Looking After The ChicksBy Jackie Freakley (Freakley & Ainley)I will never forget that special day our first chick was born. It was Christmas Day about 18 years ago. I was amazed how loudly the call came from inside the egg and then after a short time and much hard work, there lay a tiny pink chick almost exhausted from all its efforts. This made me think that if we put as work into giving the chicks the best start possible, as they did trying to get out of the shell both our labours should be rewarded. During the first two weeks the chicks develop at an amazing rate and we feel that at this time it is essential to give the parents extra food to aid the chicks growth. Initially of course the chicks are fed on crop milk which gives them all the goodness they need, but as this begins to deminish they will be given small amounts of regurgitated food by the parents. When the birds are paired up we feed a propiatary soft food, mixed with greated carrot, soaked oats, broccoli and boiled egg. We feel that routine is very important and try to keep as near as possible to a good timetable. The soft food is given at the same time each day. When the time approaches there is an air of expectancy in the bird room and when given, the food is quickly devoured. We also give tonic seed in a finger drawer and millet sprays every day. We are convinced these extra treats set the chicks off to a better start. We have the advantage of being able to check our chicks at regular intervals throughout the day. By doing this we can monitor their progress and if we find a chick is being left out we can re-house it before it is too late. We have also found that if a hen has only one chick to rear, it never seems to make a strong adult. Four we feel is perfect but we should be so lucky. Once the frame of the bird has developed it is quickly covered with down feathers, and after a short time the quills are produced. This is a traumatic time for the chicks and it is essential that the parents continue to be fed all the nourishment we can give them, so as to aid the feather formation which is a major part of the birds structure. When the chicks are old enough to be taken away from the parents we put them into a mobile nursery cage. When we are feeding, all the food, seed etc. is placed on top of the nursery cage and pushed around the bird room. This settles the birds down and gets them used to movement around them. It is critical when the young birds are taken away from their parents that they should be handled regularly to ensure they are feeding properly. Feel the crop last thing at night and if it feels empty they will need to be fed. In this situation we feed the birds ourselves with a dosing tube. these are now available. We prepare a mixture of Kay-Tee rearing food and a little glucose which we mix to a thickish consistency with cold water. This is then fed directly into the crop. By doing this we have managed to save many young birds that would other wise have died. But please make sure you know exactly how to administer the tube before using it. We are sure all your efforts will be rewarded, hopefully with a good show season and an even better breeding season. Good Luck. Copyright © Jackie Freakley http://www.fa1-stud.co.uk/. All Rights Reserved This article may not be reproduced in any way, shape or form without the express permission of Jackie Freakley. |
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