Edit: This post is primarily about my *freedom rangers*, not cornish cross birds. Just in case it wasn't clear below...
Not sure where else these go...
1) Last night, I noted that the waterers were low but most likely enough to take them through to morning. I was very tired and figured I'd fill them in the morning. This is important to mention because there was no surplus water.
The chicks are in a brooding area in an unheated room with many windows, none of which are open. It has heat lamps, of course, but they're not overheated. And it was raining last night, which is important because it tells the humidity level.
When I went to look at them this morning, they were out of water (as expected) but almost every single bird was damp. They looked as if they'd been in the rain or been in the bath.
What on earth could have caused it?
2) I don't always have time to wash my hands thoroughly after handling the birds, so I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer. Will this kill anything they might be carrying or do I have to scrub my hands every single time I touch the birds? I have small children to think about.
3) I've got two month old layers, 99 10 day old broilers and two scovies (as big as all of the rest of them together). I am starting off with one cleaned out stall in the barn and a small run and expanding as time allows, but in the meantime, what's the best way to integrate the flock? The broilers don't like the layers, it seems, and I'm afraid of the ducks accidentally hurting the chicks!
Not sure where else these go...
1) Last night, I noted that the waterers were low but most likely enough to take them through to morning. I was very tired and figured I'd fill them in the morning. This is important to mention because there was no surplus water.
The chicks are in a brooding area in an unheated room with many windows, none of which are open. It has heat lamps, of course, but they're not overheated. And it was raining last night, which is important because it tells the humidity level.
When I went to look at them this morning, they were out of water (as expected) but almost every single bird was damp. They looked as if they'd been in the rain or been in the bath.
What on earth could have caused it?
2) I don't always have time to wash my hands thoroughly after handling the birds, so I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer. Will this kill anything they might be carrying or do I have to scrub my hands every single time I touch the birds? I have small children to think about.
3) I've got two month old layers, 99 10 day old broilers and two scovies (as big as all of the rest of them together). I am starting off with one cleaned out stall in the barn and a small run and expanding as time allows, but in the meantime, what's the best way to integrate the flock? The broilers don't like the layers, it seems, and I'm afraid of the ducks accidentally hurting the chicks!
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