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Offline crw13755

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more baby chicks
« Reply #40 on: May 16, 2005, 03:47:35 pm »
:lol: I just went to the garage cause I heard one of the chicks sounding louder than the rest and it was so cute LOLL 3 of my cats had kittens and they all stay pretty much together in an area one of the chicks got out and was over at one of the moma cats with the kittens nestled up with the mother cat  :lol:

Offline Miss Chick-a-BEE

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« Reply #41 on: May 16, 2005, 05:56:12 pm »
That is sweet. :) Glad it turned out as it did. LOL Could have been more like - "look mama, a snack!".

What kind of chicks did you get? Also...... if you don't mind telling me.... where did you order from, was it a good price, and do the chicks look good and healthy? Not happy with my last order from McMurrey. I plan to start learning about some other hatcheries and see who's good.

A friend of mine is getting herself a BUNCH of chicks this week and next. Plus she's ordering more in a couple more weeks. But either tomorrow or the next day she should have around 25 bantams, various breeds. Then next Monday or so her top hats will come - various breeds again. After that she's ordering a bunch of large crochins. On her next order I plan to get a few more chicks too - so I don't have to order another 25 just to get what I need. The 4 cornish roosters I ordered turned out to be 1 rooster and 3 hens. I HAVE to have atleast 2 roosters, and I think I'd like to have a couple more partridge rock hens. To be honest.... I'd like to have TONS more chickens, all sorts of breeds. But what I want and what I get are two different things. :)

Beth

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #42 on: May 16, 2005, 06:57:05 pm »
broadbreasted Cornish X Rocks & the Pearl-White Leghorn  but I got them fom (covering mouth) Mcfluby is Hattheryishtisk (uncoverung mouth) I was wanting to look around and see soforth but I went with them once and was pleased very much so I did it again as well  :)  s right now I am going to take it easy on more for now and just go with what I have and see what happens from here. I know what you mean though they are fun to watch scoot across the yard and the little fatties waddle around as well LOL I would like to start selling them like for the meat and eggs I still have not found a processor here yet to do it, I got some good plans from the store for coops for ideas so as soon as the rain stops long enough we had a nice day yesterday and some today but rained last night and suppose to today as well. but for your question on the amount I paid 168.03 for the chicks and for the weeder geese plus the quick chick and the coop plans are all together little high for me but worth it I say

Offline Miss Chick-a-BEE

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« Reply #43 on: May 17, 2005, 08:59:31 am »
Now how am I suppose to know exactly what hatchery that is if you cover your mouth? LOL

By the way, did get a quick reply from McMurrey about my complaint on the order. They're probably going to give me a credit of some sort for the mess up. They'd already credited me for the chicks that were shorted, but maybe they plan to give me some credit for the fact that three of the roosters I ordered are hens. That's only like $3, but it would be a nice thing for them to do anyway. If so, it'll get used up by ordering some cornish x rocks like you got, or maybe some ducks, later this summer.

I only have one more of my cornish x rocks left to put to the freezer. The last hens got up to 11 pounds at 11 weeks. This guy is bigger, so he's gotta weigh atleast 12 pounds. I was very slow at getting the job done, but to help keep the food cost down I have let all the chickens free range during the day. I just tie up the dog, open the door, and they stay within 15 feet of the coop. When I need to get them in, I just walk a little bit around them, and they all go running into the coop.

Here's a few pics......

Partridge Rock Hen - 3 months old


Americana Hen - 3 months old


Cornish x Rock Rooster - 3 months old (next to Partridge Rock rooster)


Beth

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #44 on: May 17, 2005, 10:47:45 pm »
OK I a having a problem Beth since last night at 1 a.m. the birds have been dying....doing good for a while then they start to close their eyes and then like a seizure throw their heads back and pass away they are eating good drinking running around then suddenly dead sofar since 1 a.m. all the way to now 8:47 p.m. 10 have died

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #45 on: May 17, 2005, 10:50:18 pm »
I was told to give them some sugar water so I just did that hope that helps  :cry:

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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« Reply #46 on: May 17, 2005, 10:53:35 pm »
My cat is a big tom cat that kills everything. The funny thing is he was affraid of my chicks for some reason. :D
Ryan Horn

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #47 on: May 17, 2005, 10:55:15 pm »
that is the thing the animals here coexsist very well so it isnt the cats

Offline Horns Pure Honey

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« Reply #48 on: May 17, 2005, 10:58:23 pm »
I have had a few chickens die like that but never that many that fast, mine happened like 3 over 2 years. I have never heard of something that cuases that and I know alot about chickens. When I had it I burnt the dead chickens affraid of deseases.
Ryan Horn

Offline Miss Chick-a-BEE

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« Reply #49 on: May 18, 2005, 08:34:31 am »
Oh no. Hate hearing that. You started giving the sugar water AFTER some started dieing, right? So it wouldn't be the sugar water, right (as in too strong or something)?

Did you dip their beaks in the water when they arrived? To be sure they knew where the water was?

Do they have proper heat? Not too hot or too cold?

What feed have you given them? Or is there anything in the box/pen with them that they might have eaten (such as saw dust for bedding)?

Without more details, I can't even really guess what caused it. Tell me exactly your set-up, and we'll see if we can figure this out.

