I'm new at raising meat chickens and I was wondering if more room is better? How long do I need to keep them under a heat lamp? Is turkey starter okay for them?

Thanks

They will need at least four square feet of floor space at maturity. Don't skimp on this. Start them at 95 degrees under the lamp and reduce the temperature by five degrees each week until you reach 70 degrees. For cornish cross broiler chicks, start with 24-26% broiler ration, and use something like Broiler Booster from Murray McMurray. It's a vitamin and electrolyte supplment. Make sure they get exercise!!!!!!!!! For the first three days, you can keep the feeders and fountains close so they find their way around, but after that, move the feeders toward the outer limits of the building a few feet each day until they are as much as 10-12 feet apart with the heat in the middle. They need exercise. Good Luck.

Thank you so much Dr. Smith! I am raising them for a fair so they will only be with me for a few weeks but hopefully they will be healthy weeks. Do you also know what I should vaccinate them for? I had chickens before where I am going to raise them. Is bleach and water enough to completely clean everything?
Thanks again
chick47

Have the hatchery vaccinate them for Marek's disease. If they are from a reputable hatchery, they should be pullorum free, etc.
I wash down my previously used buildings with a bleach water spray of maybe 10 parts water to 1 part bleach, which is pretty strong. This is after I thoroughly clean everything as well as I can. I like to wet all the surfaces and let them air dry,even the ceiling and walls. Make sure it's well aired before putting chicks in there, and get your heat regulated before the chicks arrive.
I use shavings for bedding for new broilers, then switch to straw when they are big enough to walk on it.
Cornish cross sleep on the floor at our place, so be prepared to change bedding completely when the manure and/or moisture begin to be a problem. The bedding is a foot or so deep in or building when I change it for them. The weather affects this, of course, but try to keep the bedding dry. If you smell ammonia when you go in the building, it's time to dig out and put in new bedding.
Good luck at the show!

Thanks for all the help. I only have half of the cage left to spray down with the bleach and water mixture. I get the chicks on Tuesday. Wish me the best of luck!!
Chick47

I just got the birds today. They are cornish cross. Three males and five females. They aren't exactly tiny (they are three weeks old!) I was wondering if pooping blood is not normal (I don't think it is). Could it be a symptom of a sickness? They pooped on the way home so I know that it's not because of the food that I've given them. Could it just be due to all of the excitement of the day??? Please anybody I need help! Please feel free to write anything if you think you know anything about this.
Thank you so much,
Chick47

Did they come from a hatchery, or just someone who raises them? How were they being raised where you got them? I would be suspicious of parasites if the conditions were dirty or unsanitary. What were they being fed? And why three weeks old? From time to time it's not unheard of to see a little red in the droppings, but I'd like to know where it's coming from. Are they continuing to do it? If you took a sample of this to a vet, he/she could tell you if it's blood or not. Cornish X do lots of defecating, so the frequency isn't unusual. If this keeps up after having them at home for 3-4 days, post a message here to let us know. Describe the birds as carefully as possible as to condition, activity, alertness, etc. I would look upon any real lethargy as a bad sign, but don't confuse this with sleeping after eating.