[GrannieAnnie]

I called the hatchery this morning to order 125 day old chicks for next week as their new brooder shed is just about ready!  Only had to clean out the mess OH left behind!  We are going to rear them for sale as POL's

They called back just after lunch to say that a man coming down from Scotland to pick up 500 couldn't make it, so unless they could get rid of them, they would all be gassed this afternoon because they can't keep them as the next hatch is Monday!

So we are now the proud possessors of......

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300 White Amberlink day old chicks!!!!!

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I had been promised a day out at the Sandringham Game & Country show tomorrow, but can't go now with all these little mites to look after!!!

Would have loved to have been able to get the other 200 as well, but a)  can't afford them all, and b)  as they were white too, but Bovans Whites, we may have had trouble telling them apart when people come to buy them, but the Bovans White lay white eggs which would have been good!!  Wish me luck, hope they all survive okay.  they seem happy enough at the moment.  soon found the food and water!

[Aunt Sally]

:shock: You're a farmer grannie  

Have you got all their vaccinations organised  :?:

[richyrich7]

 Grannie good luck I'll keep my fingers crossed all goes well for you.

[shaun]

good luck grannie well done but i bet your hubby wishes they were turkeys

[WG.]

So how many ya got GA?  300? or 425?

[GrannieAnnie]

They all had their Mareks vaccine this morning Aunty, then when the time comes, they get their Newcastle's and Salmonella.  The only thing is, the doses only come in 1,000's, so a lot will be wasted. But it has to be done!

And WG, we have 300 newbies, 12 POL and 50 ex-batts!  and at the moment, 4 eggs a day!!!!!!!

Thanks for the best wishes, only hope they all survive.  Tonight is the most worrying.  I keep going out and checking the temps.  They were really hot this afternoon with the shine shining on the shed, so the brooder lamp was really high, then I've had to keep lowering it as the day goes on.  Should be okay now, but I'll just check once more before I go to bed.

I think OH would prefer turkey Shaun, but let's see what happens.  If we can get a bigger place, then maybe, but I have to keep his feet on the ground.  Today 300, tomorrow thousands if he had his way!!!!

[agapanthus]

Good for you grannie!!

[GrannieAnnie]

Well, they survived their first night.  The one at the bottom of the piles under the lamps looked a bit sorry for itself this morning, but its running around again now.

I read that because of the yolk sac, don't worry if they don't feed for a few days.  Boy do they eat!!!!!  and drink.  They didn't need showing where the food and water was!!!

When I took thm out of the boxes, one had got her head caught under the fold in the middle of the box, thought she was dead yesterday, but she's running around like anything now.  PHEW, first and worst night over.

[Aunt Sally]

How exciting grannie, do keep the pictures coming  

They all had their Mareks vaccine this morning Aunty, then when the time comes, they get their Newcastle's and Salmonella.  The only thing is, the doses only come in 1,000's, so a lot will be wasted. But it has to be done!

I might have guessed you'd have it all organised  :roll:  

Do the vaccines go out of date quickly or can you save them for the next batch of chicks  :?:

[GrannieAnnie]

No you aren't allowed to save any of the vaccines aunty, in case they get contaminated.  I'm hoping when we have to vaccinate them, it can all be done in the drinking water, rather than injection.  I would worry about sticking the needle in the wrong place!!!

Forgot to mention too, they have a passport!!!!!  The hatchery are very good.  I'd already got a form done to keep their rearing records up to date, but we got one of those, plus  weight sheet so I know if they are growing properly.  Its really good.

Not like when we kept turkeys, I had to design all my own forms then.  The animal transport certificates I had to do my own before, copying them from the DEFRA Website, but now if you've a got a decent computer and a printer, that works properly, (which I haven't at the moment!) you can download a pdf file and just print them off.

There is so much more help and info around now than there was 10 years ago when OH got his first turkeys

[chickychick]

holy mosses all those fussy little fings awwwwwww ..... good for you saving them all !  
go girl!!!

[GrannieAnnie]

You'd like some more Amberlinks wouldn't you Chicky?  Go on, you know you do.......  You've got loadsa room in that big run!!!!!! lol

OH quite surprised me earlier, the new people 2 doors away brought OH a letter delivered to them by mistake the other week, and they stood chatting, and the husband said his wife would like a couple of chickens, so my OH said to me that when the chicks are big enough, he's going to give them a couple. Awwwwwww, how sweet, wonder what he's after!!!!!

I know I'd like the old bath they'll be taking out soon for my carrots next year!!!!!  lol

[chickychick]

aww your so mean you know I am trying to hold out for some black ones now .... so tempted but behaving well and not giving in to temptation..that makes a change!!  

[GrannieAnnie]

   

Where's me black paint???        

[Aunt Sally]

I'm sure you've read this site Grannie :

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/377/small-flock-vaccination