I always start my chicks with mashed up hard boiled egg several times a day. I put chick food in on their second day, but continue with the egg for at least 2 weeks. Also give vitamin/electrolyte water from the start.
Yesterday I saw a hen in the nest box with the rooster laying outside like he was waiting for her. I looked again and she was out of the nest box, and the rooster was in there. He came out when he saw me and there was an egg in the box. Was he wanting to help incubate?
You lay the bird on the floor and place the broomstick over the neck area. Then put your feet on the broomstick, and pull the legs straight up. This causes dislocation and death. Works best for me.
I started out with a meat cleaver, but have since changed to a method I feel is more humane. I do the broomstick method, then put them in the cone and bleed them out.
I looked up that very thing on the internet as I just lost my rooster. Supposedly you can have viable eggs for as long as a month as the hens store pockets of sperm. Very strange.
Yes, we used feeders like that for alpacas. This will be a closed system so to say, where you poor the feed down through a PVC pipe. Just want to know which opening is best.
French Black Copper Marans flock - 1 rooster and 4 hens. Roo and 1 hen 12 months old and 3 hens 14 months old.
Local pick up only - located in Wartrace, TN