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  1. VikkiP

    Welcome to my pond - Swim, wade, or sit on the bank

    November 14 in the middle of Michigan. 60 and sunny!
  2. VikkiP

    Home made cabinet incubator

    I built it to hold up to 5 auto turners, 4 turners/1 hatcher, or 3 turners/2 hatchers, so anywhere from 41 to 205 chicken eggs with auto turners. I am loading in 24 more of our flock's finest, as I found a buyer for my older flock and want to hatch their replacements. I built it big because I...
  3. VikkiP

    When do they go bald?

    I had a Mottled Black last year that I seriously thought was simply the tallest hen I had ever seen. It was just a very late blooming tom and still hadn't developed his caruncles or beard at 7 months. Others who were on schedule were distinct at 16 weeks. I just bought a 7 month old "hen" who...
  4. VikkiP

    laying egg

    A hen will lay a clutch of 10-14 eggs before setting, if she chooses to set. The first eggs laid will not be rotten, they wait for incubation as long as they are not in a puddle or in the mud. They just don't start to develop until they are incubated.
  5. VikkiP

    How long do you let them grow???

    Wi set pickups over two days, with the day's clearly stated at time of order. I would let the customers do what they want with their fresh bird, and send them off as soon as possible after processing. If your refrigeration were to fail, that is an expensive problem. I bought the shrink bags...
  6. VikkiP

    Why isn't my narrgansett hen sitting?

    The eggs should be fertile, if your tom is doing his job too. Just because she isn't broody now doesn't mean she won't go broody next month or next year. Narragansetts in general are known for their good mothering capability.
  7. VikkiP

    Poult's Wing Feathers Growing in Oddly

    How do Stuffing's wings look when stretched out? As they grow, the wings often fold somewhat oddly, but when spread they should be symmetrical. I'd never guess they were the same age.
  8. VikkiP

    Turkey Talk for 2014

    I have raised hundreds of poults, both hatched and bought, broad breasted, heritage, and wild. I had one "suicide", it was Eastern Wild turkey on the mom's side (mom was crazy) and Narragansett on the tom's side. The little female poult was capable of 2' vertical leaps within days of hatch...
  9. VikkiP

    Put him on a diet?

    Lettuce has almost no nutritional value. Grass, sprouted wheat, squash and pumpkins, alfalfa hay...
  10. VikkiP

    my new turkeys!

    Turkey or game bird starter crumbles, 24-28% protein, are the ideal food for your young poults. After 8 weeks or so (with heritage birds), you can switch them to grower pellets. After 16 weeks you decide their role in life, whether they are destined for the dinner table or going to be part of...
  11. VikkiP

    Turkey Talk for 2014

    I don't separate my chickens and turkeys...ever. The only issues come when an ambitious rooster tries to mount a turkey hen while she is eating or sleeping. When she jumps up the roo goes flying! I've never had any chicken-turkey fights, and no fights over food at all. But I have a good...
  12. VikkiP

    Dry membrane is it time to intervene???!!

    It looks like your little duck wasn't quite "ripe" yet. Wish you luck with your little one.
  13. VikkiP

    HELP! 8 week old chick got all skin and feathers pecked off her head!

    Chickens have remarkable healing powers. As long as the wound is kept clean, does not become infected, and doesn't get picked on further, she may heal just fine. She may end up bald-headed, though. I had a few birds survive similar scalpings over the years.
  14. VikkiP

    6 chickens dead

    I am so sorry for you. Early on in my chicken raising days, we kept a handful of birds in an old corn crib that had been converted to a coop. We would lock them up every night, seemingly snug and safe. But a raccoon came in one night and did the sort of damage you describe. It climbed up a...
  15. VikkiP

    Turn longer or lockdown earlier?

    An unexpected five day trip will leave me with a couple dozen very critical eggs in the incubator. As I don't have anyone to tend to them, is it better to: Put them in lockdown 8 days before expected hatch with higher humidity, or Leave them in the turner and hope none pip before we arrive...
  16. VikkiP

    need help with incubator!!!!

    100F is working well for me, I am using a part time fan, it is on when the heat is on. With a digital controller, the heating element and fan cycles pretty often so there isn't a lot of temperature difference from corners to middle or top to bottom. Normally 99.5 for incubators with fan and...
  17. VikkiP

    Michigan Hatchers! What'cha got cookin?

    I am using AccuTemps, about $11 each. They measure humidity and temperature. I bought two and put them in the same incubator for a few days. Humidity readings varied by 2% but temps were spot on, I calibrated my digital thermostats then swapped thermometers to be sure. All good. I found...
  18. VikkiP

    Neighbor's dog killing my chickens

    To SternRose: If you choose to be a dog owner who does not contain your dog on your property, and you acknowledge that your dog trespasses on other people's property, then you and your dog are no more responsible than your neighbor and his dog. Your dog "playing" with someone else's...
  19. VikkiP

    When Can You Leave Baby Chicks?

    Use two heat lamps in case one burns out if they are not well feathered. I am leaving 25 less than a week old broilers, three turkeys 1 to 5 weeks, and 6 5 wk old bantams alone for two days, then home two days while another turkey hatches, then gone a week and back for 22 turkeys hatching...
  20. VikkiP

    Little Giant Incubator Tricks

    Adding the egg turner itself does not affect temperature. However adding a much cooler egg turner midway through incubation will bring down temps in exactly the same way as filling the incubator with room temp eggs. Since your eggs were warm, they would shed a few degrees to the turner, and...
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