Backyard Chickens?

[JanS]

Wow I went to our fleet store today and the chicks and ducklings must have come in this week. Pretty sad to see since many of them looked really sick or already dead. They do take good care of them but maybe it was the cold weather...

 

[MyBuddy]

Wow I went to our fleet store today and the chicks and ducklings must have come in this week. Pretty sad to see since many of them looked really sick or already dead. They do take good care of them but maybe it was the cold weather...

What?? That's horrible! They should at least take the dead ones out. I would have said something to them about it. Theres no cold weather inside a store? In fact, I posted a picture in the Random thread of the ones at our Farm and Fleet with the thermometer reading of 100° ! I was surprised it was that high but I don't know that much about chickens.

Maybe the people they bought them from didn't take care of them but geez, Don't buy them. It certainly doesn't look good to the customers to have dead chicks in there!

 

[GennyB]

They do take good care of them but maybe it was the cold weather...

I think it's like dogs, it's about the breeding. I have heard it said many times that fleet store chicks are from backyard breeders. They are sort of mass produced causing illness and death.

 

[Ravenbird]

thermometer reading of 100° ! I was surprised it was that high but I don't know that much about chickens

chicks under 1 week old require optional temperature of 100 degrees (usually under the heat lamp). If they get too warm there should be room to move out from under it and when they need more warmth they move closer to the heat source. The highest heat should be reduced by 5 degrees each week. Sometimes farm stores have different ages of chicks in the same bins, so this could create problems. An adult chicken, if I'm remembering right, has a normal temp of 107!!! So when babies get under that momma they are plenty warm. Until they get feathers, that fluff is not insulating.

Pretty sad to see since many of them looked really sick or already dead. They do take good care of them but maybe it was the cold weather...

Jan, also when baby chicks rest/sleep they look sick or even dead! I had a few scares the first couple of weeks I raised mine. Especially when under the heat lamp they lay down, then get sleepy, then tip over on their side and look really BAD. Hopefully that's what you were seeing. But yes, I've seen some in our local Tractor Supply that should have been removed, so I know it can happen.

I have heard it said many times that fleet store chicks are from backyard breeders.

There are about 4 or 5 major hatcheries in the US that sell to chain stores & feed stores. I think due to disease in poultry there are a lot of hoops to jump through to carry and sell fowl, so small backyard breeders can rarely qualify. In the case of poultry you can get more disease from mass producing backyard breeders than the enormous hatcheries. Very small backyard breeders that specialize in certain breeds and practice bio-security can produce the best birds, but they will be very expensive. Kind of like the most careful dog breeders! I've always gotten very healthy birds from the major hatcheries. It really is similar to looking for good purebred dogs!

 

[Rits]

I think it's like dogs, it's about the breeding. I have heard it said many times that fleet store chicks are from backyard breeders. They are sort of mass produced causing illness and death.

Yes.
They get them from hatcheries which is equivalent to your commercial dog breeders. They breed for quantity not quality. Hatcheries dont cull any stock for not meeting the standard or any health reasons, why would they if the hen is laying fertile eggs that can be hatched... I have a hen that has ascites which Ive discovered is more of a common problem with hatchery birds. She will ultimately pass away.

Hatcheries arent necessarily evil if you are just wanting cheap birds to lay. If you are looking for more, Id stick to a breeder. I went with a hatchery (direct from the hatchery) for my first chickens and now have 9 week old purebred chickens from a well known breeder who has been breeding Ameraucanas for 20 years. They are young so I cant comment on health yet but I have noticed a difference in their confidence and friendliness. Plus its nice to be able to have that connection with a knowledgeable breeder.

What?? That's horrible! They should at least take the dead ones out. I would have said something to them about it. Theres no cold weather inside a store? In fact, I posted a picture in the Random thread of the ones at our Farm and Fleet with the thermometer reading of 100° ! I was surprised it was that high but I don't know that much about chickens.

Maybe the people they bought them from didn't take care of them but geez, Don't buy them. It certainly doesn't look good to the customers to have dead chicks in there!

The chicks in the stores are day olds when they arrive and shipping is stressful. Its not uncommon to lose some, sadly. Some just cant handle it. They can also die for any number of reasons such as drafts, too hot, too cold, cocci, trampling, stress etc.

 

[Rits]

Heres an example of how much a chick can look dead when they are passed out. Haha







Chickens also can look pretty dead when they dust bathe or sun bathe.

Yesterday pics of the Australorps


This is Nemo with her crooked toe from hatch. You can barely see it here on her inside toe right leg. She doesnt even care and is just as fast as the others.


Biggie


Strutting and flapping his wings

 

[Ravenbird]

Yes! The first time I saw some passing out in the sunshine & dust bath I thought they'd found some poison!

