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

[ChickenCanoe]

I ate the cockerels and sadly the one pullet was pecked to death.

I have more in the incubator though.

I have 6 cockerels left. Trying to decide which one to keep before butchering. I butchered one a couple days ago since he got out and was fighting another rooster through a chain link fence. I put that battle to a quick end.

I hatched some more about a month ago but sold them. I also have 8 chicks with 2 broodies - 7 of them are pure penes.

I hatched 5 more the last couple of days.

I have a light on timer that goes on little before sunset and goes out at 10pm , Im expecting eggs any day now.

I've kept mine on about 10 hours of light till now.

 

[chicken pickin]

I have not gotten eggs yet. I only have 2 Silkie hens remaining from that hatch. I sold the 1 Marans pullet I had and we processed the 2 Olive Egger cockerels two weekends ago they were quite large.

I know Silkies take some time to mature to laying age but Im excited to find their first eggs.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

@ronott1

Odd you mention one got pecked to death.

I've never experienced cannibalism before this NYDHAL. After I moved them outside and separated the cockerels and pullets, one morning I had the tail eaten off and a bunch of raw meat on one of the pullets when I went out in the morning. I was sure it was a rat. I separated her and nursed her back to health. I set out both glue and snap rat traps and didn't get any. A couple days later a cockerel was in the same condition. I put the pullet back in and cared for the cockerel. Eventually there were 3 cockerels in the same condition but I caught the chickens in the act. At dusk when they would pile up together a few would just start eating the meat at the top of the tail. I immediately added fishmeal to up the protein. The activity continued for a few days but eventually ended. I lost 2 pullets and 2 cockerels. One of the cockerels recovered. I'm not sure what caused it all.
This is the first time I've kept the birds indoors so long because of the brutal winter.
While they were in the basement they were on 20% protein (10 parts 16% organic grower and 1 part 60% fishmeal) when they went outside they went to a 16% grower (same feed but without the added fishmeal). However, they were already 10 weeks old so I thought 16 would be sufficient but I guess I was wrong.
They had plenty of space. If there was going to be cannibalism, I would have expected it when they were inside.

 

[ronott1]

@ronott1

Odd you mention one got pecked to death.

I've never experienced cannibalism before this NYDHAL. After I moved them outside and separated the cockerels and pullets, one morning I had the tail eaten off and a bunch of raw meat on one of the pullets when I went out in the morning. I was sure it was a rat. I separated her and nursed her back to health. I set out both glue and snap rat traps and didn't get any. A couple days later a cockerel was in the same condition. I put the pullet back in and cared for the cockerel. Eventually there were 3 cockerels in the same condition but I caught the chickens in the act. At dusk when they would pile up together a few would just start eating the meat at the top of the tail. I immediately added fishmeal to up the protein. The activity continued for a few days but eventually ended. I lost 2 pullets and 2 cockerels. One of the cockerels recovered. I'm not sure what caused it all.
This is the first time I've kept the birds indoors so long because of the brutal winter.
While they were in the basement they were on 20% protein (10 parts 16% organic grower and 1 part 60% fishmeal) when they went outside they went to a 16% grower (same feed but without the added fishmeal). However, they were already 10 weeks old so I thought 16 would be sufficient but I guess I was wrong.
They had plenty of space. If there was going to be cannibalism, I would have expected it when they were inside.

Thanks for the tip!

Where do you get the fishmeal? I need to get either that of the catfood from Costco that has Salmon and fishmeal in it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

American Distribution and Manufacturing Company but they only distribute in the Midwest from Minnesota to Missouri.

Canned mackerel is pretty inexpensive.

ETA

I just found this list for you.

http://www.animalfeed1.com/fish-meal-suppliers/united-states.html

 

[ronott1]

American Distribution and Manufacturing Company but they only distribute in the Midwest from Minnesota to Missouri.

Canned mackerel is pretty inexpensive.

ETA

I just found this list for you.

http://www.animalfeed1.com/fish-meal-suppliers/united-states.html

Thank You!

 

[bantambury]

one of my NYD hens are now broody! I would like to try to hatch 3-4 eggs under her by the end of this month if I can.

I need to get rid of one of my roos.....they are fighting too much and sometimes I come to bloody combs. I don't want them to get hurt

 

[bantambury]

I have not gotten eggs yet. I only have 2 Silkie hens remaining from that hatch. I sold the 1 Marans pullet I had and we processed the 2 Olive Egger cockerels two weekends ago they were quite large.

I know Silkies take some time to mature to laying age but Im excited to find their first eggs.

the earliest silkies can lay is 5-6 months. all three of my girls have began at 5 months. good luck!

what colors are your silkies? I just love the different colors they come in!

 

[chickengirl1193]

Out of my NYD chicks I only kept one roo and the other 5 I gave away, I kept two pullets and one pullet was being pecked in the coop in the am on her leg so I started letting them out before sunrise and shes better now, just laid her first egg! Its a pale pinkish white!
And on june first I hatched 4 babies from my NYD roo at 6 months he was a daddy! They are EE crossed with BR RIR and Delaware

 

[LogCabinFarm]

1st egg today.....little football shaped one