NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

To rancher Hicks: Thanks for your info. I have 2 of the 3 brand new incubators from Cornell Coop Ext. Although the temp tested 100 when I had it running for 1 1/2 days, after the eggs got in they seem to hold a steady 101. I opened the vent hold but don't want to mess too much now that they are going. I checked it with 2 different thermometers and they both run about 100.9-101.1 I'm a little nervous about it but I read that that it is still in the ball park of acceptability. My bator ran closer to 99.6-100 last year but hatches were almost a day later and hatch was not good. I can;'t do this!! I worry too much!!! If it were just me I wouldn't care, but I don't want to disappoint the 5-6 year olds who are waiting patiently.
K.......

I was told by Don Schrider of the ALBC that if you use two thermometers to take the average of the two and go with that. He also said to follow the manufacturers instruction as closely as possible.

I have the Gen. 1588 and I think that different areas of the incubator are not exact to the temp. I believe this because some of my hatches start early and finish late. This last hatch started on the 23rd (Feb) and finished on the 25th. To be honest the last egg was one that was put in a day after all the rest. The 21st day would have been on fri the 24th. My point being I don't care when they hatch as long as they do. I've learned to be patient and give those last eggs a fighting chance of a day at least. I wait the three days the first chick has before it needs food and water and only after that do I open the incubator and snatch the chicks. I close it back up and leave it to finish.

I do not believe that opening the incubator causes "shrink wrap" The science is just not there. I have had broody hens with shrink wrapped chicks. There are in fact holes in the bottom of my incubator and of course the vent hole in the top. These are necessary for the eggs to breath. Otherwise the incubator would become full of carbon dioxide as the embryos exhale. I haven't studied it but that's my opinion. I believe there is some other reason for shrink wrapped chicks. Perhaps the membrane is to thick and the chick can't break through it. I've noticed when I crack open some eggs this membrane is thicker than others.

I do think opening the incubator to much can create problems. Though I open it and turn each egg a quarter turn for the first three or four days. I know hens rotate their eggs and don't simply rock them back and forth. I've read that they actually move the outer eggs to the middle and the middle eggs to the outside of the group. We don't do that in incubators, thereby leaving the eggs either in a cooler spot or warmer spot of the incubator.

Sorry I said to much again.

Rancher

 

[java girl 2]

thank you all very much for all of the kind offers for eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!! but for one problem, my mom does not know I'm on BYC and will kill me if she finds out and I so want to get eggs from BYC!!!!!!!!!!

so that's why I was thinking of getting eggs from the store. I will check out tsc so thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Aria]

Stonyhill and Cass, Thanks for answering my question on whole wheat bread. Regards, Aria

 

[itsy]

thank you all very much for all of the kind offers for eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!! but for one problem, my mom does not know I'm on BYC and will kill me if she finds out and I so want to get eggs from BYC!!!!!!!!!!

so that's why I was thinking of getting eggs from the store. I will check out tsc so thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you wanting to raise meat birds for a 4H project?

If you are raising them to try and save money for your family - it may be cheaper to buy Purdue when it's on sale at the grocery store then to raise up birds for meat, especially if you are raising birds that are not necessarily meant to be meat birds. Sure, you can eat any chicken, but their size is going to be much different than a true heritage bird (not a hatchery bird) or a bird intended for meat like Cornish X, Red Broiler or Freedom Ranger.

By the time the bird you grow is old enough for you to eat it - you've spent a ton of money on feed. I know - I've done it. If the reason to raise your own meat birds is to be healthier, that's one thing. If money is a concern - that's another thing.

The best way to get cheap chicken to eat is to constantly watch craigslist for people getting rid of roosters (that they don't want rehomed as pets.)

 

[vmdanielsen]

I was told by Don Schrider of the ALBC that if you use two thermometers to take the average of the two and go with that. He also said to follow the manufacturers instruction as closely as possible.

I have the Gen. 1588 and I think that different areas of the incubator are not exact to the temp. I believe this because some of my hatches start early and finish late. This last hatch started on the 23rd (Feb) and finished on the 25th. To be honest the last egg was one that was put in a day after all the rest. The 21st day would have been on fri the 24th. My point being I don't care when they hatch as long as they do. I've learned to be patient and give those last eggs a fighting chance of a day at least. I wait the three days the first chick has before it needs food and water and only after that do I open the incubator and snatch the chicks. I close it back up and leave it to finish.

