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I'm about to pull the trigger on an order of chicks, probably from McMurray. This is my first try at raising chicks and it's for pleasure and eggs for a family of four. Are there any rules of thumb for the loss ratio? What are some of your experiences? Thanks.
Generally speaking the loss ratio may be dependant on the knowledge of the owner.
Keep them warm,dry, lots of space, proper food, water and isolate any chick the others are picking on.
Then there are always the unknowns. Free run eggs are just plain different.
Several years ago we had company and comments were made on the tasty eggs. Free run purchased at a local store.
Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Try to order a dozen. Two will be DOA.
If kept warm, dry and fed only one other might die.
THe dog will get one.
We got 4 ducks to go with ours and now they hang out together. The adult chickens frown, but hey!
If you don't have any other chickens then the group will set its own rules. If you already have a few, then fence off an outside area and let them see them a for a week before you merge them. You still need to watch for "pecking order problems" Kinda like high school. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
We have had 3 sets of chickens and ducks from Mcmurray and NO loses yet. We just followed the suggested way of taking care of them and now problems.
http://www.poultryconnection.com/phpBB2/index.php
Go to them and ask questions too, they know everything about birds.
I'm with Opie. We've ordered chickens from Murray McMurray for 4 years in a row. We have a nice little business selling free range eggs. We've never had ANY chicks DOA from McMurray, and we've never lost any chicks while raising them. We have lost many adult chickens to a nitwit neighbor's dog though. [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]
The dog still around??
Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Yeah, he still is Egon. Even though many of my neighbors, and even our town animal control officer told me to shoot him. The way I figure it, it's not the dog's fault if his owners don't control him. He's actually a nice dog, except for his killing chickens. I don't think he should die because he has owners that are nitwits. The town animal control officer has fined them repeatedly, and he has a count on the number of chickens the dog has killed. He's making my neighbors pay me $25/chicken that he's killed. He's going to serve them with an order to pay me, in a few days, and if they don't pay me in a certain amount of time, they'll owe the town equal money, and if they don't pay that (and me) in a certain amount of time after that, the husband will get arrestted and actually be brought to the county jail until he pays me and the town. Since the dog has killed about 20 of my chickens over the past few years, they owe me about $500. They put an invisible fence around their yard, but they claim their kids turn it off. They're one of our few non-farming neighbors, and they moved here from the city, and just don't get it. Maybe after they pay me and their fines, they'll move back to the city.
I free range chickens and guineas. When a dog kills one of my birds, he has just signed his death warrant. Once a dog gets a taste for a chicken it will never stop.
I love dogs, and I wouldn't hurt a dog for being a dog. It's the owners who should be punnished for not keeping their dogs off of other people's property. I have three dogs, two of them are huge, and they are NEVER off of my farm. Call the animal control officer of your town like I did. They'll make the owners pay for the chickens and even fine them, but is it the dog's fault? Should the dog die for having owners that are morons?
Rich:
You are so far ahead of me on public relations I must hang my head in shame!
Egon
[img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]
Egon, your public relations are fine, you're one of the most knowledgable people on this forum. It's just that I don't see why the dog must die if the owners are jerks. If you want to know the truth, I'd much rather shoot the owners!!! See, now my public image will drop!!! [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
Boys oh boys Rich Did you say a mouthfull. Seems I managed to misslead a few people.
Growning up on a farm where animals and poultry were cash income items dogs that chased or harmed animals were simply not tollerated.
30 some years ago a friend had a $400.00 + Bovier that was reported chasing some cattle. He personally shot it as soon as he found out.
Egon
WoW, at that price for chickens that are DOA from neighbors killer dog, I'd raise a batch just for Rover, if neighbor could afford it! I think fines should solve U'r problem with killer dog! He'll most likely solve Rovers problem and kids that turn off invisable fences problem too!
HOLLY COW!! Thats a great price for a chicken ... although i guess not so much if it is a hen and over its life time of egg lay ...ehhh
Of course our past dog Sampson .. had never seen a chicken before we moved here and the people across the road had a rooster who would come over and pick at Sampson while he was on a lead.. Sampson caught him one day and had him down licking him and then let him go *rme* .. chicken was scared and covered in drool but A-OKAY.. THANK GOODNESS!! Then again Sampson was just a darn good Dog 130lb and would not bug the bunny we had out running around.. other then trying to give it baths.
Although if i knew there was a dog that was a lifestock killer i would be doubly weary .. My fiances father had 2 chocolate labs .. one is perfectly fine and acts like Sampson used to catched side animals and licks them and lets them go.. the other killed a pet bunny and a goat.. they gave the dog to a guy who lived away from livestock.. less then a month later the guy said the dog went after him and he shot it.
So i would watch that dog incase it would go after larger prey.
Michelle, most rural muncipalities have similar regulations. There are set prices for all kinds of livestock that are killed. If you figure out the amount of eggs you'll get from a good laying hen, $25 isn't much. And the $25 is for laying hens, not meat birds. But the price is set up so the farmer gets something back, and so the idiot dog owner gets some degree of punishment. My idiot neighbor has now run up his fines, and if he doesn't pay me and the town very soon, he's going to spend some time in our town jail. I ran into our local police chief and justice of the peace yesterday at our local diner, where all the farmers usually meet for Saturday morning breakfast. Apparently there are more complaints against this neighbor, and he has a little over a month left before he gets a little vacation in a 10 x 10 cell. He'll stay there until he pays me, the other neighbors, the town and another fine for them having to bother to jail him. I suspect he's waiting to see if our little community is for real, and he's about to get the surprise of his city boy life. We don't have much crime around here, and our few jail cells don't get used much, so our local police force (all 5 of them) are itching to put this annoying character in there for a while. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
RichZ, keep US posted on progress! I can't hardly wait to, dah can U take pic's of city slicker dude! I can't hardly wait! Shame on me! I'm sorry to see anybody go to jail! Oh well!
Roho, I sure will kep everyone posted. Our chief of police told me that this guy's response is typical of our relocated city slickers. They typically won't pay, until a few cops show up at his door to take him away, and suddenly he finds the money. They figure that we're all a bunch of hicks and they can outsmart us. They soon find out the real truth!! I figure I'll be getting my money soon. I'll let everyone know what happens. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
Wow. I wish I could get my SS class going on a discussion like y'all do. Maybe I should change the lesson topics to chickens and dogs. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Thanks for your responses. I'll place the order towards the end of the month and I'll try to keep you posted on my progress.