What am I doing wrong?

[Acre of Blessings]

My questions about our broilers that we have.

Could it have been the heat yesterday? It was 86* here. Or are they all gonna get sick? Could I be feeding them to much?

I am starting to feel overwhelmed here. I went out this morning at 6 am to give fresh water to our 2 week old broilers and what do I see? a little red here and a little red there. On the ground, not the chick. No, I don't know which one of the 67 that it is. What is going on? I don't understand it. I am doing everything I was told to do and now I have a feeling that all this hard work will wind up being in vain.

I want to supply healthy food to my family but I can't if this keeps happening. What do I do? It is suppose to be close to 90* here today. Will this cause more of this. They have had feed round the clock. Am I wrong at doing this? The hatchery said this is how to feed them for the first 4 weeks. Should I take the feed away at night or no?

I sure hope someone can give me a definate answer on what I have to do.

 

[ODS-n-ENS FARM]

I used Welps guide http://www.welphatchery.com/cornish_rock_care.asp I only fed around clock for first 5 days then went to 12hrs on 12hrs off food. Water 24/7. They consume alot of water. Also the do not like the heat. My summer batch had a fan going on them. They do show "heat stress" much quicker than my layers. Not sure what else to tell you other than moniter food, keep fresh water available and try to keep them cool. sorry

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
A little red what? Poop? Blood?

I allow free feeding around the clock for about 1.5 - 2 weeks. After that they get fed 12 hours on and 12 hours off and tons of fresh water 24/7.

You need to be precise and much more clear about what you are experiencing.

What kind of birds are you raising? Where did they come from?

 

[Acre of Blessings]

I am assuming that it is blood in the poop MissPrissy. They are broiler chickens (CornishX) We got them from Meyer hatchery. They were hatched on Oct. 1st and we received them on Oct. 5th.

I had one last week that had blood in the poo but I separated it form the others at first sight and changed the bedding immediately. This one passed away. Now it looks as if there is another in the batch,somewhere, but I am not sure if it is cocci. It was 86* here yesterday and will be close to 90* today.

Could this be cocci? Could it be from the heat? If cocci, what do I do? For the heat, they have shade and fresh water up to 8 times a day (according to how hot it is). I can run a fan but not sure if it will help.

 

[ODS-n-ENS FARM]

Do you have them on medicated starter?

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Quote:
No, they are meat chickens and I don't think they have a medicated broiler feed.

 

[MissPrissy]

What are you feeding them?

Here is the thing - You can feed them medicated feed in the beginning for cocci. I do not. I would rather have the birds develop a strong healthy immune system on their own. If some don't make it that is the way of nature, survival of the fittest. I also do not want to eat meat that has been medicated. Sure, they say it is fine but that flies in the face of what I am trying to do - raise meat naturally without medications of any type. Maybe not what the gov't classifies as organic as I am not feeding organic feeds - can't find much of anything around here in chick feed organic - but what I consider to be better than organic.

You can add sulmet to their water if you think it is cocci. I would not. For all the reasons cited above.

Is there anything they could have eaten - bedding, woodshavings that could have caused an internal problem that would produce blood? Not every sign of blood is a disease.

 

[ODS-n-ENS FARM]

Mine get started on a Blue Seal Broiler Crumbles™–AM Plus
A highly efficient broiler ration, high in both fat and energy. Amprol

Plus offers the benefits of two different medications (amprolium and ethopabate) in a broiler feeding program designed to prevent the onset of coccidiosis. Feed from hatching to finish.

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Quote:
This is exactly how I feel, MissPrissy.

I have straw for their bedding and sawdust as a underlayment. Where can I get the Sulmet at and what is the average price?

 

[MissPrissy]

Check your feed store. Make sure it is the sulmet that can be used with poultry.