nemember from lancashire, united kingdom

[alfs]

hi
I decided to join after reading a few post on here,
I'm from a small town called Blackburn in Lancashire, England.

when I moved to my current address I purchased 3 rhode island hens, since taken them on a hen went broody and I sat here on some bantams which she hatched 3 of 4 (1 yellow bantam hen + 2 cockerels) hen stayed.
within the course of the next 2 years the little yellow bantam became broody hatched 2 hens + 1 cockerel (cream legbar + splash maran + rhode island red cockerel , that had to go).
I later took on 5 of my brothers hens after his neighbors complained of seeing a rat, I ended up keeping them + my 2 babies (cream legbar + splash maran) so now have 7 hens.

I am looking into getting a cockerel anti crow strap (the thing that keep it from filling it lungs to much so it cant crow to much) so I can keep a cockerel, anyone with any advise please. ???
(is it cruel e.t.c.)

I purchased 3 Indian runner ducks and love them also, a trio of 2 ducks + 1 drake at almost 5 weeks of age.
later it turned out to be 1 duck + 2 drakes so 1 had to go back and the lady didn't have any more females, I have now a white drake + trout duck at 11 weeks old on 28/5/2015.
after watching my ducks I think I would like more maybe 5 ducks + 1 drake in total
I have just purchased a brinsea mini advance and sat 6 Indian runner duck eggs in there (27/5/2015 @ 7:10pm) got the bug I think

if anyone is reading this and has hatched Indian runner ducks that can offer any advice, it would be appreciated.
if you have a brinsea mini advance and have hatched Indian runner ducks, the settings you used would be of great help.

my settings i have used are as follows
the well that you fill with water in the brinsea is divided into 2 compartments, I have filled 1 compartment (fill both on last few days from what I have read), I have set temperature to 37.5c , turn cycle every 45Min's + number 12 on turn angle (it turns them a full half way sort of speak, the pencil number i put on the eggs goes from top to bottom) I have not yet set the cooling feature.

the cooling feature says to set from day 7 and for 180Min's, (hope this is right)

any help or advise would be greatly appreciated

thanks
Alf

 

[drumstick diva]

Hi Alf, very nice to meet you. Glad you joined the Backyard chickens flock. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I don't know anything about incubators but, as other greeters wake up, I'm sure they will have some answers for you.

You might try "Raising Backyard chickens " forum - the menu opens to the right and it includes threads on incubation and hatching. and also The Learning Center.

 

[drumstick diva]

There have been mixed reviews re: the rooster collar. Some say it works, others say not at all. Some folks have reported injuries to their roosters, including one who got his foot caught in the collar trying to get it off.

 

[Chicken Girl1]

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi Alf from Yorkshire UK

Glad you could join the flock! That's quite a flock of birds you are growing there. I'm afraid I'm not a duck person and I have the Brinsea octagon so can't be of much help to you on that. But please do drop by the duck section of the forum for help on incubating ducks. Here is the link ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/42/ducks

I've also heard mixed reviews on the no crow collar, some saying yes and some saying no. I've personally never tried them as I live in a village and buy the neighbours silence with eggs!! This way they don't complain about my boys.

Wishing you the very best of luck with your expanding flock. Enjoy BYC

 

[alfs]

thanks for all comments so far

I live at the end house near country.. fields at side of my property .. i fancy getting a cockerel but i would have to try and silence it as my better half, she works nights + my next door neighbours do all kinds of shift work (nights e.t.c. )

 

[Danish Chicks]

Welcome to BYC

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

thanks for all comments so far

I live at the end house near country.. fields at side of my property .. i fancy getting a cockerel but i would have to try and silence it as my better half, she works nights + my next door neighbours do all kinds of shift work (nights e.t.c. )

Sounds a good start being on the end with fields at the side. Really you do get used to them crowing, I don't even notice mine now. I'm quite sure mine crow a lot because they are competing with each other!! The lady over the road had one before I started out with chickens and he was on his own and didn't crow half as much as mine do.
Good luck.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[nj2wv]

welcome to BYC !!