7 Weeks

It's been 7 weeks since I started and boy has it been hectic. Now the chicks are quite big, about 1kg plus, almost 2kgs. Another 7 weeks to go until I sell the last batch. By week 12 I am expecting to sell off some because I have received pre-orders for a party in the beginning of November. Our supplier has promised another batch of chicks coming in next week. We are still contemplating whether or not to go for 100 or 200 chicks.

The last 7 weeks have been good to us. We've lost 3 chicks to natural causes and not disease. I have been feeding them corn (crushed) from 5 weeks plus up til now. I did have some hiccups with regards to them eating so little but I managed to overcome that by mixing 1 part chicken feed to 5 parts corn. It obviously made a difference because they were back to their old self again. I think I made a judgement error by switching broiler feed with corn abruptly, instead of weaning them to it.

The weather has been good so our water source has been clean and not muddy (Gravity fed water). A good suggestion is to always ensure your chicks receive fresh clean water. I have been pondering on watering nipples for my future projects (plus my wife is nagging because we have to refill the 5 liter water feeders ( I call them upright bombs... don't ask) three times a day. Also, it would make everything much easier.

I have made many new friends over the past few weeks, all of whom are also chicken keepers. A lot of ideas and new information on chicken health and diseases. I am fortunate to not have lost many chicks. My mother in-law seems to think I should go bigger and expand this small project. But I think I will wait another 3 to 4 months before taking the plunge. It's a big investment even for 100 chicks. I have to make sure I have the time to manage the chicks before I can even consider doing it. We have our rubber trees and vegetables to think about too.

Never in my wildest dreams I would have thought that one day I would end up being a 'Petani Moden' (Modern Farmer in Malay), but I am glad I did. Oh yes, I am glad I got chicken stricken too...