BarredBuff's Homesteading Shenanigans

[FarmerJamie]

Mine are from welp and in a stock tank, hopefully they will straighten up...........

Be careful of that - if they are stressed or not warm enough, you may lose some due to "piling on". My 35 are in the 4'x8' wooden dumpster/chicken coffin/box I built this year. Plenty of room.

 

[Farmfresh]

Actually I was going to say just the opposite.

At this time of year I try to make sure they are not too hot. I really watch the temps the first few weeks and make sure they have space enough to get away from the heat if they need to. I find the Cornish Rocks are a bit like other fat people... they like it a bit cooler that other folks. Basically they don't regulate heat well and are often too lazy to get up and move somewhere else. :/

 

[lorihadams]

If there's any way you can hang the heat lamp in the dead center of the tank so they can move to the outer edges to get out of the heat then that is better. I have lost some to piling issues but as soon as I moved the lamp higher up in the center they did better.

Some just aren't gonna make it. We lost 4 or 5 out of 62 last year....it happens. They aren't bred for longevity ya know....

I don't feed mine 24-7 either. Sometimes the ones that camp out at the feeder seem to be worse in my opinion. I also put my food on one end and my water on the other so they are forced to get up and walk from one to the other. Seems like the more active you can make them the better off they do.

 

[Farmfresh]

Seems like the more active you can make them the better off they do.

 

[BarredBuff]

Lost another this morning. Feed is being rotated and light is dead center...........

 

[Farmfresh]

How many do you have? Did they have a bad trip in shipping??

I usually only lose one or two (in an order of 30) and sometimes raise them all.

Do you have a thermometer at chick level? Maybe two... one under the light and one at the edge.

 

[BarredBuff]

I ordered 25 and got 26. It took four days for them to arrive then I dont have a thermometer I let them let me know. They seem content. I havent checked them yet...........

 

[Farmfresh]

Shipping trauma may be a large part of the problem. Did they deliver to your house?

It usually only takes 24 to 48 hours for me to get my chicks. I have them call me at the post office when they arrive and I am usually there picking them up at 4:00 am right after the 3:00 am truck leaves the post office. I pick them up at the Special Shipping door. That way I can race them home.

I usually take each one and give them a drink of sugar water. I make sure they are drinking good. Then I put them into the brooder. I use paper plates around the feeder the first 12 - 24 hours to make sure they are eating good. After that I start slowly raising the hanging feeder and hanging water fountain until it is a proper height and everyone is using it well. I think hanging feeders are especially important with the meaties, first because they are so messy and second because they are so lazy. At least with a hanging feeder they HAVE to stand up to eat.

You really need those thermometers.

Glad you haven't lost more today.

 

[lorihadams]

Have you got a pack of electrolytes? Give them one gallon of water with the packet in it and that may perk them up if there were shipping issues. Out of 30 I usually lose 2-3 and most in the first few days...after that they usually do better. If you lose more than 5 out of 26 I would call Welp and see if they will send you some replacements since the shipping took so long.

 

[Wifezilla]

A glug of acv in the water might not be a bad idea either.