The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Housing, Health & Hatching
Artificial light and male fertility
Tailfeathers:
Mike, thanks for the info and feedback. They're getting the same layer rations they always have and everyone else gets so I'm pretty sure that's not the case. Haven't wormed them in awhile but I do check regularly for mites/lice. No problem there. Again, I don't think it's worms 'cause none of them are laying and they all seem to weigh just fine and no sign of any.
They are all out in a pen so there is no shavings on the ground. The cold now may have something to do with it but I doubt it cause my other birds are laying. I'm pretty sure I've just got to get more light on them. Good to see you're hatching. I'm envious!
God Bless,
Beth C:
Well, I spoke too soon. We hit a cold snap and all but 2 hens have stopped laying. I've been running the lights 24/7 for at least 2 weeks and seen nary an egg from the rest. ???
Mike Gilbert:
--- Quote from: Beth C on February 03, 2013, 11:07:40 AM ---Well, I spoke too soon. We hit a cold snap and all but 2 hens have stopped laying. I've been running the lights 24/7 for at least 2 weeks and seen nary an egg from the rest. ???
--- End quote ---
What temps do you consider cold in your area?
Well, I failed to heed my own advice on starting chicks, and lost two of the brown red bantams from my first hatch to pasty butts. I neglected to start them out the first few days on oatmeal flakes. The second batch I started out on oatmeal flakes, and no problems. The other thing I like to do is start them with lukewarm water, as I believe cold water is hard on their little metabolisms. Second batch was almost double the first in terms of numbers, and have another hatch coming off this Tuesday.
Schroeder:
Mike:
It seems I learn something of value from you just about every time you post. Thank you.
Do you buy oats from a feed store or are you talking about oatmeal one can buy in a grocery? Aren't the flakes too large for very young chicks? Do you feed the oatmeal exclusively for the first few days or as a supplement to chick starter? I haven't had recent issues with pasty butt, but better safe than sorry.
Duane
Sharon Yorks:
I'm not sure how Mike does it, but I buy the Quaker "1 minute" oatmeal in the grocery store that comes in the large round canister. I just hatched out baby chicks that started last night around 8:00pm and ended this afternoon around 4:00pm. After seeing that the first chicks hatched (12 hours older) are pecking a little at the newly hatched chicks, I just now sprinkled a little of the oatmeal on the ground (paper towels over shavings for the first couple of days) so the stronger chicks had something to peck at. It's not like they are gobbling it down, it just gives them something to do.
The flakes look kind of big, but they crumble real easy when roll them through your fingers and also when they peck at them. I keep them on straight oatmeal for 2-3 days, then slowly mix in the chick starter for a few more days before giving it to them straight. They like the oatmeal better so I try not to leave them on it for too long. Definitely helps with pasty butt. I rarely see any, and even then it seems milder.
How do you do it, Mike? (Thanks for telling me about this last spring. It works great!)
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