5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[ChickenCanoe]

It should be loaded with yeasts and beneficial bacteria that populate the gut. That's a huge benefit right there for health, growth and feed utilization. It supposedly firms up the feces which doesn't smell as much, probably for the same reason.
The feed goes much farther for 2 reasons. Because it's moist, the chickens don't bill it out and waste it like with dry feed. It also seems to grow. I half fill a 5 gallon bucket with a mix of grower feed, some seeds like wheat, flax and sunflower, a couple pinches of crumbled kelp, a pinch of a mineral supplement, a dab of yeast and probiotic powder. I fill the bucket the rest of the way with de-chlorinated water and a glug of ACV. Within a few hours it is full to the brim with feed and continues to grow. I have to keep pulling some out and add it to the finished FF bucket I'm feeding from. All those ingredients other than the feed and water are unnecessary, it's just how I do it to boost the nutrition. I still keep the bulk dry feeders full so they don't run out of feed but those feeders are lasting 2 weeks now instead of one.
Fermenting breaks down the anti-nutrient and anti-digestive components in the feed grains.
Because of a few processes, fermenting makes phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and copper more bio-available.
The main goal of fermenting is to increase lactic acid content. That contributes to biosafety of the feed to limit pathogens.
Moist feed improves hydration. It increases weight gain in poultry.
Some people claim the egg shell quality improves.
In chicks, access to semi-moist feed stimulates gastrointestinal development and prevents dehydration. The ability of chicks to keep their crop moist prevents good gut function fed conventional diets. I imagine this should limit the incidence of pasted vent.
For the last couple years, I've gotten probiotics into chicks the first couple days of life. For this hatch, I'm planning on dividing the chicks into 3 groups. one with regular water and dry feed, one with probiotic water and dry feed and one with fermented feed. Then compare weight gain, feed conversion and health/survivability.
After this hatch I'll do it again but without the control group of the non-probiotics. I'm convinced of the need for early colonization of beneficial bacteria.
More info here.

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html

http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/viewFile/60378/48610

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19373724

 

[bantambury]

This is a long shot, but I got thinking about an Easter day hatch.... I would like to hatch

Cayuga Ducks. Anyone know of a good supplier of hatching eggs for them near WV, VA, PA, NY or OH? I learned with my chicken hatching eggs- buy as local as possible.​

my breeder had Cayuga Ducks..... he doesn't ship......but I live In NC, and I have relatives in PA and VA.....so.....yeah.

here is his websight. I could get eggs and ship them to you, but I don't know how I would package them safely.
http://www.sumner-byrdfarm.com/index.html

 

[Myfourladies]

my breeder had Cayuga Ducks..... he doesn't ship......but I live In NC, and I have relatives in PA and VA.....so.....yeah.

here is his websight. I could get eggs and ship them to you, but I don't know how I would package them safely.
http://www.sumner-byrdfarm.com/index.html

Thanks hun. =) I am going to keep looking but thanks for the link and info!

 

[bantambury]

Thanks hun. =) I am going to keep looking but thanks for the link and info!

no problem! its always good to offer just in case!

Good Luck!
~Bantambury

 

[MontanaDolphin]

So, since a lot of you incubate your eggs upright, I have a couple of questions for ya:

Since I'm incubating on their sides, is it ok to change to incubating upright?

If so, how in the world do you "flip the eggs"? Or is it not necessary when incubating fat end up?

Is it best to do switch them into egg carton bottoms before, or on the day of, lockdown?

TIA!

 

[goodb]

Though I'm not participating, I hope the best for all of you and am anxious to see pics and movies of fresh, innocent life.

 

[chicken pickin]

So, since a lot of you incubate your eggs upright, I have a couple of questions for ya:

Since I'm incubating on their sides, is it ok to change to incubating upright?

If so, how in the world do you "flip the eggs"? Or is it not necessary when incubating fat end up?

Is it best to do switch them into egg carton bottoms before, or on the day of, lockdown?

TIA!

I havent used cartons for incubating or hatching so I may not be accurate on this, but here is what I would do if I were using cartons.

I think it would be fine to switch to upright incubating. You can put them in an egg carton(I think most use styrofoam egg cartons for this,but not positive) If you use a cardoard carton you can trim out the very bottom of each egg spot so it can get good air flow to the bottom of the egg. Place some thing under the carton like a folded up wash cloth to tilt the carton to one side then later remove the cloth so the carton is flat then later add the wash cloth to the other side so the carton is tilted in the opposite direction so it can get 3 positions and repeat. I have not done it like this so someone may have a better tip on how to do it. At lockdown remove the cloth so the carton is in the flat or upright position.

