Solitary chicken - need advice

[TAJ]

New photos added 2nd Nov.

 

I know my brooder will be very small as my chicks (now 22 days) get older. They are meat birds that grow fast and are already feathered up - just heads to feather up now. My past meat birds have gone into the eglu in mid-winter at 5-6 weeks old absolutely fine, but I am wondering if I can get away with doing it earlier to give them some more space.

 

Generally books say 6+ weeks to being fully off heat the reason given that chicks cannot control their temperature until they are feathered, but in my book that has 100 pages dedicated to meat birds whilst the 'normal' chick sections gives similar advice the meat bird section says they can control their temperature/can be off heat from 20 days.

 

They had an hour in the eglu & run at 2½ weeks old when I last cleaned out the brooder and the lamp is currently on a timer, so on about 18 hours a day with no issue and they are certainly not huddled together or sitting under the lamp.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Tracy

Edited November 2, 2009 by Guest

[craftyhunnypie]

Four & a half weeks in Summer, about 9-10 weeks this time of year.

 

Emma.x

[TAJ]

Four & a half weeks in Summer, about 9-10 weeks this time of year.

 

Emma.x

 

Was that with 'normal' birds or meat birds? My books differentiate and say it is to do with being feathered, not exact age - I was worried at my pure breeds being out at 12 weeks, but at that point they were about the same development as my past meat birds have been at 5 weeks.

 

Tracy

[Griffin]

I guess it does depend on size and sturdiness too though. I've had to bring my bantam Polands into the garage (they're seven weeks) because the two little silver laced were really struggling and failing to thrive outside in the rain, wind and cold. They've been inside for a week or so now and are doing much better. I've no idea when they'll go back outside again.

 

I should add though that they were born outside under a broody. They're now under heat! It's all gone wrong

Edited October 23, 2009 by Guest

[ChrisEllis]

I would say yu could at four weeks, i dont know about meat birds but just from experience i wanted to make my birds quite hardy and they came off the heat at 4 weeks ish and they show no signs of being cold they run around together - although they are in the house which does have a constant heat temperature, but ours now being 6 weeks old enjoy going outside for a few hours which i have been told is wrong but i would say your chicks are as hardy as you make them - within reason. everyday i heightened their lamp and they still didnt go under the heat and so i gradually took it away and now they are fine.

[TAJ]

This one detailed book I use also says that birds feather up quicker in the winter in order to cope with the cold. Currently they are in a brick outhouse with the heat lamp as high up as it will go, with it being on a timer and off so many hours a day. All 11 chicks are very healthy sturdy chicks, so I think I will try and get them off heat gradually over the next week and then go for the Eglu(s) as stage 2. Last winter when the last lot were young (6-7 weeks) and it became frosty I just put a heat pad in with them at night wrapped in a towel - I have to say they didn't huddle up to it to keep warm, so I gave up worrying after 3 nights and they were fine.

 

Tracy

[Jools]

Chicks are only as hardy as their breed, with some able to come off heat a lot sooner than others. The time of year plays an enormous part in that, as does the weather. Dry cold isn't as much of a problem as wet and windy. You also need to make sure there are no sudden changes as that will stress them more quickly than just about anything.

 

Specifically regarding meat bird hybrids, they are more commonly reared inside, so although they grow quickly, that doesn't necessarily mean they're hardier than any other breed. I suggest that if space is an issue (which will cause stress in itself), you could try removing their heat for a short time to see how they cope, then possibly moving them gradually to the eglu.

 

Now I know why I only hatch in early summer, it's sooooo much easier lol! Hope it works out for you

[TAJ]

Chicks are only as hardy as their breed, with some able to come off heat a lot sooner than others. The time of year plays an enormous part in that, as does the weather. Dry cold isn't as much of a problem as wet and windy. You also need to make sure there are no sudden changes as that will stress them more quickly than just about anything. yep - I always use a timer switch to bring them off the heat slowly, plus introducing darkness slowly to build up to the long nights when they get outside

 

Specifically regarding meat bird hybrids, they are more commonly reared inside, (these actual ones are breed for the free range market - so are outdoor ones - I had some the same breed last year that went out at 5½ weeks in late Novemeber no issue, these look healthier as last year's came from a breeder at 2½ weeks, one with a cold and eye infection - these were hatched here and very healthy in comparison so although they grow quickly, that doesn't necessarily mean they're hardier than any other breed. I suggest that if space is an issue (which will cause stress in itself), you could try removing their heat for a short time As per my post currently they are having 2 hr slots at a time without heat and were in the Eglu (no heat) for an hour last weekend to see how they cope, then possibly moving them gradually to the eglu.

