Meatie Update: Week 2

Meatie Update: Week 2

The Meaties turned 2 weeks old Friday. It seems like we've had them forever, but I keep having to remind myself it's only been two weeks.

Much to the delight of the Meaties (and myself, and my room), they got kicked outside about 5 days ago. They sleep in a dog carrier on the front porch, and then in the mornings I move them onto the grass for the day, unless the weather is bad then they are confined to the carrier.

 

The Meaties have been off heating of any sort for about a week and a half. Since they grow so quickly, their body temperature is very high and they generate  heat. Think Meatie-woodstove. You pick them up and you can feel how warm their bodies are.

The red chicks have adapted quite well to the Meaties and everyone continues to get along just fine. 

When you're raising an animal for food, I at least, monitor everything they eat. My mindset is, I'm going to be eating this bird, do I really want to be feeding that to them??? It makes you stop and think about how and what your feeding them.

So besides being moved to a new spot of grass every day, I bring them chopped up greens to pick through in their brooder, along with other healthy snacks to keep them occupied.  

These pictures are from Friday, so here's what they look like as of right now, at 2 weeks old.

As a special treat I made them a mash. Care to take a peek inside their dinner menu?

 Chick starter, warm water, apple cider vinegar, scrambled eggs, shredded carrots, and grass clippings. 

I've still been putting apple cider vinegar in their water, and they seem to be thriving on it. I haven't had any problems with pasty rear-ends or respiratory issues.  

Playing "chase the peep with food!"

I bought some wheat seed last week, and have several trays of fodder going, so they will get their first taste of that in a few days.

Can you say food hogs???

So far, I have had zero losses, all 26 Meaties are still going strong!

To be continued next week:

Blessings - 

~ Aspen

The Chicken Chick

The Chicken Chick

Remember little Aragorn? The long-legged Polish chick who I hatched out for a friend? Well, I asked to keep her, as payment for my hatching services.

This is her (I'm assuming it's a her...) as a chicklet.

One of her (many) favorite things to do is snuggle up in a warm blanket for a nap. 

And look completely adorable while doing it! 

This is her from yesterday. My look how she's grown! Already a teenager.

We took her out in the garden with us, along with the red chicks .

Chickens love scampering around, testing out those wings of theirs, taking dirt and sun baths, scratching for bugs etc...ALL chickens like to do this! 

You'd think so wouldn't ya! ;) 

This chick is the exception. She hates, repeat HATES getting dirty. The idea of putting her feet in the dirt makes her cringe. I kid you not.

So whilst the other chicks played in the dirt she sat in the safety of my lap and peeped contently. 

Her favorite place to nap. ;)

She's out of it! ;)

Several times I tried sitting in the raised bed, and put her on the other side of the bed, so she could still see me and would hopefully feel secure enough to free range a bit. 

Not happening.

 As soon as I sat her down she would look around, stunned, and would hop/fly/charge/gallop and so forth (remember I said she doesn't like to get her feet dirty...) back to me, and would fling herself back into my lap or she would fly on top of my shoulder. Once I put her on the sidewalk, the sidewalk people, and she freaked out and flew/hopped back to me. *shakes head*

 

What am I going to do with this spoiled, chicken (<literally of everything)

Any tips of trying to get this chicken to act like a chicken?

Blessings - 

~ Aspen

Easter Freebies

Easter Freebies

Monday we went to town as I had to deliver some baby chicks and ducks to some people. After all the people had picked up their birds, Mom and I ran a bunch of errands around town. We found out that someone in town had some chicks that she was giving away, she had too many and the city only allowed her to have 5 chickens and she had a lot more than that. ;) So to make a long story short, we gave her a helping hand and came home with these 5 chicks, who happen to all be roosters! Go figure. However, it isn't a complete loss. We found these little guys are excellent free rangers and really hussel around in search of food. Oh and did I mention the two little kids named two of them? You know what that means, yep, they're keeping two of them for pets and the rest will join the Meaties in the freezer when the time comes.

