Baby Chicks in Panama (pics added)

[RedFlirt]

Hi there.

I am currently living in Panama. Three weeks ago I found the local feed store and the baby chicks. I bought some. I am now being told that the chickens at the feed store are not egg layers and that if I want them to lay eggs I have to get a "special rooster" and feed them corn! What the heck? I am not sure what "kind" they are, but I do have a few nekkid necks.

I am totally confused with this country and its chickens.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I will try to post pics.

Thanks!

These are some of the little ones I bought yesterday.......

These kids I have had about a month........

Hope I did this right! ha

 

[cabincrazyone]

Sound to me like you know more about chickens than the fools at the feed store.

 

[Pg_noobs]

HI Im new to this site. Haha thats funnie I never heard of that before but goodluck on figurin it out =]

 

[catdaddy66]

Cabincrazyone is right on!! Really... special roosters?? Really? ALL birds lay eggs with or without the males, and males are needed only to fertilize eggs (make baby birds). Some birds are better egg layers than others so you will want to know the breed. The naked necks (turkens) are pretty good at laying brown eggs and NO rooster is needed.

The chicks need starter feed (higher protein levels of 20-24%) until at least6-8 weeks old, though you can continue to feed them starter for much longer without difficulty. Corn is a type of feed called scratch and is best used sparingly as a treat only, as it is not nutritious enough to be used regularly.

Please read this websites forum and learning center for good basic and accurate info. The info at your feed store is only good for one thing...making you spend more money on useless items.

 

[cabincrazyone]

Quote:
Yup. that's what I was thinking.

 

[RedFlirt]

Thanks ya'll for confirming I had not lost my mind! The worst of the information was coming from the locals here. I speak very little spanish, so cant communicate much with the guys at the feed store. One did say they were only for meat.

While this is the first time I have had chickens, I am far from a city girl. I have been reading your site for almost 2 years. I knew when we decided on this move, I was going to have chickens here. The Panamanians have a whole different way of doing it!

My first group is healthy and happy. I did buy 12 more today, despite what I was told. I am looking forward to the eggs in a few months.

Not sure why they think the corn is the key to eggs, but I will follow what my friends and family in Texas does and what I learn here.

Soon as I figure out how to post the pics on this site, I will.

Thanks!

 

[catdaddy66]

I was so discombobulated by your post that I neglected to do my necessary duties...

 

[awesomefowl]

Can we see some photos?

 

[RedFlirt]

I will be happy to post pics, when I figure out how on this site. Suggestions? Maybe I am too tired...............

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I'm sorry to tell you if they said they were for meat than you probably have some type of cornish. They have a voratious appitite and are designed to get big fast and are used for the meat. They don't live to long afterwords because they continue to gain weight and internal fat which eventually causes them to die. But not knowing exactly what breed they are its hard to tell. If you want a egglayer you can't beat a Leghorn.