 

Now I know why I only hatch in early summer, it's sooooo much easier lol! Hope it works out for you

this is my third winter lot of meat birds, so I am not worried about the time of year - it is just I expected a 50% hatch rate and got 11 chicks out of 12 eggs that is the issue, space will not be an issue when in eglus & runs and even in the brooder they are well above freedom food standard density, but I am sure they will be happier flying around the eglus!

 

Tracy

[Redwing]

Certainly I would start reducing the time on your timer to 12 hours or so (overnight hours) and see how you go reducing to 8 over the next week

 

If they are staying indoors then I would aim to have the lamp off in about a week but keep them indoors for quite a while yet

 

If you are forced to put them out then put the Eglu in as sheltered a place as possible and place a windbreak around it

 

Its not wrong to put chicks outside for a few hours once off heat just be around to get them back in again

 

certainly the fact that they grow and feather up quickly is in your favour - my Silkies will be in for ages!

[Jools]

It sounds as though you already have it sussed Tracy - let us know how it goes

[TAJ]

It sounds as though you already have it sussed Tracy - let us know how it goes

 

It is really difficult when taking advice from an American book (no decent table bird UK books exist) - the same book also talks about 'range confinement' where as opposed free range table birds are raised in pens (with roof) of 100 birds which are moved around the field. It says they can go out in these at 2 weeks and if table birds are to be raised on grass they MUST be foraging by 25 days old! I have to say I keep my eglu on a hard standing initially - they only get grass from 7-8 weeks old and that has never been an issue. Plus I assume this idea of going out at 2 weeks is in sunny Florida, not Alaska.

 

The chick section that deals with non-table birds gives the normal standard advice of 6-8 weeks before coming off heat, etc. They will come off heat and be in the Eglu by 5½ weeks as that has worked fine before, I just wanted to know if anyone had experience of doing this earlier with fast growing/feathering meat birds.

 

Tracy

[TAJ]

They have spent all day enjoying themselves outside in the eglu & run - it is touching the house and very sheltered, covered run and wind protected around the sides. They were in there without heat all day, but at dusk when they started to roost with moved them back into the brooder in the shed with a bit of heat over night.

 

Tracy

[TAJ]

After 3 days in the eglu by day and nights in the shed they spent last night in the eglu - despite me disturbing them checking them 3 times before going to bed last night and me getting up at 5.30 this morning to check all was well they are all absolutely fine. They will be 4 weeks today/tomorrow - I will take a photo later.

 

They are jumping up on a perch I put in the run - they were balancing on top of the 3 litre water container, so I gave them something else to distract them that was a bit safe. I leave the roosting bars out of the eglu as they are far too young for them and they line up along the edge of the nesting box using it as a perch! The maximum so far in the eglu nesting box is 7 at once, so they do keep each other warm I guess.

 

Tracy

[TAJ]

Tonight was a record (a bit like how many people you can get in a mini) - 10 out of 11 chicks decided to roost in the Eglu nesting box. I know they are only 4½ weeks, so small, but it was quite a squeeze so I rearranged them onto the normal all together on the poo tray, I thought 1 on its own may get cold.

 

Tracy

[Lewis]

Aww

 

We need a photo

[TAJ]

Aww

 

We need a photo

 

the photos:

 

At 4 weeks - not sure if you can see all 11 here, mainly white, one dark brown and a couple a mixture/light brown.

 

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii49/TAJchicks/IMG_2571.jpg

 

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii49/TAJchicks/IMG_2572.jpg

 

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii49/TAJchicks/IMG_2573.jpg

 

These are from tonight - there were 9 (again) in the nesting box and two next to it - not great photos, but I was taking it with the flash in the dark, whilst keeping the eggport half on, so none got out - but you get the idea.

 

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii49/TAJchicks/IMG_2574.jpg

 

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii49/TAJchicks/IMG_2575.jpg

 

Tracy

[Lewis]

Aww

 

I like the 1st picture

Might have to show them to Mother and let me have some