|
wildergamebirds
|
 |
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2008, 11:46:22 PM » |
|
The DE may settle out of the bedding. Do you have a dust pan, or sand box, to which you could add DE?
I would kick the protein up, a little, with soybean meal. I keep mine on 30% to week 3-4, then down to about 28. Makes for expensive feed bills and close profit margins, but I get to strut a little, when guys brag on my birds. This may not be as important, until they are older.
Give them a place to hide from the aggressors, for a few minutes. If you have just a few, Dust them with DE or Sevin, in a puffer bottle. Give them something else to peck on. I like Alfalfa (so do the birds), give them #1 grit, to process it. Give them grit, anyway.
In my limited Chukar experience, they sure seem to be "little peckers", preferring to get their water from dew on the metal around the pen, than from waterers. They will also pick their own feathers in really hot weather, but that's usually lower on the back, rather than on the neck and shoulders. Also, I've not seen that in young birds, as much as adults. Make sure you have cool shade. Misters are nice, but you must prevent over-wet areas.
One sq. ft. per bird is plenty at 5 weeks. However, once again, I'll throw out the theory that 4 birds in 4 sq. ft. are more crowded than 1000 birds in 1000 sq. ft. Introducing cover (cedars, sunflower weeds) is easier in larger pens.
There's also beak clipping and blinders, but I don't think things are that bad, yet.
|
Author
