Thanks for your responses. Sounds like I have a workable plan. I just need to quickly locate a good roo and start fine tuning the incubator to make sure it is ready. I have several friends with chickens so I don't think I will have too much trouble finding a loaner rooster.
I am keeping 6 hens for a friend for a couple of weeks.I am thinking about putting a rooster with them for a while so I can hatch some chicks while the girls are in my care. My friend is fine with this. If I introduce an experienced roo to the girls how long should it take before I can count on...
After losing our dog a few years ago we had a horrible a horible preditor problem and gave up. This week an old buddy of mine that I had given a few hens to asked if we could keep his hens for a few weeks due to a family emergency. I tok the day of today and reasembled the old chicken tractor...
It's looking like I am going to have to get rid of Ziggy cause he plays too rough with my 18 month old grandson.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/731041/free-chicken-protecting-dog-in-northern-indiana
I have a 5 year old black lab springer spaniel mix that is a wonderful chicken protector. He has co existed with my free range chickens for a couple of years now, and though he spends most of his time indoors in that two years we have lost only two chickens to predators. One to a hawk and one to...
It has been my experience that the broody seems to know if the hatch is over. I think if she is still interested in the eggs, you have some chicks that are doing OK.
My broody has been on the eggs every time I have checked and I expected that tomorrow would be the day. Instead I came home today and she was off the eggs and they were sort of buried in the dirt and they were cold! I busted the eggs open and they seemed to be well on their way and none of them...
My chickens free range, and they say to put golf balls where you want them to nest, but mine won't fall for the golf ball trick! I ended up emptying some real egg shells with the pin hole trick and filling the shell with sugar.
I'm a few days late. Can I still play? Our friend gave us 6 Cayuga duck eggs to incubate. I was going to fire up the bator, but our best broody hen decided she was ready for another go at motherhood so I gave them to her today. I know she can do more than 6 eggs so I am thinking about waiting a...
I have been known to brag about the fact that my Black Lab Ziggy is such a good protector of the flock. I didn't really have to train him. I just said no when he made any aggressive moves toward my birds and he caught on to the idea that the chickens are under his protection. One of the last...
A couple of winters ago we had a deer that must have got hit by a car, run into my back yard before it died. I didn't trust the meat because I didn't know how long it had been there. So I built a bonfire and burned it. You just keep adding wood till it is all gone.
I have a hen who is trying to go broody right now in an outside nest. If I built a shelter around her and kept her in feed and water is there a downside to having chicks hatch outside in December? Will she keep them warm enough, assuming she is a good mom?
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Forget that! I would rather just let the people buying the eggs inspect my setup if they want. I think I will just put up a sign that says eggs for sale, and let the birds in the yard do the talking!