@Rits you have some very pretty birds. I have one black Australorp, and she's beautiful. I started out with Gold Lace and Silver Lace Wyandottes from McMurrey Hatchery in 2016, then in 2017 we had a couple of small hatches from 2 of the hens and the mean rooster, then in 2018 we ordered 8 pullets of 8 different breeds from Meyers Hatchery (one was the Black Australorp) and timed the day-olds to arrive for a broody hen when she would be due to hatch her fake eggs. Long story short, we traded the fake eggs for chicks in the middle of the night and she did raise them. I'd read to do it at night because the hen would not be aggressive, but Black Caviar didn't read that book and she left me bloodied with peck marks trying to protect her eggs! The sad thing about fooling the hen is that she never got to hear the chicks peeping through the eggs, and we had to put the food & water outside the nest because by the next morning they were now 3 or 4 days old and had been eating & drinking the previous day after they came in the mail. Of course momma thought they didn't need food and water yet and wouldn't leave the nest. But I'd still rather the hen raise them than me, and they integrate into the flock much better. First picture is the morning after our 2 a.m. deposit, then next photo is a day later.

 

[Rits]

Thanks @Ravenbird ! My australorps are my first set of chickens after wanting them and researching for years. (Kinda similar to my situation here with Dobermans, lol) They are from Meyer Hatchery too! Ive had two broodies so far but my chicks were already way too old to swap. Maybe next year I love watching vids of momma hens. Too stinking adorable.

 

[Ravenbird]

I'll have to find my photos of Black Beauty for you.

LOL, this was one of those wild spur of the moment ideas. We didn't want anymore wyandottes, so when the hen stayed broody after we moved her to the broody pen, we just poured through the catalogs for a variety and picked ones that would be shipped the week Black Caviars (fake) eggs would hatch. I was counting on 1 or 2 to be males, even tho we ordered all females, and I figured there may be a death here or there, but they all lived and they were all female. The Domonique died at about 5 or 6 months due to eating a roofing nail, so we still have 7 and my chicken math was convincing me it would only be 4 or 5... So I'm going to have my first chick-less summer now. You guys will have to supplement me with your baby chick pictures!!!

 

[GennyB]

There are about 4 or 5 major hatcheries in the US that sell to chain stores & feed stores. I think due to disease in poultry there are a lot of hoops to jump through to carry and sell fowl, so small backyard breeders can rarely qualify. In the case of poultry you can get more disease from mass producing backyard breeders than the enormous hatcheries. Very small backyard breeders that specialize in certain breeds and practice bio-security can produce the best birds, but they will be very expensive. Kind of like the most careful dog breeders! I've always gotten very healthy birds from the major hatcheries. It really is similar to looking for good purebred dogs!

In theory you are correct, in reality not so much. There are a ton of rules and regulations when it comes to poultry, the problem is the enforcement. Dept of Agriculture Inspectors are often over worked and under paid. They are given huge territories that are impossible to cover allowing for lots of cheating.
In our line of work we are supposed to be inspected 2 times a year by the DOA, it happens maybe every 2 years. That's only because we go by the rules and the Inspector knows he only has to check the boxes.
The departments governing our food gives way too many people a false sense of security. Sure the rules are there but are they really enforced? Major reason I grow my own food and will get my animals from breeders that have a passion and really care about what they are producing. I have never been a fan of mass produced anything. Always seem to go down the same road, produce more for less money. NO thanks especially when it comes to my food and animals.

The chicks in the stores are day olds when they arrive and shipping is stressful. Its not uncommon to lose some, sadly. Some just cant handle it. They can also die for any number of reasons such as drafts, too hot, too cold, cocci, trampling, stress etc.

I often see the chicks in the front of the store by the door for attention. They get it! People just can't keep their hands off. People walking in and out creating drafts that kill.
Way too often the employees are not familiar with the care and kill them out of ignorance.

Just more reasons why I am not a fan of mass production. Create more for less to cut the loss of stupid.

 

[MyBuddy]

I often see the chicks in the front of the store by the door for attention. They get it! People just can't keep their hands off. People walking in and out creating drafts that kill.

At least they don't have that here. At our Farm & Fleet I never even saw the chicks until recently. They're inconspicuously down an aisle and not out in the open. Just troughs like this lined up down an aisle. I actually had a hard time finding them.

And years ago when I saw them at Big R in another town they were way in the back with all the horse stuff.

 

[Ravenbird]

@GennyB You have provided info I didn't know, but doesn't surprise me. I appreciate all your sharing. I did visit what I called a backyard breeder once - she had a kid raising & showing 4H and the roosters lived in small pens and the hens in small pens next to them. All the crossbreds were free range, and I understood they had to keep the breeding ones kept up, but the pens were filthy. Under the roosts were literally 2 feet of poop (not deep litter method, this was just awful). There were probably 50 chickens on the place. They raised those black chickens (can't think of the name - more game bird looking). The Tractor Supply here puts their chick troughs inside a chainlink dog run, deep in the center of the store where you can see but not touch with Employees Only across the access to them. Local feed store however keeps chicks in 2 x 2 foot cages, right by the back loading dock. @MyBuddy I am right there with you on your Motto, "Never Stop Learning". That's why I'm here, and I love the input from all of you, chickens and dogs!

