8wk old broiler chicken rescue- help please

[Mamachook76]

I’ve inherited a 8wk old broiler from the local chicken farm last Sunday - and we called her Sunday lol. Guy from farm appeared on doorstep (I have other chooks) and said she didn’t make grade weight for slaughter but he felt she was too good just to kill so he thought he’d bring her to me! She was quite lethargic the first day and obviously stressed, she’s improved over the last few days drinking and eating and is being quiet social. She’s partially feathered so I’m keeping her inside away from my other chickens for the time being - thinking a months quarantine. I’m just looking for any suggestions about her care etc any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Marigold]

Hi Mamachook, and welcome to the Forum.
Oh dear, poor girl! Several of us have experience of exbatts but I don’t think an 8-week-old single broiler has come our way before!
Some thoughts for others to discuss, I hope;

- Did the farmer give you any ideas about feeding her? Normally, 8-week-old chicks would be just coming off high-protein chick crumb and moving on to growers mash, which is formulated to ensure slower but steady growth until they’re ready to lay, and has less calcium than layers mash because they don’t need this until they start having to make eggshells, and it can harm their kidneys if given too early. So normally she should be eating growers pellets for the next 10 weeks. I’ve no experience with broilers, but I expect she was being fed a very high protein diet, possibly with growth enhancers, to enable her to put on weight very rapidly for slaughter at 8 weeks. Totally different from ‘normal’ chicks and their management! I don’t know what she should be fed, but probably she shouldn’t have the same as adult birds for some weeks yet. What are you giving her?

- Because they’re bred simply to put on weight, rather than to develop normal strength in their legs and muscles, broilers often have problems standing and walking on their immature legs as chicks. This may be problematic with your bird, as she adapts to normal life. They’re not bred to be active, a lot of sofa-surfing is the best way to put on weight, as we all know from experience.

- socialisation. It’s always more difficult to introduce a single bird to an established group, as bullying is likely, and as she’s only a 8-week-old chick, even if physically large for her age, this may be difficult. Combined with the problems of feeding her suitably, separate from the adults, I’m not sure how you give her the socialisation with other chickens which will be essential for her, especially as she’ll have been raised in a large flock and it will be very uncomfortable for her to be on her own. What a pity he only gave you one bird. If you had two, you could have perhaps set up a separate coop for them, and tried to bring them on and cater for their special needs over the coming months.

- Outdoor life. I expect she will have been raised in a barn and thus not acclimatised to outdoor temperatures. This is always a problem with poorly-feathered exbatts as well, especially at this time of year when temperatures are dropping. Nevertheless, if you decide to keep her, she will need to live outside, and as the weather is fairly mild at present for October, this should happen sooner rather than later.

There are some welfare issues connected with raising broiler birds, as you see, connected to their genetic engineering to put on weight extremely rapidly in their very short lives. I can understand your willingness to adopt this girl, but it won’t be very easy! I shall be very interested to hear what others think, and news of how you are managing, and I don’t want to seem discouraging, but feel we need to discuss what’s actually involved in order to help you.

 

[Mamachook76]

Thanks for your reply

I had layers mash so that’s what she’s getting atm, she was on a high protein diet before. I’ll look in into getting growers pellets for her. We are self isolating atm.

She’s fairly active and seems to be mobilising well, I’ve had her out in garden a couple of times today and she seemed to enjoy it, I have an old rabbit hutch that would suffice for moving her outside in the near future.

Farmer did say there were others but that she was the only one worth saving. She seems to have very quickly become attached to us and if I’m about and I let her out she’s straight over to me for attention.

 

[Marigold]

Ahh bless! Do let us know how she gets on.
Photos would be lovely. See http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=11259 for help.

 

[Mamachook76]

Picture of sunny/Sunday

 

[Marigold]

What a pretty little bird, thanks for the pics. She looks amazed and a bit dazed, as if she has arrived in a totally new world, doesn’t she? Which she has, of course.)
How much does she weigh, any idea? (If she won’t stay still on the scales, try holding her and weighing both of you, and then just weigh yourself, and subtract the difference.)
Have all the others gone? I just wondered if there was any chance he might let you have a companion to rear with her, it would make socialisation and introductions to the flock so much easier.I don’t suppose she’s ever been handled or come into contact with a real human before you.

