies on hand but try to stick to the most simple strategy of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Medicated feed for chicks, worming on a schedule, spraying the remises with permethrin for flies and mites and frequent handling of each bird in the flock are necessary to maintain a watchful eye on the health of my flock.
A few years ago, I lost a third of my chick crop and 1/4 of my layer flock to a respiratory infection brought in by sparrows. Necropsy by a university vet lab on both a live sparrow and a live chicken as well as a dead sparrow and a dead chick gave me test results and a treatment strategy for the entire flock. This included both medicating and upgrading the wire cloth on all pens with young birds.to keep out the wild birds.
Of course, in my opinion, the healthiest flock is one that freeranges and babies raised by hens that freerange...exposed to the ground so they develop natural immunities to germs in their environment.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Mortality Rates in Chicks I've asked several seasoned breeders this question but have yet to receive and answer back. What is a general mortality rate for chicks between the age of 1-4 months? I am working on my Golden Laced Wyandottes and have noticed healthy chicks one day who are dead the next. No noticable symptoms to indicate any problems. The weather is in the mid 80's to low 90's and they have plenty of space, shade, water etc.

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Are you feeding a medicated chick starter ? Cocci kills fast, but it won't necessarily kill all of the batch. This thread has some answers. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/39604/some-causes-of-early-chick-mortality

 

[dajen]

Are you worming your chicks? I understand that Georgia may have a higher incidence...at least according to some breeders who have posted on the Heritage thread. Also, wild birds bring in about 60 varieties of diseases that our flocks respond to sometimes in low numbers and sometimes in greater numbers.
Mortality in high numbers should have a traceable cause...thus testing is extremely helpful.
Here in my area of Oklahoma, some years are harder than others. I keep an arsenal of remedies on hand but try to stick to the most simple strategy of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Medicated feed for chicks, worming on a schedule, spraying the remises with permethrin for flies and mites and frequent handling of each bird in the flock are necessary to maintain a watchful eye on the health of my flock.
A few years ago, I lost a third of my chick crop and 1/4 of my layer flock to a respiratory infection brought in by sparrows. Necropsy by a university vet lab on both a live sparrow and a live chicken as well as a dead sparrow and a dead chick gave me test results and a treatment strategy for the entire flock. This included both medicating and upgrading the wire cloth on all pens with young birds.to keep out the wild birds.
Of course, in my opinion, the healthiest flock is one that freeranges and babies raised by hens that freerange...exposed to the ground so they develop natural immunities to germs in their environment.

We worm with Wazine at 2 weeks and every 2 weeks after that. The Corid was used 2 weeks in a 5 gallon waterer. I'm just wondering how often it needs to be used and for what duration. We fed medicated feed last year and had losses. This year we are going the non-medicated route and have slightly more loss but we are also growing out almost 200 chicks vs the 30 or so of last year.

 

[Fancychooklady]

We worm with Wazine at 2 weeks and every 2 weeks after that. The Corid was used 2 weeks in a 5 gallon waterer. I'm just wondering how often it needs to be used and for what duration. We fed medicated feed last year and had losses. This year we are going the non-medicated route and have slightly more loss but we are also growing out almost 200 chicks vs the 30 or so of last year.

There won't be an immunity built up in that period of time and the dosage for prevention is different to the treatment dose.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/coccidiosis/overview_of_coccidiosis_in_poultry.html#v3340210

 

[NanaKat]

 
Are you worming your chicks?  I understand that Georgia may have a higher incidence...at least according to some breeders who have posted on the Heritage thread.  Also, wild birds bring in about 60 varieties of diseases that our flocks respond to sometimes in low numbers and sometimes in greater numbers. 
Mortality in high numbers should have a traceable cause...thus testing is extremely helpful.
Here in my area of Oklahoma, some years are harder than others.  I keep an arsenal of remedies on hand but try to stick to the most simple strategy of  "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".  Medicated feed for chicks, worming on a schedule, spraying the remises with permethrin for flies and mites and frequent handling of each bird in the flock are necessary to maintain a watchful eye on the health of my flock.
A few years ago, I lost a third of my chick crop and 1/4 of my layer flock to a respiratory infection brought in by sparrows.  Necropsy by a university vet lab on both a live sparrow and a live chicken as well as a dead sparrow and a dead chick gave me test results and a treatment strategy for the entire flock.  This included both medicating and upgrading  the wire cloth on all pens with young birds.to keep out the wild birds.
Of course, in my opinion, the healthiest flock is one that freeranges and babies raised by hens that freerange...exposed to the ground so they develop natural immunities to germs in their environment. 

We worm with Wazine at 2 weeks and every 2 weeks after that. The Corid was used 2 weeks in a 5 gallon waterer. I'm just wondering how often it needs to be used and for what duration. We fed medicated feed last year and had losses. This year we are going the non-medicated route and have slightly more loss but we are also growing out almost 200 chicks vs the 30 or so of last year.

We are finding that Corid is not effective on all the strains of coccicidiosis. Sulmet seems more effective on a wider variety with better results.

 

[Fancychooklady]

That's interesting , I was led to believe that there are 9 strains of cocci and that sulmet only treats 3, where as amprolium treats all 9.