Broody Plucking Chicks

[Perris]

No, that's fine. I'm thinking this is related to the protein levels in the grain change more than digestion. Thank you anyway.

that would be my guess too. What grains are they?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I think feed is an issue for the birds. Can you get an all flock or flock raiser at your feed store? Layer feed at 8 weeks of age is a LOT of calcium for babes. It's hard on the kidneys. They shouldn't be started on layer until around 16 to 18 weeks, or closer to lay for later maturing birds.

It's hard for me to tell size in photos, but for just the 8 week olds, the run looks fine. Coop is fine too. Moving from dark to light is fine. (It's only artificial lighting in coop houses 24 x 7 that causes picking problems).

The run likely will get a bit small when they are fully grown. I think the desired dimension is 10 sq feet per bird in run, so do the math for that.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

...and you know, now that I think about it, you can MIX feeds. When I want more protein than the layer 16% but more calcium than the flock raiser 18%, I will mix the two bags in the holding barrel (a clean metal garbage can).

I also highly recommend putting all feed in a metal container. I've had rats/mice chew through all bags and plastic bins. I only keep them out with metal. It's literally a crying shame when you lose feed to rodents at the price of feed today.

LofMc

 

[Mrs. K]

If you put your hen back into the laying flock, take the pin less peepers off of her. She will have to figure out the pecking order if she has been kept away from the layers.

Do you have roost in the coop for the chicks? My hen always takes her chicks up to roost by 3-4 weeks. They tend to crowd around her, but when she is roosting she can't keep all of them under her.

You do have some clutter in the run, personally I like quite a bit more. However, I realize that they will be getting out if you add too much.

That is enough space for the chicks now, but rapidly that is not going to be enough space soon as in a month or so.

A lot of people worry about the feed, but unless they are on starvation rations, birds tend to eat enough for their needs. As long as they are getting feed daily, I would not worry about that.

I think it is the hen needs to move out of there. As for clucking to them, that is because that is her only companions. So she talks to them like chicks.

Is there a possibility that the aggressive chick is a cockerel. How many other birds do you have?

Mrs K

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

that would be my guess too. What grains are they?

See my first post on this thread.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I think feed is an issue for the birds. Can you get an all flock or flock raiser at your feed store? Layer feed at 8 weeks of age is a LOT of calcium for babes. It's hard on the kidneys. They shouldn't be started on layer until around 16 to 18 weeks, or closer to lay for later maturing birds.

It's hard for me to tell size in photos, but for just the 8 week olds, the run looks fine. Coop is fine too. Moving from dark to light is fine. (It's only artificial lighting in coop houses 24 x 7 that causes picking problems).

The run likely will get a bit small when they are fully grown. I think the desired dimension is 10 sq feet per bird in run, so do the math for that.

LofMc

No, I don't. This is what my feed store carries, and if they don't have it in stock, they can get it: https://www.poulingrain.com/products?a=poultry&species=55
I don't give them Layer until I'm preparing them to move in with the flock.

...and you know, now that I think about it, you can MIX feeds. When I want more protein than the layer 16% but more calcium than the flock raiser 18%, I will mix the two bags in the holding barrel (a clean metal garbage can).

I also highly recommend putting all feed in a metal container. I've had rats/mice chew through all bags and plastic bins. I only keep them out with metal. It's literally a crying shame when you lose feed to rodents at the price of feed today.

LofMc

Ok. So given the percentages I've said, how much should I mix? I don't want to put the Layer pellets right in the Grower/Finisher, but I can if I have to. For mixing, I often mix feeds in their 10 or 12 pound feeder (I can't remember the exact weight anymore). How much should I put in of each?

I have the Grower/Finisher feed in a thick plastic tote that I had bought for my RC Car for travel. The feed wasn't crumbles like it was supposed to be, so I had to gind it all down, so it got put in that when I finished. I killed off the mice that got into the Starter feed once I discovered them and blocked off the entrance they were coming in. Then I got stray cats around the outside. So far, I haven't seen anymore signs of them since they ruined the Starter feed, so hopefully I'm good there. I unfortuntly don't have anything metal to put the grain in.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

If you put your hen back into the laying flock, take the pin less peepers off of her. She will have to figure out the pecking order if she has been kept away from the layers.

Do you have roost in the coop for the chicks? My hen always takes her chicks up to roost by 3-4 weeks. They tend to crowd around her, but when she is roosting she can't keep all of them under her.

You do have some clutter in the run, personally I like quite a bit more. However, I realize that they will be getting out if you add too much.

That is enough space for the chicks now, but rapidly that is not going to be enough space soon as in a month or so.

A lot of people worry about the feed, but unless they are on starvation rations, birds tend to eat enough for their needs. As long as they are getting feed daily, I would not worry about that.

I think it is the hen needs to move out of there. As for clucking to them, that is because that is her only companions. So she talks to them like chicks.

Is there a possibility that the aggressive chick is a cockerel. How many other birds do you have?

Mrs K

There's a roost in their coop, but they don't go on it. It was for the bantams that previously lived in there, so it's high and thin. I don't typically like my chicks on perches until they're nine weeks old even though I don't show my birds.

They have food and water at all times. They have one feeder in the coop and two waterers (one in and the other out of the coop).

I've wondered if she's a cockerel, but comparing her to the other single combed Orpington cross, her comb is a lot smaller. Her mother was the same way at this age, but she grew out of it. I forgot about that in her mother and never gave it a thought that the behavior could be genetic. (Her mother is a Lemon Cuckoo Orpington.)
The aggressive chick is the circled one and the picture was taken September 4th.

I have sixteen other chickens and some are being replaced by these to keep my numbers the same.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm not scientific with my mixing, just general numbers, but if I have layer at 16% protein and grower at 18% protein, I just do half and half to lighten the calcium and boost the protein. I'd do the same if it were 20% protein. You're just trying to boost the protein and cut the calcium.

8 weeks is old enough for pellet. Crumble is always a huge waste of food as they scatter it to the wind, literally.

LofMc

 

[Perris]

See my first post on this thread.

that doesn't actually specify the grains, only the average supposed protein level.
Are you using the word 'grain' to mean 'feed'?

 

[Mrs. K]

What does showing have to do with roosting? They are much cleaner when the roost and their droppings fall away from them. Why don’t you want them roosting? I am glad they are roosting, I always thought it a good thing, what am I missing?