 

[LadyA]

A neighbour of mine raised broilers alongside his layers once, and one of those didn't get slaughtered with the rest. He kept her, and she lived for about 1 1/2 years. He said to raise them, you need to watch that they don't overeat, as they're bred to very efficiently convert feed to flesh quickly. He fed her a small amount morning and evening, and she freeranged during the day, as she needed to be made move & exercise for her food. She grew huge! She was like a turkey, stomping around the garden with the little layers.

I seem to remember on the old pp forum years ago, someone crossing a broiler girl with something else to get a good meat bird, but slower growing.

Sent from my SM-A415F using Tapatalk

 

[Marigold]

I don’t suppose they’re sexed at hatch, like commercial laying hens would be. You could be raising a huge unwanted cockerel …..
Maybe get another layer grower from somewhere, possibly a bit older so the sizes matched better, as a companion?
LadyA, how did your friend stop his bird from eating during the day if she was in with the rest of the flock - other than permanent isolation?

 

[LadyA]

I'm not actually sure. I think the feed was in a sort of "run" that the layers could get into easily, but the big girl couldn't, as she was too big for the opening.

Sent from my SM-A415F using Tapatalk

 

[Marigold]

I'm not actually sure. I think the feed was in a sort of "run" that the layers could get into easily, but the big girl couldn't, as she was too big for the opening.

Sent from my SM-A415F using Tapatalk

:| :lol: :lol:
There’s a good cartoon there somewhere! Poor girl!

 

[Mamachook76]

Farmer assured me she is a she - one of my first questions when he gave me her. He didn’t have any other chooks which were suitable for saving - prolly means they were really weedy.

 

[dianefairhall]

I don't have anything to contribute. I just wanted to say she's a pretty little bird and her legs look quite strong at the moment. Hope she does OK.

 

[Mamachook76]

Thankyou Diane fair hall. X

 

[Mamachook76]

Joust wondering anybody got any thoughts on how long I should quarantine her for? She’s wandering round my garden under my supervision and I have a run/hut for her that I’m going set up once I feel better - was intending on putting in rabbit garden rather that the chicken garden at first

 

[Marigold]

It’s up to you, but I’d be inclined to get on with settling her down out of doors ASAP. As she’s only 8-9 weeks old and apparently healthy, not sneezing or infested, maybe the welfare advantages to her own health, mobility, integration with the other chickens, and acclimatisation to outdoor temperatures, will outweigh the possible risk to the others of any infection or contagion. Presumably she’ll be sleeping in her own hut, at least for a while, so not actually in very close contact with the others for the hours on end overnight?
If you leave it much longer, the temperatures will drop especially overnight, and it’ll be more difficult for her to make the change.

 

[chrismahon]

We have taken on broilers and it was a very pleasant surprise. Very placid in nature and eventually laid huge eggs, but with very thin shells. Broilers here are normally are slaughtered at 14 to 16 weeks, so at 16 weeks we only had 5 to wait. Broilers free range from the start because the French don't want mushy stick your teeth together chicken meat, they want some fibre to it and are prepared to pay: It's expensive to rear them, so at least 5m2 free ranging each leads to a supermarket price of €12 (£11) for a 2Kg chicken.

Not sure how much help I can be here Mamachook, because we are talking about completely different breeds. I think Sasso and Hubbards have half that life. But ours do get too hot and we have extra vents in the apex of the coop roof and keep the pop-hole open all year. They are very powerful birds and weigh 6Kg plus each. One wing flap and a leap gets that weight onto the 4' run roof. We didn't restrict their food, but they have 50m2 each free ranging and run about collecting scattered grain. We were worried that they would just sit, eat and get fat, but they love running about and so haven't. They eat double a normal laying hen, so you won't make a profit from the eggs.

Love to hear how 'she' gets on.The cockerels at that age will have much longer legs. Expect a house chicken will be the result because even though they are huge, their placid nature could see them bullied.

 

[Mamachook76]

A wee update for those who are interested. Sunday has intergrated with my other chickens , and after a few altercation with the others now shares a house with them. It’s hilarious to watch this massive chicken cuddle up with her bantam buddies. She still comes to me for cuddles and attention and as been know to steal my cuppa when I’m not looking.

 

[LadyA]

Lovely to hear how she's doing.

Sent from my SM-A415F using Tapatalk

 

[Marigold]

Excellent news! I’d love to see some photos. If you’re not sure how to do this, see this link:
http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=11259

 

[Mamachook76]

Struggling to upload pics, files are too big ?