Fri, 18th April 2008
Another Wet, Windy and Cold Week!
Well, here we are, another week in the life of my chooks! The meat chicks are now 5 weeks old, and are weighing in at approimately, 1.3kgs to 1.5kgs! When I went in the henhouse to feed them yesterday, one was being pecked a bit, but she just sat on the floor, then another chick almost sat on her head, but she didn't move, she just sat there panting for air! So I picked her up and set her down in a space on her own and she can't walk very well. I thought at first that she had maybe broken her toe, but after closer examination, it looks like she had either broken what would be her knee joint, or had a bit of splayed leg and it has set so that her foot is turned sideways.
I hadn't noticed it before, as she must have been hidden by the others crowding round whenever I'm in the house with them. She is in a big box on her own now so that the others don't pick on her being weaker than them, but now she's alone, she is eating well and drinking, and hobbling around on her own. I thought she would have to be culled, but she seems fine. I don't think she's in pain, she just can't walk very well.
But they are all doing well!
JA 757at 5 weeks.
Coloryield at 5 weeks
Mastergris at 5 weeks old
You can see them all filling out, but at least they are getting plenty of exercise, although hubby hasn't rotavated the outside run yet, so they are still indoors, but its lovely and light and airy in there for them. I cleaned them out today. they didn't like me cleaning out, but they loved it when the fresh shavings went down, dustbathing and eating like they hadn't been fed for a fortnight, when I'd only had the feeders raised for about half an hour! Then that was all too much for them, so they laid down and had a siesta!!!!
Well, I tried to weigh the Babcocks, but I can't find the small scales I used for the amberlinks, so I assumed the Babcock's were about 40gms hatched weight, although they looked much smaller, and I keep forgetting to ask the hatchery. However, when I weighed them on my kitchen scales, the needle hardly moved, so I put 3 chicks on the scales and they weighed 125 gms, so average of 41.6 gms. which means they must have been a lot smaller than 40gms because they haven't stopped eating since we brought them home. I'm wondering if they were all underweight, as when I called the hatchery they said they didn't have any to spare for nearly 2 weeks, then suddenly they could let me have 125!
I'm not saying anything against that, as Its my gain, I got 125 chicks!!!! Well, 124. there was a dead one the next morning, but it must have been a weak one, as all the others are doing fine! At the moment, I have orders for about 60 of them! Then in June, we have 250 Amerlinks on order, so got to get moving with another shed, or we won't have anywhere to put them all!!!!!
Here are some pics of the Babcock's at One Week old!
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Filed under My Chook Diary by grannieannie
Comments on Another Wet, Windy and Cold Week! »
Could have been that the Babcocks were from a young parent flock Annie so the hatchery might have set them expecting fertility to still be low and suddenly got more chicks than they expected.You always set allowing for your lowest possible percentage just in case and with new flocks its a bit of an educated guess for the first 3 weeks. That would also account for the low chickweight as an immature flock would produce small eggs hence small chicks.
Hi Poulet!!
Thanks for that, it explains a lot! Mind you, although Brian says they still look small, when I weighed them last week, they weighed on average 105 gms each, and from a hatch weight of less than 40 gms, I think that's good! I only lost one the first night too, so doing well, except that they've started feather pecking, tails mostly! They are not too warm, nor too cold, have plenty of room, lots of water and lots of food, and hanging CD's for distraction. I've put purple spray on, and vaselne and liquid paraffin, but they still do it!
Any ideas Poulet??? As usual, your wealth of knowledge is gratefully recieved!
I use PBH aerosol spray, Oleum Animale Crudum it says on the label. Suitable for pigs and poultry it is a brown spray which STINKS. You just spray the area you want the others to keep away from, taking care not to spray yourself as it is hard to wash the smell off your hands. Available from Bowden & Knights Livestock Services 01953 851799 Hingham Norfolk or AFS Animalcare Thetford Norfolk 01842 765634
It could be that it is too light in there. Most pullets are lit up at feeding time then the lights are dimmed to stop them pecking each other.Could be too much light stimulation in there. Suggest dimmer bulbs might be the answer, or if there are chinks of daylight coming in which they are pecking at wherever they shine, if these shone on a bird that could have started the pecking process which has now become habitual.
Thanks again Poulet! All our chickens have their feed available at all times, so there isn't a 'feed time' as such, and our sheds do have windows in. I do paint these over to darken the sheds somewhat, but as I'm only a small rearer, I don't have lights on in there, only when the chicks are very young and they have their infra reds on. At the moment, they have the daylight hours and when it gets dark, they are in the dark. I use dull emitter bulbs to make sure they are warm enough.
And I've contacted both the companies you mentioned re the PBH tonight by email, so I'll wait for their pricing info and then try it out.
Any idear wear i can get some P.B.H.spray.Im in devon
Thanks
Lister.
No sorry Lister, I don't, try searching the internet like me. I may try to get some as they are all at it again!!
Sorry I haven't answered this before, but I've only just got a notification that you'd put a comment on here.