Recent content by czoellner

I have 63 chickens now, ranging in age from 1 week to 1 1/2 years! But, I've always wanted some Dorkings....

We were using a pine shaving bedding for the chicks. They were fine with it, but the corn cobs were cheaper so we bought that. Guess what? IT'S GREAT!!!! The smell is actually less than it was with the pine. My chicks have shown no interest in eating it. Although I don't put it in for them...

Got 12 Americauna eggs from a friend who "just knew" her rooster wasn't getting the job done. Figured what the heck, nothing to lose as I've been hatching every 3 weeks since march 1st.... on day ten I pulled 2 clears! 10 made it to lock down and hatched 8 beautiful babies! So much for a...

We process ed 7 of the 8 Cornish. Had 4 cut up and battered and fried for the party that afternoon. Put 3 in the freezer. Put the feet in a Ziploc and in the freezer to make stock. Dh saved the blood and mixed with the leftover flour mixture to make his own blood bait for fishing. Gave dog...

Well looks like my hatch is done. Not too bad. Out of the 66 that made it to lock down we have 39 little fuzz butts! The 2 people I hatched them for will pick them up in a week for 1 set and the following week for the other set. So I"all get to play "mama" for a couple weeks. One has a bad...

Day 20 yesterday and 25 hatched!!! Can't believe it! DH just called today, day 21, and says there are 7 in the incubator now waiting for me to get home and move them!!! WOW!!!! I started with 82 eggs in 2 bators. Pulled 16 clears and put 66 in lockdown on day 18. Day 19 had first pip, and...

Lockdown was last night. Tonight when I got home from work, I checked and already have one pip! I've never had one this early, day 20 before but not 19.... so, I'll check again in the morning for progress. I hate having to go to work and leave them all alone in a box with no one to hover over...

Thank you for this. It will help.

Yes! Newspaper and such are "slippery" for chicks. Can cause splayed legs and other leg issues. Use something with traction for them. Even a towel over the paper is better. :thumbsup

We are getting ready this weekend to butcher our Cornish x. We are fine with the killing part. We built a Plucker too, works great! My question is what temp should you scald the bird and for how long before plucking? The last time we either had it too hot or too long as some of the skin tore...

Here's the image for this contest: "Weeeeeeeeeeee....... I can flyyyyyyy!"

I set 82 eggs in two incubators, they are on day 14 today. I just candled them all and pulled 16 that were either clears or blood rings. They are all my eggs from my girls and roo. He's a barred rock, the girls are black sex links, barred rock and dominques. My "babies" are all different...

DH built our tub style Plucker last year and we've only gotten to try it out once for 3 birds for a friend. But I'll tell you what, never never never going back to hand plucking again! We have 8 CX to do in about 2 weeks, then this time next year we'll be doing 20 layers. Every year after...