 

[MyBuddy]

The Tractor Supply here puts their chick troughs inside a chainlink dog run, deep in the center of the store where you can see but not touch with Employees Only across the access to them. Local feed store however keeps chicks in 2 x 2 foot cages, right by the back loading dock. @MyBuddy I am right there with you on your Motto, "Never Stop Learning". That's why I'm here, and I love the input from all of you, chickens and dogs!

Oh, I love how your tractor supply does that! We don't have one around here. Just Farm & Fleet and Big R but they are the same type of store. I think they do a good job with the chicken's but having a type of fence around them all, sure ensures that people won't be mishandling them.

I go by my motto all the time! I am 66 years young and everyday I think I learn something new LOL Even from my children! I love it! It starts to turn around when you get old LOL But it's really so much fun. I am usually very open to learning something new or doing something a different way than I had been. And this board? Priceless!

 

[Rits]

I haven't really shared my new guys here yet.

These were a week ago, their last pics inside before they moved out to the coop. 8 weeks old here. Theres 9 (one sadly didn't survive shipping) Blue Ameraucanas and Splash Ameraucanas. (Not like the "Americanas" at feed stores which are basically mutts/easter eggers.)

I fell in love with their funny faces and when I saw a reputable breeder taking reservations in winter, I jumped on the opportunity. Good thing because he's semi retiring! They will lay blue eggs for us!

This is a blue


And Splash




I wasnt feeling well one night so I went to check on the chicks. No lie, this little guy who has wormed his was into our hearts, jumped up to the roost right next to me and snuggled up. Everyone else was on the opposite side of the coop on the floor. From day one he's proven he is really something else. (He is the one passed out on my arm earlier) He's easily becoming my heart chicken.

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I see little toes peeking out.

 

[Ravenbird]

I am 66 years young

I'm catching up!!! I'll be 62 this summer!

They will lay blue eggs for us!

Beautiful! I have one Easter Egger and just love her. But she lays a light brown egg. At least she makes up for it for them being X-Large. I will have more and I've already decided that when my good rooster dies I want to replace him with a blue egg rooster, and like you say, that would have to be from a reputable breeder or I could get an EE mutt! Stuart, unless he starts attacking people, has got a life pass to stay, so it will be natural causes or predator - years down the road I'm sure. His daddy was so bad I just dread raising another rooster in case it goes south.

 

[MyBuddy]

I haven't really shared my new guys here yet.

These were a week ago, their last pics inside before they moved out to the coop. 8 weeks old here. Theres 9 (one sadly didn't survive shipping) Blue Ameraucanas and Splash Ameraucanas. (Not like the "Americanas" at feed stores which are basically mutts/easter eggers.)

I fell in love with their funny faces and when I saw a reputable breeder taking reservations in winter, I jumped on the opportunity. Good thing because he's semi retiring! They will lay blue eggs for us!

This is a blue
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And Splash
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I wasnt feeling well one night so I went to check on the chicks. No lie, this little guy who has wormed his was into our hearts, jumped up to the roost right next to me and snuggled up. Everyone else was on the opposite side of the coop on the floor. From day one he's proven he is really something else. (He is the one passed out on my arm earlier) He's easily becoming my heart chicken.

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I see little toes peeking out.
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They are adorable! I would be easily attached!

 

[JanS]

Jan, also when baby chicks rest/sleep they look sick or even dead!

Heres an example of how much a chick can look dead when they are passed out.

Oh I bet that was the case with the ones at our fleet store since someone is always attending to them.

 

[Rits]

My husband the chicken whisperer Maple jumped up on his back for free rides and then in his lap to hide from the meanie older ladies.

 

[Tropicalbri's]

My husband the chicken whisperer Maple jumped up on his back for free rides and then in his lap to hide from the meanie older ladies.

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These are so cute and it would not take me long to be in love with one. Chickens are really cute and smart. I would like to have some again but I wouldn’t trust the dobes around free range chickens. I’ve never had any from fancy breeders.

 

[Rits]

These are so cute and it would not take me long to be in love with one. Chickens are really cute and smart. I would like to have some again but I wouldn’t trust the dobes around free range chickens. I’ve never had any from fancy breeders.

The black Australorps are all hatchery quality and are 18 months old. The fluffy cheeked ones are our first "to standard" chickens. Not yet laying but very soon we hope! Cant wait to see our first blue egg.

They really are a joy to have. Smart in their own way and each have their own personality. They take care of pest bugs for us and fertilize the pasture. I wanted chickens but my husband has really fallen for them. They are peaceful to watch and we enjoy sitting out there for an hour or so before dusk just listening to cricket chirps and chicken coos.

I hear ya about that prey drive. We dont make a habit of having the girls around them. They got zapped by the chicken fence each one time and want nothing to do with the back one acre of property They think the chickens are evil now.