Chicks !!!

[azrancher]

Chicks, the fuzzy feathery kind, not the babes.
Arrived this AM, from Meyer Hatchery.
Ordered 40 sexed hens, and 10 straight run, 52 arrived all healthy.
USPS tracking sux, they were shipped Monday the 5th, they had one entry stating they were transferred to UPS on the 1st, then they had them arriving yesterday morning and out for delivery last night...
Here they are, I'm going to be selling free range/organic/fertile/non GMO etc eggs!

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Rancher

[Baglady]

Nice! Looks like you went all out on the brooder boxes too. I recommend you don't keep too many together or they will "pile" and some will die.
Don't know what breeds you ended up with, but ours, (Leghorns and Buffs) started laying at 4-5 months.
I recently heard that the Tetracycline powder (antibiotic) is going to be pulled off the market as an over the counter item. So you may want to buy a few packs while you can.
That and the electrolites is the only meds we keep for the chickens.
Good Luck.

[Arklatex]

You're gonna have so many eggs it'll be a full time job to sell em!

[juskom95]

I miss homegrown eggs, they had a much better taste.

[azrancher]

Nice! Looks like you went all out on the brooder boxes too. I recommend you don't keep too many together or they will "pile" and some will die.The brooders were from when I was trying to make money by raising quail and chukars to sell to game bird dog trainers, I still will do a little of that, those brooders have tripled in price since I bought them, I also have 3 GQF incubators for continuing the chick supply, I had 3 Barred Rock hens but one died and no rooster of that breed, Barred Rock is what these are, I have a pair of RIR but prefer the gentleness of the BR. Yes they should start laying late March, or April at the latest.


I recently heard that the Tetracycline powder (antibiotic) is going to be pulled off the market as an over the counter item. So you may want to buy a few packs while you can. Good Luck.
I heard the same thing on animal antibiotics, supposed to go into effect in January, I haven't found out anything concrete, but my better half has horses and her Vet is here at least every month, and I have a Niece in the land of Fruits and Nuts that is also a vet. So I should be good on Rx scripts, and I also have a good supply of Tetracycline, Erythromycin, BMD, and Penicillin, which is all mail order, around here the only over the counter is Terramycine.

Rancher

[Gambit]

I'm just had my little girl see the picture of the chicks and she says aww they are soo cute!!
then I told her it takes one of them to make a chicken nugget
then she said I was meanie

[Baglady]

Good to have connections. One of our neighbors has Barred Rocks. Seems to be highly sought after around here. I'm guessing they are good layers as well as docile.
We haven't had to use any antibiotics since the first week they were here, so maybe not such a big deal.

[azrancher]

I'm guessing they are good layers as well as docile. We haven't had to use any antibiotics since the first week they were here, so maybe not such a big deal.Good layers, ... I'm guessing about 200 eggs a year, all large and brown. I use antibiotics the first few days to knock out the respiratory chick killers, always have, always will. Chickens don't need much after that unless there's something going around, and of course you will always have feather mites, lice, and scale mites, but that's all real easy to take care of with Sevin dust, just make a dusting box with DE and Sevin, and they take care of all that themselves.

Rancher

[Baglady]

Good layers, ... I'm guessing about 200 eggs a year, all large and brown. I use antibiotics the first few days to knock out the respiratory chick killers, always have, always will. Chickens don't need much after that unless there's something going around, and of course you will always have feather mites, lice, and scale mites, but that's all real easy to take care of with Sevin dust, just make a dusting box with DE and Sevin, and they take care of all that themselves.

Rancher

Yeah that's what we used this year, 7 dust, (actually 5%..don't know why they call it "7" dust?)
I like the idea of using the diametious earth. From what Hawg and others have said it works good for all the little nasties.

[hag]

Nice birds. I might check out Meyer's. I didn't know anyone would ship them this time of year. Around here they all quit about September or October and start back around February

[azrancher]

Nice birds. I might check out Meyer's. I didn't know anyone would ship them this time of year. They ship, but there is a min number for the box, so they stay warm, I had no problems.

Rancher

[azrancher]

This is start of Week #2, big chicks, no losses so far, still 52, and the hatchery sent me 2 females for extras according to the NPIP certification. A couple of days ago I had to do a vent cleaning, if you don't know... don't ask.

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Rancher

[hawgrider]

This is start of Week #2, big chicks, no losses so far, still 52, and the hatchery sent me 2 females for extras according to the NPIP certification. A couple of days ago I had to do a vent cleaning, if you don't know... don't ask.

2841

Rancher
Doing quite well it sounds like. Nice work!

[Gambit]

they look great!
but they look better with BBQ sauce :chef:

[azrancher]

This is start of Week #3, huge chicks, going to have to split the 2 brooders of 26 into 4 brooders of 13, still got 52, no losses, they eat like pigs, started the second bag of 45# of Starter/Grower. They are getting body feathers.

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Rancher

[Jeep]

You made a great choice the way you purchased the hens and the straight run. I learned the hard way and bought my first 10 straight run. 9 Roosters lol

[hawgrider]

This is start of Week #3, huge chicks, going to have to split the 2 brooders of 26 into 4 brooders of 13, still got 52, no losses, they eat like pigs, started the second bag of 45# of Starter/Grower. They are getting body feathers.

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Rancher
Growing at lighting speed!

[juskom95]

You made a great choice the way you purchased the hens and the straight run. I learned the hard way and bought my first 10 straight run. 9 Roosters lol

My parents did similar, but they got 9 hens and one midget rooster. I forget the breed, but he was about half the size as the hens and they abused the crap out of him!

[Jeep]

Bantam most likely

[azrancher]

Start of week #4, lost one due to rough playing,... broken neck, got 51 left.

Rancher

2883

[hawgrider]

Start of week #4, lost one due to rough playing,... broken neck, got 51 left.

Rancher

2883 Oh yeah growing fast!

[azrancher]

OK start of week #5, outside birds, 2 separate cages 3'X5' 500 watts of heat in each cage, I did add hay and hanging feeders, last picture is how they are protected from the wind-rain and cold, this is supposed to be a mild week, lows in the mid to low 40's, you can tell the difference between the hens and the roosters at this point.

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Rancher

[azrancher]

OK here we are at 16 weeks, I told everyone they would be mature at 16 weeks, some didn't believe me...
http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj636/cow_rancher/Barred_Rock_Week_16_first_egg1_zpsenes8k0p.jpg
Two large eggs, small "first" egg in the middle.

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj636/cow_rancher/Barred_Rock_Week_16_711_zps1lmq6nwj.jpg
Roo on the left, pullet that is probably laying on right standing.

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj636/cow_rancher/Barred_Rock_Week_16_2_hens_1_zpszzns5f6g.jpg
The 2 older hens that laid the bigger eggs, Roo standing in the egg shell supplement.

Rancher

[hawgrider]

Nice looking barred rocks! Eggs at 16 weeks is great. My kids Buffs took abouts 18 to 20 weeks.

[Baglady]

Real Beauties. Good luck on your sales. Our Buffs started laying first at 4 months, then 2 weeks + later the Leghorns. But now, in their second season, the Leghorns are out laying the Buffs.
How many roosters did you end up with?

[Gambit]

fried chicken
that's all I have to say

[Radio]

fried chicken
that's all I have to say

https://img.memesuper.com/e6720ed32ab590ce89c66057a6cacf08_1-21-memes-kfc_450-439.jpeg