I do not believe that opening the incubator causes "shrink wrap" The science is just not there. I have had broody hens with shrink wrapped chicks. There are in fact holes in the bottom of my incubator and of course the vent hole in the top. These are necessary for the eggs to breath. Otherwise the incubator would become full of carbon dioxide as the embryos exhale. I haven't studied it but that's my opinion. I believe there is some other reason for shrink wrapped chicks. Perhaps the membrane is to thick and the chick can't break through it. I've noticed when I crack open some eggs this membrane is thicker than others.

I do think opening the incubator to much can create problems. Though I open it and turn each egg a quarter turn for the first three or four days. I know hens rotate their eggs and don't simply rock them back and forth. I've read that they actually move the outer eggs to the middle and the middle eggs to the outside of the group. We don't do that in incubators, thereby leaving the eggs either in a cooler spot or warmer spot of the incubator.

Sorry I said to much again.

Rancher

Rancher, you never say to much!

 

[PoultryPlot]

Hello everyone! I am kind of new here on BYC. I have lerked for a while, but just recently created an account. My family and I have a small chicken hatchery (well more breeder farm than hatchery) And hatch many quality birds. We are from Horseheads, NY which is in the Finger Lakes region. Last year we held a sale in June and it was a HUGE success. We are planning on having another one this year on June 9th, which is the second weekend of June. This year we are considering turning it into a swap/sale. We are NPIP tested and have a clean and healthy flock of birds. Is there anyone interested in coming to buy/sell this year? Obviously we are going to be very careful as far as diseases and will be holding the sale away from our flock area and will respectfully ask anyone to leave that have birds that appear to be unhealthy. If anyone is interested please send me a PM and I will be happy to answer any questions. Here is a list of birds we currently hatch and may or may not be offering because we are unsure what we will be selling out of before then:


Americauna/Aracauana
B.B. Red Old English Game Bird
Black Sex Link
Brown Leghorn
Campine
Cochin
Copper Maran
Cubalaya
Cuckoo Maran
Malay
Phoenix
Polish
Red Sex Link
Rhode Island Red
Turken
White Leghorn
Yokahoma

Bantam Breeds:
Americauna/Aracuana
Barred Rock
Buttercup
Cochin
D'uccle
Frizzle
Hamburg
Japanese
Orpington
Self Blue Old English Game
Silver Laced Rock



If you are interested in selling please let me know what you will have available. We will be offering, hatching eggs, day old chicks, immature birds, mature birds.
We will also be having raffles, door prizes and possibly (depending on how much feed back I get) a Chicken BBQ. I look forward to hearing everyone's feed back! I hope to get a lot of people interested so it's not just the local crowd.

 

[happyhensny]

Hello everyone! I am kind of new here on BYC. I have lerked for a while, but just recently created an account. My family and I have a small chicken hatchery (well more breeder farm than hatchery) And hatch many quality birds. We are from Horseheads, NY which is in the Finger Lakes region. Last year we held a sale in June and it was a HUGE success. We are planning on having another one this year on June 9th, which is the second weekend of June. This year we are considering turning it into a swap/sale. We are NPIP tested and have a clean and healthy flock of birds. Is there anyone interested in coming to buy/sell this year? Obviously we are going to be very careful as far as diseases and will be holding the sale away from our flock area and will respectfully ask anyone to leave that have birds that appear to be unhealthy. If anyone is interested please send me a PM and I will be happy to answer any questions. Here is a list of birds we currently hatch and may or may not be offering because we are unsure what we will be selling out of before then:


Americauna/Aracauana
B.B. Red Old English Game Bird
Black Sex Link
Brown Leghorn
Campine
Cochin
Copper Maran
Cubalaya
Cuckoo Maran
Malay
Phoenix
Polish
Red Sex Link
Rhode Island Red
Turken
White Leghorn
Yokahoma

Bantam Breeds:
Americauna/Aracuana
Barred Rock
Buttercup
Cochin
D'uccle
Frizzle
Hamburg
Japanese
Orpington
Self Blue Old English Game
Silver Laced Rock



If you are interested in selling please let me know what you will have available. We will be offering, hatching eggs, day old chicks, immature birds, mature birds.
We will also be having raffles, door prizes and possibly (depending on how much feed back I get) a Chicken BBQ. I look forward to hearing everyone's feed back! I hope to get a lot of people interested so it's not just the local crowd.

