Recent content by JeffandLori

I may have to try that. They are going out tomorrow and right now if I clean out the 6x6 brooder and put a fresh bale of shavings in, in two days it's junk. This last week or so the poop production has really kicked in as they passed the 3lb average weight mark. Sheesh....

Thanks all. I just checked the weather and it looks like there is a bunch of rain coming. So I'll wait a couple of days. I had just put all fresh bedding in yesterday morning. If you look at the top picture there is a partition with six ISA browns on the other side. I put together a second...

The tractor looks like the attached and last time I covered it with a tarp that went to the ground on three sides at night. Side note: do these still require chick grit or now that they are over 2lbs can I switch them to regular?

I have 34 Cornish Cross that are 4 1/2 weeks old. They are out growing the brooder, but I don’t know if I need to expand the brooder or move them to the tractor. I can still put a lamp on them while in the tractor if necessary as it will be close enough to the house. For the next week...

In the interest of not having to dig a hole in the dark, I went ahead and buried him now. I did take a picture of the goo coming out of his backside. It looks like "vent gleet". I'm not sure if cockerels can get that or if it's possible he just had some sort of fungal infection. If you zoom in...

I am feeding them Nutrena Meatbird feed from TSC. 22% protein. I am trying to keep the brooder temp at about 75. There's enough space they can get away from the "hot spot" of the lamp which is above 80 during the day, but the lamp is high enough they can all get under the beam if necessary. It's...

@Lacy Duckwing Thank you for the reply. I just cleaned the brooder yesterday and while I tried to be slow about it, there certainly was stress. Maybe a bit more than last time because they are bigger. I have about .75 sqft per chick. I did try to give it some sugar water- 1/2 teaspoon to...

Just went to check on him again and he died in the last hour or so. Now the question is: Is there anything to learn from cutting him open? If he was diseased, I don’t want it getting to the rest of them. Thx And yeah, makes me sad even though in about a month he was going to be processed. My...

Thx. Yeah, everyone seems to get along. Every so often someone will flap up, “I’m a DINOSAUR!" and then someone else will chest bump him and yell "I'M A DINOSAUR!" an that'll go on for about 5 seconds and then they just go on their way. I'll plan to clean it out and replace bedding. I hope they...

Well, we're coming up on about four weeks on Wednesday and no further signs of the no-seeums. It quit a couple days after I started the thread. I am going to chalk it up to: They had some sort of tiny bug on them and it ran its course. For whatever reason, I had an allergic reaction to the...

Thx. I checked about 10 of them and didn't see anything on their skin or any signs of distress. I did see some very small black specs on a few of them, but not at the base of the down, more on the edges and it didn't move, so I'm guessing dirt. I took photos and zoomed in and it appears like...

Sounds like the consensus is it's odd for it to be caused by the chicks and look for another source. Thx!

Not any more than normal. It's been pretty dry the last couple of months. This is all on a screened in back porch. We haven't had issues with them before. Kind of odd.

We just got a shipment of baby chicks in today. I set the brooder- 6' x 6' x 2' plywood box up on the back patio on Sunday. Put the bedding in Monday. Heat lamps went on Wednesday morning to check temp. Today we put 56 baby chicks in there and every time I go out, I get bit by no seeums...

Well, due to some other events, I was unable to get the feed picked up on Friday. Earliest I could have done it would have been about 5:00 PM and that seemed to be cutting it close, so "Roger" lives on. He seems to be more subdued today. That could have to do with there's no other roosters for...