Finally got a 20 egg incubator so I could do just one hatch this year. Filled it about half and half with eggs from my head rooster and with eggs serviced by my second rooster. Well day 23 and 6 of my head guys eggs hatched and zero from the other rooster. Are some roosters sterile? So I guess I...
I just did a broody hatch and only one chick hatched and she squished it, it was dead. My question is I have another broody hen and 3 less than 24 hour old chicks in the incubator. Do I take a chance and put the other broody in the cleaned out broody pen, slip the chicks in with her tonite and...
First time incubating my own eggs and would like to try my best to share the experience with my over the road husband. Originally thought to set them 21 days before he is due home but in reading others experiences it might be all over by then. What day should I set them to have him be most...
Having read extensively "How many eggs today", I always note when someone joined after seeing the 20 out of 24 posts. Almost always those posts are this years new members. I find it unusual on older flocks for the numbers to be as high. Are there those of you that totally replace your flock...
Some backround. I have 2 EE roosters the same age: Billy- all white and very large since a chick , much bigger than the other,crowed at 8 weeks, very good with the girls and not aggressive, was very relaxed about the other rooster and they got on well until 2 days ago. Pal- small very nicely...
Gross. I had 26 adult hens and in April added 18 new chicks, 2 of them are roosters. Well the roosters made themselves a place on the roost pronto. Some of the pullets make it up on the roost but a group of 5-6 sleep in a pile on THE POOP BOARD. I have three high roosts and one lower but still...
I know your meat only birds are not raised long enough to molt but imagine some of you have had to cull older layers. Is it harder or easier to pluck them when they are in molt? I have some older sex links who need to go and they are in varying stages of molt.
We just butchered a 3+ year sexlink hen and a crossbeak 23 week old. It was a first time not just observing, It went ok, I was a little shaken. Read all the posts about peeling the feet but man, these were like cutting leather. Could not find anything to peel. I threw them away this time but...
IWe just had to butcher an egg bound hen. It was a very messy time cleaning out all the parts as all were slippery from the yolks inside of her. We got everyting out and washed out the cavity but my husband raised the question of because she had something wrong inside is she safe to eat. She...
I need to hear from people who use it in their baking. Some places say use just like whole wheat some give very specific rules. I would love to switch over if it isn't too crazy.
This was my first year growing a small plot of this for the chickens. When is it ripe? I picked some at a light ivory color on the heads and could see seeds formed but the chickens didn't seem to be able to pull off the seeds. Any body got advice? I bought quite a bit of seed and planned to do a...
I have a hen who a few days ago when I went to let them out exhibitted the strangest neck movements. The best I can describe is like an exorcist twisting movement. All the others went outside but she couldn't seem to be able to go up the one step without falling over so I picked her up and put...
Do you throw them away? Seems like some other animal could use all that protein if it is something that is also wormed. I am using Safeguard for goats. Would a goat raiser appreciate a call?
Just had a flash of genius? Does any one know if you can use canned evaporated milk in a pressure canned soup recipe. I know you aren't supposed to use fresh dairy. Will I kill someone?
Noticed on Monday morning when I fed sprouted wheat (an all time fave) that my EE girl, 1 1//2 yr old didn't even seem interested. To me a chicken uninterested in food is a bad thing, so I began to watch her more carefully and though she was drinking and pooing she never went to the feeder. She...
I am harvesting a large crop of Christmas limas. I have read that raw limas are poisonous. I will have a ton of pods left. Has anybody cooked the pods to use as chicken food? They are green not dried.
Any of you grind your own grain for feed? For flour? Am looking into buying a grain mill and looking for one that can grind coarse and fine pretty well. Anybody got a great one or a horrible one. I need to invest soon and am confused by reviews.
I am getting ready to harvest a few rows of cowpeas which I would like to dehyrate and add to winter scratch. Lately I have been reading about some type of inhibitors and heat treating before use but can't really get a good answer. Do I have to boil or roast them first?
Any body else have hens that fight for 15 minutes on the roost. Oh the toe pecking and head pecking and screams of despair. Every night. There is plenty of room but someone ultimately gets knocked off. I go in every night to close the pop door and it is chaos. Do I just have meanies?
How old is the oldest egg you would consider selling to a customer? Do you date your cartons? I ask because I did date my cartons and if eggs were dated two weeks ago a customer said "well that's not fresh". So I don't date them any more and now have return customers. So what is your cut off...