 

[Cass]

Hello everyone! I am kind of new here on BYC. I have lerked for a while, but just recently created an account. My family and I have a small chicken hatchery (well more breeder farm than hatchery) And hatch many quality birds. We are from Horseheads, NY which is in the Finger Lakes region. Last year we held a sale in June and it was a HUGE success. We are planning on having another one this year on June 9th, which is the second weekend of June. This year we are considering turning it into a swap/sale. We are NPIP tested and have a clean and healthy flock of birds. Is there anyone interested in coming to buy/sell this year? Obviously we are going to be very careful as far as diseases and will be holding the sale away from our flock area and will respectfully ask anyone to leave that have birds that appear to be unhealthy. If anyone is interested please send me a PM and I will be happy to answer any questions. Here is a list of birds we currently hatch and may or may not be offering because we are unsure what we will be selling out of before then:


Americauna/Aracauana
B.B. Red Old English Game Bird
Black Sex Link
Brown Leghorn
Campine
Cochin
Copper Maran
Cubalaya
Cuckoo Maran
Malay
Phoenix
Polish
Red Sex Link
Rhode Island Red
Turken
White Leghorn
Yokahoma

Bantam Breeds:
Americauna/Aracuana
Barred Rock
Buttercup
Cochin
D'uccle
Frizzle
Hamburg
Japanese
Orpington
Self Blue Old English Game
Silver Laced Rock



If you are interested in selling please let me know what you will have available. We will be offering, hatching eggs, day old chicks, immature birds, mature birds.
We will also be having raffles, door prizes and possibly (depending on how much feed back I get) a Chicken BBQ. I look forward to hearing everyone's feed back! I hope to get a lot of people interested so it's not just the local crowd.

I'm confused as to the first breed you list. Are you selling Ameruacanas or Araucanas? They are not the same breed. Or is it a mix of the two breeds?

 

[java girl 2]

Are you wanting to raise meat birds for a 4H project?

If you are raising them to try and save money for your family - it may be cheaper to buy Purdue when it's on sale at the grocery store then to raise up birds for meat, especially if you are raising birds that are not necessarily meant to be meat birds. Sure, you can eat any chicken, but their size is going to be much different than a true heritage bird (not a hatchery bird) or a bird intended for meat like Cornish X, Red Broiler or Freedom Ranger.

By the time the bird you grow is old enough for you to eat it - you've spent a ton of money on feed. I know - I've done it. If the reason to raise your own meat birds is to be healthier, that's one thing. If money is a concern - that's another thing.

The best way to get cheap chicken to eat is to constantly watch craigslist for people getting rid of roosters (that they don't want rehomed as pets.)

I am raising my birds for better and healthier meat and eggs. I raise heritage chickens, guineas and turkeys and I hope to have Muscovy ducks as well this year. I find for my birds the way that I raise them, the feed is less with the heritage birds free ranging than the all meat birds, I HATE THE ALL MEAT BIRDS, don't like the way they live and don't like the taste !!!!!!!!!! they are not for me!!!! I was thinking that the brown eggs may have heritage in them but maybe not??? I just wanted to have more eggs to hatch then what i am getting right now, looks like I will have to wait till the warmer weather comes.

 

[java girl 2]

Hello everyone! I am kind of new here on BYC. I have lerked for a while, but just recently created an account. My family and I have a small chicken hatchery (well more breeder farm than hatchery) And hatch many quality birds. We are from Horseheads, NY which is in the Finger Lakes region. Last year we held a sale in June and it was a HUGE success. We are planning on having another one this year on June 9th, which is the second weekend of June. This year we are considering turning it into a swap/sale. We are NPIP tested and have a clean and healthy flock of birds. Is there anyone interested in coming to buy/sell this year? Obviously we are going to be very careful as far as diseases and will be holding the sale away from our flock area and will respectfully ask anyone to leave that have birds that appear to be unhealthy. If anyone is interested please send me a PM and I will be happy to answer any questions. Here is a list of birds we currently hatch and may or may not be offering because we are unsure what we will be selling out of before then:


Americauna/Aracauana
B.B. Red Old English Game Bird
Black Sex Link
Brown Leghorn
Campine
Cochin
Copper Maran
Cubalaya
Cuckoo Maran
Malay
Phoenix
Polish
Red Sex Link
Rhode Island Red
Turken
White Leghorn
Yokahoma

Bantam Breeds:
Americauna/Aracuana
Barred Rock
Buttercup
Cochin
D'uccle
Frizzle
Hamburg
Japanese
Orpington
Self Blue Old English Game
Silver Laced Rock



If you are interested in selling please let me know what you will have available. We will be offering, hatching eggs, day old chicks, immature birds, mature birds.
We will also be having raffles, door prizes and possibly (depending on how much feed back I get) a Chicken BBQ. I look forward to hearing everyone's feed back! I hope to get a lot of people interested so it's not just the local crowd.

what kinds of Cochins do you have??? can you ship??