I think that is instinctive behavior because small chicks are most in danger from birds of prey coming down from the sky. I wouldn't worry about it. By the time they mature and are too large for most prey birds, they will be following you around looking for food from you.
ANy suggestions to help the coating on my marans eggs. I suspect dietary deficiency but they are fed good layer food plus a variety of whole grains,alfalfa, and BOSS. The coating on many eggs is non-existent along with thin shells. Do the marans require a higher protein level than normal (...
how accurate would you think a 60 yr old original mercury thermometer is in the Farm Master 1200 we have.
Had loads of bad hatches last year even though we ran 3 different digitals inside it. This year I am thinking just use the original thermometer and it's holding temp right at the arrow...
In our 1200 egg farm master, I used a large floor tile to fit across the water pan area, then used the plastic drawer dividers fit in to cover the area. They are 1 1/2 inches deep and sometimes have to fill hem daily to get the humidity up at lockdown.
If you have a broody hen, let her hatch the keets and raise them. They will think they are chickens and relate more to the chicken flock and be less likely to roam.
Good luck. IMHO, the main places to mess up are first in the dunking: dunk up and down and test feather pulling. It's easy to misjudge the timing here and in only doing one, you are likely to get it wrong. Don't worry about it- if it's too long and tears the skin you can always skin him. I...
I Haven't been around here much the past months, but DH is starting to ask when we are sending the batch of late March roos to process in Frystown. I have no freezer room so they need to wait and we need to pick out a flock replacement roo from the bunch.
Future SIL is raising a flock of 25...
I like using Ivomec pour-on for worming: a few drops per chicken. I don't worry about withdrawal time because they use wormers in cancer treatments in humans in combinations with other drugs and by the time it goes through the hen's system it's been refined further. Of course, we don't sell our...
update: It was near dark and DD stopped by so I lifted the cover where the hen was nesting.
Well, that was the decision: 3/4 the eggs were not under her. I grabbed a nearby container and scooped them up, leaving her 9 eggs. Replaced the cover and she scooted under it before we turned around...
hi PeepsCA, I'd like some advice. I was going to let our white guinea hen brood where she hid it, (fairly safe spot close to house)but Dh said her shelter slid off today and he saw the nest. Its FULL of eggs-- he thinks 30-40. A month ago we found the first nest and incubated 42, ended up with...
I hope these are the same two roos DH was holding ( We have 13 in the pen so you understand the confusion.) Ignore any with a yellow tag: we have already nixed that one. Pink tags mean =possible keepers. The heavier one of these roos holds his tail a bit straighter up and I fear it is too...
Dh and I are looking for the best roos to keep. These are April hatch and two of th top contenders by our eyes. Please critique and help us decide. And yes, DH was wondering why I was chuckling while I snapped the pics.
Totally depends upon the dog. We have a Black Russian Terrier, which is a guard dog, but very very mellow and intelligent. She ignores the guineas because ( i think) she realizes they are brainless. She guards the chickens and even the chicks. We have a resident wild pheasant right now and the...
LOL reading this thread!
I tried so hard to give my girls nice but different names: Lynne then named her daughter Ann -- so people wouldn't always forget the E
Andrea became Dreya in high school and no one remembers her real name, and Marisa ( one s) is now known as Misa instead of the Isa...
Reporting back to say they have been hatching the last three days. My humidity went up to the mid 60s. the last two were shrinkwrapped and I helped them a lot but made them take the last wrapping off themselves after soaking it soft. Last baby is still drying off but appears ok.
Makes me wonder...
Is 60% high enough for guinea hatching humidty? The chicken eggs are popping but the guineas are at day 28 and nothing yet. LARGE Old cabinet incubator that holds temp and humidity like magic, but not sure what to do to get higher humidity than the low 60s. I use lots of sponges already.
Just found our two hens on a nest with 42 eggs. They are not happy to be disrupted. Eggs went in the incubator. The guineas had been laying with the chickens in the henhouse until about 3 weeks ago. The outside nest location is accessible and close to the house. If we do not disrupt it, will...
Wynette and Marquisella, thanks for the input. Other breeds are hatching well and I have triplicate thermometers/hygrometers and I have come to LOVE the monsterbator even though it's an enormous( 1200 egg) beast.
We will look into the higher nutrition aspect. I am very familiar with different...
I am frustrated. 100% hatch of a dozen blue/green eggs and 25% hatch of our black marans. All are fertile. I just finished the eggtopsy and found most dead in the shell before pipping through the membrane... although one had pipped through into the air cell and one is still alive. I opened it...