Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[Beekissed]

 

[aussie pete]

for those that like pics
here's a pic of the light Sussex babies i hatched 12 wks ago ( the hatch pics were earlier in this thread)


cheers Pete

 

[aussie pete]

I do. Do this. Put that K away from the birds on Aug 1st. Let him see those females through his fence. Let him rest for two weeks and oogle those females. When you mate him up with that pullet (although she's a year now, isn't she?) in a separate place. He'll be very, very loaded for bear. Collect her eggs for 4 days. Pull him back out. Her eggs will still be fertile another 8-10 days. There's your batch to hatch. Maybe 8-10 good, fresh, fertile eggs.

Then, rinse and repeat. Leaving him on her alone for 14 straight days is too rough for her. No need. If he's penned with her alone for 3 or 4 days, That's more than plenty to fertilize her for the following 8-10 days. Since I only like to set eggs that are 10-12 days old, max, Perfect. This is single pen breeding or single mating as it's called.

best ,simplest & most concise explanation of single pen breeding I've every seen in print- thanks Fred's hens

 

[Beekissed]

best ,simplest & most concise explanation of single pen breeding I've every seen in print- thanks Fred's hens

That's what I was thinking.....that really helped me, as I was going to just pen them both for 10 days and keep the eggs that resulted. She wouldn't have had a feather one on her back by the time he was done! I was going to give her a duct tape saddle blanket....

 

[Cowpoke]

Well, it has began! 5-pips, 1-pipped and zipped out. In my homemade ice chest bator. Early hatchin/pipping on day 20.

 

[Cowpoke]

for those that like pics
here's a pic of the light Sussex babies i hatched 12 wks ago ( the hatch pics were earlier in this thread)


cheers Pete

Hello Pete,
Good looking LS chicks!!! Thank You for posting! I have some trying to hatch right now. I'm hoping for a good hatch.
Take Care!

 

[Tomtommom]

(I need a smiley that's taking notes!)

 

[LindaB220]

for those that like pics
here's a pic of the light Sussex babies i hatched 12 wks ago ( the hatch pics were earlier in this thread)


cheers Pete

These are so stinking cute. Love them. I have Coronation Sussex in the incubator now.

 

[fisherlady]

Although the Rocks are near and dear to me I do love the Light Sussex also.... I have 4 youngsters now, and hens sitting on 4 more eggs...

In broody news.... all 3 of the trio of sisters who raised their chicks together in March are now parked in nest boxes again! 2 already have eggs, and the other will be getting them soon. I think they forgot to read the Large Fowl Hen manual where they are only supposed to brood once a year! They were only away from their chicks 3 or 4 weeks and back into a box they went!

and my faithful little silkie mix, Gracie, is back in full broody mode also. She was away from her little ones 3 or 4 weeks also, but I expect that from her! She will raise 4 or 5 clutches a year.

So right now I have 9 active broodies (5 with chicks, 4 with or waiting for eggs)... and hardly any egg production!

Remember... be careful what you wish for!!!

 

[fisherlady]

Bee... a couple of videos of all of our current broodies enjoying their flock time...

I am active on the Old Fashioned Broody Hatch a long thread, and the Broody Hen thread... took these to use to show folks that chicks are much, much hardier than many give them credit for, especially when raised by a broody! I hear over and over about how folks don't introduce chicks to the flock till they are 8 or even 12 weeks old, for fear of them being hurt... and maybe in some flocks that is a wise choice, but I like to show that there are other ways to do it.

This hen was in the middle of a horrible molt when she went broody...she is actually looking better now, believe it or not! LOL