Good Intentions....

This time we have struggled with the decision as to whether or not we should feed our meat chicks medicated starter feed at all.  With much thought, and after watching a program on the medications fed to commercial poultry, we decided to take the chance and feed plain feed without the medications.  We have had problems with Coccidiosis in the past with our layer chickens but we didn't think we were taking that big a risk.....well, turns out we were wrong!  We now know that since this parasite is in our soil we need to feed the proper amount of medicated feed for the proper period of time to get the chicks to a stronger stage where they can survive any exposure.  Our desire to feed no medications to the birds has so far resulted in the loss of one chick and several others are sick.  We have been in contact with a bird vet in the valley and he is going to get us the proper mediations to treat the sick birds hopefully before they die.  SO, our desire to feed no medicated feed which would be prevention has now resulted in us needing to give the medications to hopefully cure the illness outbreak!  sigh.....

The vet recommended we feed medicated feed right up until processing.  This is not what our plan is ever going to be.  We would be raising nothing different than what we purchase in the store.  We will fight this outbreak and cure the remaining birds, they will get strong again and will be fed garden veggies and non medicated foods like our other birds.

The problem with getting birds this time of the year is the cool weather.  When the chicks get a chill they are prone to illness.  We thought the cool weather would be a positive thing, sadly it's not.  If we get more birds next year this time of year we will need more heat lamps.

Sadly, it's a learning experience and lives are sometimes lost due to that learning as we go process.

'til next time!

Another has died :(  found it when I went to check on them this evening.  I think we're in trouble......we don't get the medicine until Thursday.  :(