Beth

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #50 on: May 18, 2005, 09:39:32 am »
yes I showed them the reg water when they got here, they are in a warm dry place in my garage that stays comfy for them and close for me to watch as well, the sugar water was after they started not too much, the box they came in had the tiny straw the mcmurry used last time not sand , I had got them the same thing I got the last batch wen they were young of chick food, oats , corn, quick chik vits, so nothing different than the last batch I raised and this a.m. I got up to see on them another is dead also. I dont have pesticides I am using outside or in. I just dont know what is wrong

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #51 on: May 18, 2005, 10:32:59 am »
well I talked to M.H. just now (8:31 a.m. ) and they are going to replace the whole order for me cause of the problem and that I had them insured so I should be getting them here soon but still worried about the ones I have now I hate it they are passing away so fast  :cry:

Violacea

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« Reply #52 on: May 18, 2005, 01:01:10 pm »
I always add Apple Cider Vinegar to my chick’s water (1 TBS for every gallon) for the first two weeks, and then after if I suspect a disease, or combine two groups.  It REALLY boosts their immune system.  I have had quite a few pull through sickness by useing it.

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #53 on: May 18, 2005, 01:38:33 pm »
thanks I will try that as well sofar since I posted 3 more has dropped on me I wish they would pull through this

Offline Miss Chick-a-BEE

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« Reply #54 on: May 18, 2005, 02:33:06 pm »
Yeah, the apple cider vinegar is a good idea.

I'm not sure what's doing this. Are they pooping? I wouldn't recomend the corn and oats at this age, but you did say you've used it before. I always felt that would stop them up when they're so little.

But I do stuff other people don't. I didn't give any of my chicks grit, and they didn't have access to dirt until they were 2 months old. One batch is only 6 weeks, so they haven't had dirt yet. But none have died, out of 46 chicks, and some people might think I took a risk or something.

Are they huddled together? Or spread out and panting?

You've had chicks before, so I'm guessing you know what to watch for on stuff. I'm baffled.

It's great that McMurray is sending you more. I'd suggest not putting them in the same spot, just incase it was something in the garage or outside air. Who knows. Maybe someone near you sprayed pesticides and it blew in. ????  And I wouldn't put the new ones with this batch (if any survive), until you are sure the first batch is ok.

Wish we could figure it out. But maybe it was something completely out of your control....... severe heat while traveling? chemicals at the post office? or could the food you bought be bad in some way - spoiled? Without knowing what caused it, you might want to start fresh...... new bag of food, different location, and just double check you've got all the conditions good for water/heat/food. This just doesn't happen often though. Chicks are fairly tough, and can handle variations from absolute perfection. I raised mine in an outside brooder, with a 100 watt bulb, sugar water for only a couple days, no grit, 30% protein medicated game bird feed (added cracked corn after 4 weeks), on newpaper - dipped the beaks and sprinkled the food. That's about it. Other people have variations, and some say never do this or that (some of the things I did).

Beth

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #55 on: May 18, 2005, 03:11:36 pm »
sofar out of 54 I have 30 left they are staying together , my first batch I got of 25 are still alive and fat as pigs LOL doing great no problems with them at all and those are the very first I ever had I never had chickens before, I have clean hay for them in , no pesticides I asked the farmers here around me and boweviels hadnt beensprayed for yet where they are not going to around here cause of the bees , they are eating very well they ate all the corn last night and the eggs this a.m. plus have been eating the chick food I bought and drinking water. It is very confusing my neighbor checked and my grandmother has too no parasites on them either. They just do their thing and look healthy then suddenly they close thier eyes and throw their little heads back and then die

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #56 on: May 18, 2005, 03:13:39 pm »
so yes to they eat real good and yes to pooping

Offline Miss Chick-a-BEE

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« Reply #57 on: May 18, 2005, 06:46:38 pm »
Still confused as to what happened with the chicks. But if you go by the basics of how to raise chicks, you should do fine.

1) warmth - about 95 degrees at first, dropping it by 5 degrees each week until you reach about 75 degrees - heat usually offered by a light that is 12-18 inches above them
2) water - clean, either plain or can have a little sugar and/or cider vinegar - in a container that they can not get into and stand in
3) food - easiest is to buy standard "medicated chick starter" - some things you might feel drawn to feed them can be too hard to digest or rot in their crop (sort of part of the throat), atleast until they're older - I personally would avoid the corn and oats for now, but I'd say some scrambled (or boiled) eggs is fine and they probably love it (it's the best food to feed small peacocks), and food like apple sauce or baby food fruits is probably ok if you want to give them a sweet treat
4) bedding - newspaper is usually what you start with - but avoid stuff they might eat until they're older, like sawdust - if it fits in the mouth, they'll try it - and best to avoid stuff that's hard to stand on till older (hay, ceder chips)
5) grit - bought at feed stores - I feel it's optional, but apparently it helps them digest their food - it is inexpensive
Watch for "piling" or "huddling", these are signs of being too cold. They'll also cheep alot if they're cold. Watch for panting and the wings all spread out - that means they're too hot. Watch for "pasty butt" (yuck), and clean it off when you see it with a warm wash cloth. Normal poopies :) are light brown with white, and semi firm. (sorry to those out there with a weak stomach)

That's all I can think of for basics. They shouldn't have parasites just coming from a hatchery, but intestinal worms might be possible. There are other illnesses they can get, but surely McMurray is very careful at the hatchery, with cleanliness and all, where most of that would be avoided.

Beth

Offline crw13755

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« Reply #58 on: May 18, 2005, 07:59:46 pm »
well sofar since my last post feeding them sugar water, boiled eggs, apple vinegar and just watching them and feeding the sick ones that go down water and the other things advised to me LOL they are doing ok now running around and following me when I walk so hopefully the rest will be fine woo woo lets hope  :lol:

Offline Miss Chick-a-BEE

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« Reply #59 on: May 18, 2005, 08:05:25 pm »
GOOD! I'm glad it seems to have stopped. It can be so disappointing when stuff like that happens.

Take care, and enjoy the little ones.

Beth

 

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