Three questions

[First To Hatch]

How much does molting show? some of these birds look really nasty lol like oddly featherless.


Its ok to process birds in molting right?

Anddd opinion question

I have jumbo browns and A&ms the jumbo browns are what I mainly wanted but these birds are the size of a normal pharaoh! But the A&Ms I got for fun are HUGE I can barely hold them in my hand.. what would you guys do process the browns and raise the A&Ms or keep a lil of both or what?

 

[Teach97]

might not be molting might be plucking by roos on the hens...

makes processing easier if you want to leave the skin on...I don't though

if your birds are that small they ain't jumbos...I would stick with bigger birds...get rid of the small ones...eat them first and keep bigger birds around..now if you just like the coloration then get some new stock or try keeping a few and start selecting for size breeding in the larger Fightin' Texas Aggie birds...sorry sometimes I get all excited about my Aggies!!

 

[First To Hatch]

no its not fighting i can guarantee that i havent seen aggression in these birds at all no crowing or eggs this year.

 

[shelleyd2008]

You shouldn't see signs of molting on the birds unless they have some underlying issues.

As for the jumbo vs. A&M thing, I would keep some of both, that way you can get more big A&M and get your 'jumbos' bigger as well.

 

[First To Hatch]

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Like what? I heard not enough protien but they get 20% maybe thats not high enough?

 

[farrier!]

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Like what? I heard not enough protien but they get 20% maybe thats not high enough?

I only feed 24% on the rare occasion I have no way to get anything better.
Otherwise I feed a 30%.
Big difference on how they eat. They act starved if on the 24% too long.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Usually pecking or fighting, or possibly mites. They shouldn't look much different from molting, if at all. I have a coturnix right now that just looks ragged, but I'm thinking it's probably from freaking out all the time. I'm going to move her to a different cage and see if she gets better.

Make sure they are getting plenty of vitamins, that will help them grow their feathers back properly.

 

[fitzy]

put them all on a scale and let us know your results....we'll tell you what to do with them. not trying to be sarcastic...i'm just tipsy!

but seriously, weigh your birds.

 

[saddina]

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Agreed. weight them and track them so you can breed up size as needed.

 

[First To Hatch]

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I don't think its pecking or fighting I watch them alot and haven't seen any aggression. I was thinking mite but why would they go after one cage and not the other?