 

[chickengirl1193]

It should be loaded with yeasts and beneficial bacteria that populate the gut. That's a huge benefit right there for health, growth and feed utilization. It supposedly firms up the feces which doesn't smell as much, probably for the same reason.
The feed goes much farther for 2 reasons. Because it's moist, the chickens don't bill it out and waste it like with dry feed. It also seems to grow. I half fill a 5 gallon bucket with a mix of grower feed, some seeds like wheat, flax and sunflower, a couple pinches of crumbled kelp, a pinch of a mineral supplement, a dab of yeast and probiotic powder. I fill the bucket the rest of the way with de-chlorinated water and a glug of ACV. Within a few hours it is full to the brim with feed and continues to grow. I have to keep pulling some out and add it to the finished FF bucket I'm feeding from. All those ingredients other than the feed and water are unnecessary, it's just how I do it to boost the nutrition. I still keep the bulk dry feeders full so they don't run out of feed but those feeders are lasting 2 weeks now instead of one.
Fermenting breaks down the anti-nutrient and anti-digestive components in the feed grains.
Because of a few processes, fermenting makes phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and copper more bio-available.
The main goal of fermenting is to increase lactic acid content. That contributes to biosafety of the feed to limit pathogens.
Moist feed improves hydration. It increases weight gain in poultry.
Some people claim the egg shell quality improves.
In chicks, access to semi-moist feed stimulates gastrointestinal development and prevents dehydration. The ability of chicks to keep their crop moist prevents good gut function fed conventional diets. I imagine this should limit the incidence of pasted vent.
For the last couple years, I've gotten probiotics into chicks the first couple days of life. For this hatch, I'm planning on dividing the chicks into 3 groups. one with regular water and dry feed, one with probiotic water and dry feed and one with fermented feed. Then compare weight gain, feed conversion and health/survivability.
After this hatch I'll do it again but without the control group of the non-probiotics. I'm convinced of the need for early colonization of beneficial bacteria.
More info here.

http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/p/fermented-feed.html

http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/viewFile/60378/48610

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19373724

thank you for.the info! I think ill try fermenting, would you have to cover the bucket? And is there anything that will promote the fermentation or just the water and feed will ferment? I feel like you would need a lack of oxygen so it ferments and doesnt mold...
also what probiotic do you use? I have a probios powder for my goats, could that be used? or can i use the probiotic from TSC?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I can see that! Lol out of curiosity what is the benefit.of fermented feed? does it increase the protein and nutrients?

I should have given you this link.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/645057/fermented-feeds-anyone-using-them

So, since a lot of you incubate your eggs upright, I have a couple of questions for ya:

Since I'm incubating on their sides, is it ok to change to incubating upright?

If so, how in the world do you "flip the eggs"? Or is it not necessary when incubating fat end up?

Is it best to do switch them into egg carton bottoms before, or on the day of, lockdown?

TIA!

It is OK to switch. You still need to 'flip' until day 18. The whole idea of turning or flipping, which is really what happens in an egg turner, is because the yolk/embryo tends to rise to the top so by turning you bring it nearer the bottom and it takes a while to rise again. That prevents it from sticking to one side of the shell.

Put something under one side or end of the carton and at least twice a day put your wedge under the other side. I think it would still work, if you have a way to contain the eggs and room in the bator, to just lay the carton on it's side and then place it upright for the last 3 days.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

thank you for.the info! I think ill try fermenting, would you have to cover the bucket? And is there anything that will promote the fermentation or just the water and feed will ferment? I feel like you would need a lack of oxygen so it ferments and doesnt mold...
also what probiotic do you use? I have a probios powder for my goats, could that be used? or can i use the probiotic from TSC?

The jury is out on covering. I place a lid on the bucket. Keep in mind that it grows. I've read that it does need to be covered to aid the anaerobic bacteria and that source said as long as there is water covering it that will suffice. Some people lay a towel across the container. Some use a cooler and close the lid.
Some people just use feed and water, relying on free yeasts in the air as in sourdough bread. The danger is that you'll get the wrong kind.
Some just put a glug of ACV in it for the beneficials that are in the organic mother.
Some use buttermilk for the lactic acid. I think yogurt would work.
Any probiotic should work. I found one specifically formulated for chickens from research done in in Egypt.
http://www.gro2max.com/
It goes a long way, one packet for 28 gallons of water or 400 lbs. of feed. It would probably go even farther in a good FF blend since the bacteria/yeast would continue to populate.
If you are using city water or you chlorinate your well water, you'll need to use a de-chlorinator to keep it from killing the bacteria.
Most cities use chloramine to treat their water and it isn't sufficient to let it stand as the chlorine won't vent off till the chlorine/ammonia bond is broken.
I just use an aquarium de-chlorinator without any fin treatments or other additives. It's usually just called a tap water conditioner and it takes 3 times as much for chloramine as it does for chlorine. Follow instructions, mine is 3 drops per gallon and works instantly.