4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Good morning, I woke up with a NYD hatchalong dream. My eggs that I ordered arrived (I ordered Serama eggs, that is tiny eggs) and got HUGE eggs, that turned out to be Emu eggs, and they didn't fit in the incubator, ROFL. Maybe I'm getting a little TOO eggcited over that hatch?

LOL Clucks! ....the eggs invading your dreams rofl

 

[cluck-cluck]

I know, a lot of other weird stuff happened regarding trying to set the eggs, and having all kinds of problems, being back at work, which was interfering with my setting the eggs and trying to look up what kind of eggs they really were by shape and size on the computer, while nobody was looking, ROFL, wonder what's up with me again.........

Maybe these hatchalongs are too stressful for me,

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
No I don't, if you have say 50 birds that can get expensive. Don't get me wrong, but I would have no problem with it, even a sick bird that could be fixed with antibodies, won't stay alive at my house. Sick birds (which I don't have) would be culled. I know it sounds insensitive, but that is how you keep your flock healthy, I've heard of numerous folks that are constantly using antibodies and don't know why their birds keep getting sick, well they have compromised their birds natural immune systems. So yes, a 20$ a swap, I wouldn't be doing it just for s**** and giggles to see if my chicks have some sorta of disease. 20$ can buy my household meat for 5 days, you way it out, buy a chick for say 3.50$ then test it for 20$ makes no sense to me. You still have to cull your chicks if it is positive.

I am a big believer in bio security.

Our bio security includes:

1. NO ONE ever walks around our property ever for any reason. We have fences and gates for a reason.
2. NO ONE handles any bird prior to paying for it, no pet store look and pet and pick another here.
3. We are NPIP (about to do our yearly re-test)
4. We cull ALL birds who have genetic issues
5. We are careful who we buy from, or try to be, and do our research and ask around
6. New birds are quarantined no exceptions.
7. Clean all incubators and hatchers between every set of eggs.
8. we have isolation cages/sick ward where we can have heat, running water and a/c (super hot summers) for when a bird or any animal we have is in need of medical help.

Now we are lucky in that our largest numbers are in waterfowl, they dont suffer as often from the most common chicken diseases. Our chicken flocks are generally hatched here, from eggs bought from fellow NPIP/\. I cant afford to replace all of our breeders from these breeds, it would bankrupt us. Some of geese were $300 each

antibiotics are a last option, luckily we havent had a need for any either.


We are building new breeding pens over the next couple of weeks. The chickens use to have stalls side by side and could come out from there. I converted that building to goose stalls and the chickens are moving to movable breeding hoop style. Will make isolating anyone bird or flock easier too.

Even someone living in a neighborhood can set up bio security. If you have a limited sized yard, then a dog kennel in the garage is a good isolation cage. Isolation is not keeping in a cage in the backyard where other birds can be near them separated by wire. There might be more work to care for a bird in isolation for 30 days, but better than having to cull the entire flock due to an unseen illness from the new bird you just brought home.

Oh and Pellet style horse stall bedding is the BEST brooder bedding for ALL hatchlings from chickens to geese. We use it in our goose stalls, duck houses and for the goats too. Last forever, a little goes a long way, keeps smell down, breaks down in compost much faster, soaks up much more water than flakes (in the case of brooding waterfowl). We add pine shavings over the pellet for our goats. Everything gets raked daily at turn out, dries out and is good by lock up. Weekly scoop out of the super dirty.

I would too if I had geese or even chickens I paid that much for. But I don't have that kind of money. I totally agree with what you are saying. Is that made out of pine. When wet does it stink, like if they bump into the water and it drains all out?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

It smells good, wet or dry. If water spills it soaks it up. You can shovel the wet out, or rake it out and allow to dry while they are outside. Even here in FL with our high humidity it dries out well during the day. it is compressed pine, and I am always amazed how well the brooder stalls smell using it verses just pine shavings. We use it in our cats litter box too, with no smell.

 

[mstricer]

I know, a lot of other weird stuff happened regarding trying to set the eggs, and having all kinds of problems, being back at work, which was interfering with my setting the eggs and trying to look up what kind of eggs they really were by shape and size on the computer, while nobody was looking, ROFL, wonder what's up with me again.........

Maybe these hatchalongs are too stressful for me,

I only get stressed at the end, hoping they all hatch. On the dry hatch thing. I've been following that and I don't add water, until the last 3 days. My last hatch seemed to be going along good. There was plenty of humidity, I don't open my incubator and my humidity read 65 - 70% and when the first chick hatched, which was the 3rd to pip, condensation was on the windows. the other two chicks ended up shrink wrapped and the 4th drowned. How does that happen? I did notice, after the first chick hatched that moisture was leaking from my windows. I tape the outside hoping that would help. Any suggestion as the next hatch goes into lock down on Friday.

 

[mstricer]

It smells good, wet or dry. If water spills it soaks it up. You can shovel the wet out, or rake it out and allow to dry while they are outside. Even here in FL with our high humidity it dries out well during the day. it is compressed pine, and I am always amazed how well the brooder stalls smell using it verses just pine shavings. We use it in our cats litter box too, with no smell.

I used some pine pellet cat litter once and after they went pee pee. It smelled something horrible, it made me

I was all for it at first too I could take it out to the back of the woods and dump it, but I had to stop using it.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

I know, a lot of other weird stuff happened regarding trying to set the eggs, and having all kinds of problems, being back at work, which was interfering with my setting the eggs and trying to look up what kind of eggs they really were by shape and size on the computer, while nobody was looking, ROFL, wonder what's up with me again.........

Maybe these hatchalongs are too stressful for me,

Nah, i think you just have chickens on the brain

 

[chicken fever]

mee tooo! Hatch day is Wednesday

 

[chicken fever]

R yall talking about the pedz? Trying to figure out what bedding I want to use in my new spacious coop. Pedz or river sand. What's Yalls opinions?

I used some pine pellet cat litter once and after they went pee pee. It smelled something horrible, it made me    I was all for it at first too I could take it out to the back of the woods and dump it, but I had to stop using it.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

I got some hatching off now.. 1 pipped 2 done nothin so far, rest hatched and waiting to go in the brooder These I set on 11/12 next ones i set on the 18th. Wasn't kiddin ill be hatchin all winter long building up the fock for next year