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Post by cornishwoman on Mar 10, 2010 17:08:21 GMT -5
Well I have never used mash for my chicks ,I feed crumbles,mash is a little messy to me and a bit waste full for my pocket,bet your brood will eat crumbles now.Also I don't leave a pile of food in front of them,I feed several times a day and let them finish up a meal at a time ,chicks are greedy ,over feeding and they may develop leg problems as they tend to grow to fast for their bones.One thing I do is I add some apple cider vinegar to all water containers,just a little,say if you have a gallon water feeder just a tablespoon will do,now I know your going to ask me why,all I can say is my grandad did this and he never had a sick bird,it may be some thing to do with bird mites I don't remember,and he only used straight vinegar I just use the apple cider sort as its always in the larder.
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Post by cornishwoman on Mar 10, 2010 17:14:36 GMT -5
Almost forgot,6 weeks is when chicks can go on grower,the ones that are going for the table I feed up on game bird starter ,or turkey starter.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 11, 2010 10:14:23 GMT -5
Your grandad used white vinegar rather than cider? I certainly don't mind putting a touch of vinegar to the water. Sometimes we have white, sometimes we have cider. I usually buy a couple gallons at a time. I use a lot of vinegar. The only thing more important than vinegar is probably toilet paper...
I'll start the vinegar regime today!
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Post by cornishwoman on Mar 15, 2010 8:30:10 GMT -5
How are the chicks doing.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 15, 2010 8:38:34 GMT -5
AH! I forgot the vinegar!!! I'm so glad you asked! They are all doing fine and dandy now. I was just watching them in the coop and one of the Barred Rock has a full crest now (short, but it's all across the top of it's wee head), and as a consequence, has a decidedly more mature "chickenish" appearance.
Earlier in the week we acquired 3 more Amerucaunas and 4 more Buff Orpingtons. We have them in a large plastic storage tub. MUCH easier to clean and care for than 25 in a garden tub! I'm glad that part of start up is past us! Now we are debating if we should acquire a few laying hens... Expensive to do that though. So maybe it's best to wait?
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 17, 2010 10:49:48 GMT -5
I just realized, the first set of chicks aren't quite 3 weeks old yet? I was thinking it's been at least 4 weeks... ::sigh::
ANYway... how old before ignorant people can tell between girls and boys? Some of them have the start of a comb now. I'm also noticing that some have a 4th "toe". Some of the 4th toes are positioned sorta like thumbs and some are going straight back. Robby reported that there are "fluff balls" under the chins of some of the chicks. I didn't notice that, but then I don't touch them. I figure they are getting held plenty enough buy the kids...
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Post by cornishwoman on Mar 17, 2010 14:17:09 GMT -5
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 17, 2010 15:30:28 GMT -5
Well I'll be darned! That's absolutely amazing! Thanks for finding that for me Kate. That will be a big help with the babies for sure. At least I'm willing to touch them... kinda...  |
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Post by ozarklady on Mar 17, 2010 16:54:07 GMT -5
The Christmas chicks have been free for a couple weeks now, they seem quite happy, they all seem to hang out together, but mama abandoned them, after just a few hours. So much for the idea of her teaching them!
Seems we got lucky and 5/6 are hens. They are running all over the yard. But the important thing is... they survived, being born into a cold hostile winter season.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 18, 2010 5:42:50 GMT -5
We are gonna try for a few more Amerucauna... maybe this weekend... I'll use the feather indicator when we do.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 18, 2010 9:32:21 GMT -5
Cock spurs... To trim or not to trim. This is the question. Whether it is kinder to the hen to prevent the injury of natural male savagery or to deny vigilance and allow nature her course.
Eh, Shakespearean poultry?
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Post by johno on May 17, 2010 19:00:00 GMT -5
I finally got some pullets today! 1 Black Astralorp, 1 New Hampshire Red, 2 Ameraucanas, 2 Cuckoo Morans, 1 California White, 1 Barred Plymouth Rock, and 1 Red Sex Link. Most of them were a few weeks old, so they were discounted. Fine by me.  |
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Post by atash on May 17, 2010 23:58:36 GMT -5
Have fun with them. My kids like your picks. |
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Post by grunt on May 18, 2010 1:26:45 GMT -5
Telsing: do the words "rubber chicken" strike a chord?
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Post by johno on May 21, 2010 11:54:25 GMT -5
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