Recent content by hillbillyreefer

My neighbor used to raise emu, he had a couple escape, they were spotted all over the country over the next couple of years. The furthest report I recall was 20miles away.

With the head deformities sadly I’d cull it. It’s a horrible thing to have to do, but unfortunately that’s part of having livestock. Like stated above, for splayed legs tape them together for a few days, I have about a 50% success rate doing that. If the splay isn’t too severe placing them...

Like mentioned above, take them out of the racks, the little guys have enough trouble surviving the hatch without any more pitfalls. For hatching I place the eggs in cartons with the tops cut off, in a wire basket lined with paper towel. The shelf liner is an excellent idea.

Take the shrink wrapped chick out, wet your fingers with luke warm water(about 100F) gently wet(a couple drops is enough) the membranes that are stuck to it, wait a minute or so for the membranes to soften, then as gently as possible peel them from the chick. Be cautious of pulling too hard on...

What Wyorp Rock said. Slowly is the key. Some chicks will peck water drops hanging off the end of the syringe, and quit when they have had enough.

I’d move her too.

Close to 2 weeks. I’ve got some 9 day olds beside me right now and they don’t quite have the feather development that your’s do.

I’ve often thought one would work well for birds. I raised thousands of hogs in similar, but much larger, shelters in Alberta.

Wait until they are all running around partying and carrying on and the next moment the brooder is dead silent. You go check and all the chicks are sprawled out having a nap, looking quite deceased. That was my first real mini heart attack moment!

Electronic Temperature controls are available for about $20 why not get one and save yourself the hassle of trying to regulate temps in other ways? It will probably pay for itself quickly with egg survival rates. While your at it put a small 12v computer fan in the ‘bator, I have a bias...

I used translucent coroplast on mine, our climate ranges from -40C to +40C. The coop is light and airy with a pop door open on one end and a full size man door on the other open. It does get warm in summer, but the girls don’t really care, they spend the days outside and only go in to lay and...

If you figure it out, let us all know. Mine often roost outside in the summer when it’s very warm. I used to catch them and move them inside, now I just let them do as they please.

No problem with cold or snow, I’ve had turkeys roost outside at -30F and lower. Usually when it’s that chilly I grab them and put them in their coop, though. Mine are out in the snow everyday that the snow is on the ground, about 100 days so far this winter, with probably 45 left.

That’s a nice setup, hopefully it works well for you! Thanks for posting it.

The Sportsman I have on permanent loan to me from a friend was used for ostrich and emu eggs in its previous life. I use it for Turkey, pheasants, chickens and the occasional duck. It’s around 25 years old and as far as I know it’s completely original, excellent units.