Rusty was very interested in the new arrivals. ;) *ahem*

Can't you see him drooling???

Coconut wants chicken nuggets too...er..I mean she likes chicks too!

Despite being roosters, they are full of personality and love attention...and food. 

We took them into the garden to run around a bit and the first thing they did was scratch around in the dirt until they had a nice hole, then they plopped down in it and took a nice dirt bath.

Meanwhile in the yard, Gypsy stands guard over the Meaties and the new red cockerels.

Tulsa: "Momma! I want a chicken nugget too!!!!"

They learned pretty quickly to just follow the humans around, and whenever they call you, come arunnin' because they have a nice juicy worm or bug for you! 

Stockton hand feeding them some goodies he found in the raised bed.

Curious little boogers, aren't they? 

Coconut sat with her face smooshed under the garden gate, whimpering and whining the whole time. Apparently she wants a chicken nugget too! 

Meet Teddy Wattles (below), Carolina's chicken. Stockton named his cockerel Tom. How original, yes?

Teddy is a cutie patootie, wouldn't you agree? 

He's quite fond of just sitting on your hand and snoozing. 

These city chicks sure love country life! My next post will be about a country chick who is a chicken....literally..in more ways than one! ;) Keep an eye out for that!

Have you ever "rescued" any unwanted Easter critters?

Blessings - 

~ Aspen

Meatie Update: Week 1

Meatie Update: Week 1

 A week ago today I picked up my 26 Meaties. I cannot believe how much they've grown in just a short week!

They have out grown their brooder, yet again, and will soon have to be moved into something bigger!

I've been having to change their bedding daily, they are a bit (OK, very) crowded in their current brooder and I'm desperately trying to rig up something bigger to put them in. Anyone have some plans for a quick "chicken tractor" or an easy DIY brooder?

I'd been having issues with the Meaties kicking their bedding into their waterer, so I moved it up onto a brick to elevate it some. It seemed to work well, until I discovered the waterer was setting at an angle, and the Meaties were roosting on it and therefore knocking it over and spilling all their water into the freshly cleaned brooder. *big sigh*  So I fixed the problem by adding another brick to my platform and it know works brilliantly! No more scooping soiled shavings out of the water. Ick!

I have been added a couple glugs of raw organic apple cider vinegar to their water and I haven't noticed any problems with the Meaties having pasty rear-ends. I know it must be the ACV that is work it's magic, as I have another brooder full of babies I hatched out of the incubator, that I've been giving just plain water to, and about half of them have pasty rear-ends. Going to add some ACV to their water and see if I can't clear up that issue.

I have a feeling we're going to be going through quite a few bags of shavings, judging by the way I've been going through them.

The Meaties have been going outside in a playpen just about everyday, when ever the weather is nice and warm. 

 This picture shows about how big the chicks are now.

I'm already starting to notice a few cockerels in the group. ;)

For the first few days I gave them the normal dry chick starter. But after they got settled in I started fermenting their feed. It took them about half a day to get used to it, but they soon started eating it without any trouble. They seemed to really love it, however I stopped feeding it as they were going through it so quickly and I didn't have the right kind of feeder for it. Plus they were getting so dirty from running through it and "playing" in it. For the time being I switched back to dry feed, but as soon as they move to a bigger brooder and can be outside every day I will start feeding it again. 

As soon as I get some seed, I will begin growing some sprouts for them. I think I'll wait a little big longer before I grow strays of fodder for them, as I don't think they can handle the tall shoots of grass yet, but I think they could easily consume some smaller sprouts. 

This first week has gone by rather smoothly and other than a few minor issues with their water/feed it's gone great!

The Meaties are an extremely calm breed and don't freak out or try to run away when I put my hand in the brooder. In fact, they are very friendly and like nothing better than to just sit in your hand and take a nap, while pecking at your shiny ring! ;)

To be continued next week:

Blessings - 

~ Aspen