Help Chicks are smothering

[CharlieHorse]

Since you have that in your hand..................would that be considered a "handfeeding formula"?   Or is that just plain feed?

[MtBullion Gamebirds]

   Now that's funny right there!

[aKirA]

Since you have that in your hand..................would that be considered a "handfeeding formula"?   Or is that just plain feed?

Well I usually will put the feed in my mouth and feed them like a mother Hen would do so it be called..."Mouth feeding!"

[CharlieHorse]

Well I usually will put the feed in my mouth and feed them like a mother Hen would do so it be called..."Mouth feeding!"

Now that, I can understand!

[AA Plantation]

I made lots of adjustments today.
added a different angle to the brooder lights in the brooder/recall boxes. got the over-all temp up to 101
in the entire network i added paper towels with feed on it around the feeders and replaced plain water with vitamins and anti-biotics.
Also ground the starter/grower in a blender and added some corn meals and rice bran.
new shavings in all brooders.
I did notice the collored yellow water sent the chicks running to it and they were in the feeders as well pecking away.
anyone ever experiemented with coloring the feed to attract them to it?
I thank everyone for there help and hope of comtinued support.
i have to do 2000 birds 4 more times this year and i am learning as i go.

[CharlieHorse]

I made lots of adjustments today.
added a different angle to the brooder lights in the brooder/recall boxes. got the over-all temp up to 101
in the entire network i added paper towels with feed on it around the feeders and replaced plain water with vitamins and anti-biotics.
Also ground the starter/grower in a blender and added some corn meals and rice bran.
new shavings in all brooders.
I did notice the collored yellow water sent the chicks running to it and they were in the feeders as well pecking away.
anyone ever experiemented with coloring the feed to attract them to it?
I thank everyone for there help and hope of comtinued support.
i have to do 2000 birds 4 more times this year and i am learning as i go.

Hopefully your efforts will pay off.  Although, raising that amount of birds may still yeild what seems to be alot of fatalities.  In other words, where I hatch 100 and loose 10......you may raise a 1000 and loose 100, yet the percentage is the same.  Others whom raise birds in great quantities would have a better feel for what one might expect as a normal/acceptable loss?.......such as "Bird Brained", "magnumhntr", "Pheasant Hollow", "Redoakgamebirds", etc.

Good Luck!

[AA Plantation]

Since making all the changes.
i noticed a gain of 75% in survival the first day.
the secound day a gain of 35%
for the total  lost 303 chicks out 2000 15.2%
the first day  lost none
day 2   19 dead    1% loss
day 3   93 dead 4.7% loss
day 4 122 dead 6.5% loss (big change day)
day 5   42 dead 2.4% loss
day 6   27 dead 1.6% loss
Hopfully the loss will keep going down.
Also started mixing Bartlet Game-Bird Starter in the feed it is medicated and has 28% protien
i know not to completly switch the feed on them so i am gradually mixing it in untill reaching 75% then it will go to 100%

[CharlieHorse]

Chances of fatalities should decrease as the birds get older anyway. My experience has been that the first week is the highest risk.

Also, it looks as though you have some mighty fine habitat for those birds once you get them old enough to release.  I'm impressed.

[AA Plantation]

In a couple of weeks these will go out into the field and hopefully release in mid July

Inside

[CharlieHorse]

Are those birds still doing ok?   If so, do you know what the trouble was or do you think that maybe it was a combination of things?

[AA Plantation]

They are doing great.
I still loose a few each day, but mostly it is the chicks that are allot smaller than the others.
Since they have been 6 days old the loss has been less than 1%
The little guys are full of energy running all over the place. when i raise the lid to change feed / water they can jump and fly about 1 ft. 
 


I am working on a web page to publish the results of this projesct.
It will be very comprehensive including photos and diagrams on building these release boxs. 
Materials list and lumber cutting to assembly
http://www.plantationquailhunting.com/quail_project.html

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Looking good Dale!!

Steve
Pheasant Hollow farm

[AA Plantation]

Monday is the big day. They will be 6 weeks old.
I have only lost a handfull in the last 3 weeks. Most were trapped in the feeder.
I also started getting them wet with a sprayer nozzel and light water pressure. They have been wet 3 times.
First thing monday morning i am going to replace the waters and feeders with new ones and put the boxes in the field. as soon as they have eaten most of it i will turn them loose and start a feeding program.
Thanks for all the help. Starting over with 2000 more chicks on July 30