Lakenvelders

[Giffen Farms]

Are there any lakenvelder raisers on here besides myself?
My question is that I'm having trouble keeping them alive as chicks and as adults, first I hatched about 20 chicks back in late October all were doing great then moved them into the coop around the 4-5 week old age (lowering the brooder temperature a couple of degrees per day to clematis them to the coop temperature before moving) and over the course of a week I lost all of them except a male/female pair, now only have a cockerel from that original hatch if he makes it to adulthood he'll be the replacement for his tailless father.
Second question, now the breeding flock is pecking themselves to death, I've quadrupled they're room thinking that was the issue, lowering the bright lights to make it a bit darker, I'm now down to 7 hens versus the 12 hens I had in the fall and 1 rooster (originally 2 roosters but 1 was way too aggressive towards the kids and that's a no go for me), last night I treated a hen with that blue.?...in a bottle w/bingo dabbed on the cap and stains anything and everything it touches and left out in the alleyway alone to heal last night, trouble for her is that she's bleeding near the vent so anything that comes out like an egg tears out the scab, feather picking is also a problem as most of my birds don't have tail feathers all will be a year old come April.
It's a love hate relationship with this breed but very discouraging normally I'd be knuckles deep in maximizing egg production by now for chicks but don't have that drive.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks

My flock of lakenvelders

[Jaye]

Have you tried upping their protein? Feather pecking is sometimes due to a protein deficiency. It could also be boredom. Maybe try hanging a head of cabbage in their enclosure for them ... keeps them occupied playing tetherball.

[baronrenfrew]

1. get peepers - it stops feather picking (also used for meat birds and pheasants) https://www.berryhill.ca/poultry-anti-pick-s/1898.htm

2. they are bored - especially if in a pen without windows - give them a swing (yes, like cage birds) and food they can tear at - lettuce, pumpkins, bread etc.

3. could be a result of inbreeding / line breeding - get some outside blood.

4. maybe more protein - add mealworms? this is a common problem among pheasant keepers

5. some breeds don't handle confinement well. I hade some years ago and running free - they ran around like pheasants, unbelievable!

[Jaye]

Good point, @baronrenfrew , now that you mention it, I remember reading that lakenvelders don't tolerate confinement well.

[kenya]

I agree with the above comments, you need to enrich their environment to give them something else to think about. Try giving fruits and vegetables, I buy the ones that are discounted. Give them a meaty bone to pick at , I give mine the ham bone and they pick it clean.
Good luck they are beautiful birds.

[kenya]

I think as well the best way to acclimatize chicks is to have a heat lamp in the corner but allow them to move around and return to the heat if they need to. It seems to harden them up better and faster rather than gradually decreasing the heat.

[Kbr42]

I looked at getting some and ultimately I decided against it for that reason.
I hang lettuce, apples, anything really to keep them busy when they can't go out. They like to be able to see outside. Not sure if you can make that happen for them.
As for the chicks, it may have bee too early to move them. Typically, if I raise chicks (without a broody) I don't move them until they are 10 to 12 weeks......really until they are big enough to perch.

[Giffen Farms]

I think as well the best way to acclimatize chicks is to have a heat lamp in the corner but allow them to move around and return to the heat if they need to. It seems to harden them up better and faster rather than gradually decreasing the heat.

They had a heat lamp in the center of the pen plus s heater in the top as well, I decreased the heat in the brooder before moving into the coop, would be nuts to keep the shed at +20° when its -20° outside, my brooder is in our shop where its t shirt weather year round, chicks were boxed on a warm day truck parked inside to help minimize drafts

[Giffen Farms]

I looked at getting some and ultimately I decided against it for that reason.
I hang lettuce, apples, anything really to keep them busy when they can't go out. They like to be able to see outside. Not sure if you can make that happen for them.
As for the chicks, it may have bee too early to move them. Typically, if I raise chicks (without a broody) I don't move them until they are 10 to 12 weeks......really until they are big enough to perch.

I dont normally move until 8-10 weeks but the new gqf brooder has way less headroom than my old brooder did, I have no choice but to move earlier

[Giffen Farms]

I agree with the above comments, you need to enrich their environment to give them something else to think about. Try giving fruits and vegetables, I buy the ones that are discounted. Give them a meaty bone to pick at , I give mine the ham bone and they pick it clean.
Good luck they are beautiful birds.

Adults get table scraps almost daily occasionally will get mealworms when I remember to order them, never thought about adding meat to they're diet