Quote:
Best idea ever!
Best idea ever!
Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds
- Thread starter hcammack
- Start date
Quote:
Best idea ever!
I am totally going to Lowe's tomorrow. Unless we're snowed in, of course.
Best idea ever!
I am totally going to Lowe's tomorrow. Unless we're snowed in, of course.
There are some hooks that hang out; I just cut them off with wire cutters so the cage sits level. I was initially worried about chicks hanging themselves, but so far have not had that problem. The openings keep large fowl size chicks in no problem; I do not have experience with bantam size chicks.
Quote:
That is AWESOME!! I had tried doing hardware cloth dividers before, they probably would've worked for bantams, but the LF chicks I was hatching at the time trampled right over it!
That is AWESOME!! I had tried doing hardware cloth dividers before, they probably would've worked for bantams, but the LF chicks I was hatching at the time trampled right over it!
Quote:
Best idea ever!
Not only does it look like a great idea (I'm going to Lowes now too!
) but, I bet they're a great deterrent for people, like myself, who can't resist the urge to pluck hatched chicks out of the incubator!
Best idea ever!
Not only does it look like a great idea (I'm going to Lowes now too!
Quote:
Best idea ever!
Not only does it look like a great idea (I'm going to Lowes now too!
) but, I bet they're a great deterrent for people, like myself, who can't resist the urge to pluck hatched chicks out of the incubator!
I have NO idea what you're talking about...
Best idea ever!
Not only does it look like a great idea (I'm going to Lowes now too!
I have NO idea what you're talking about...
Quote:
Hi BNF, I won't purport that I can state what is "the best practice" but I can tell you what works for me and why.
If I were you I would create at least two lines from the two roosters. Ideally they would not be directly related but if that's all you have then go with that. From there put each of your hens under each rooster. You must make sure the hens are cleaned out first, that the roosters are in separate pens, and then wait at least three weeks - check for infertility - and then swap the hens under the other roosters. If your hens are from different lines than each other, additional lines can be created there as well.
If you keep both roos in with all the hens, you have no way of knowing who is throwing what in the short term. You may be able to still achieve the same results by flock mating but you will have to continue to raise a lot of chicks each year, cull down to a half dozen or so of the best each year, and then repeat the process for many subsequent years.
By line breeding as I have described above, you can very quickly not only determine what you have to work on but by keeping meticulous, detailed records, you will be able to identify who is doing what.
I would strongly recommend toe punching your chicks according to your breeding pens. To do this, take pen & paper and make a Breeding Plan. It can be as simple as this:
Pen #1 Pen #2
Rooster #1 Rooster #2
All 5 hens All 5 hens
Then as you collect your eggs each day from your pens, write the number of the pen on the eggs. Keep the above for your records. Toe punch the chicks as they hatch according to the number on the egg (or the pen they came from in other words). You will need to find a way to keep the eggs separated in the incubator should you hatch from both pens at the same time.
Now if you really want to go to town, you could create 10 different lines by making a pen for each of your 5 hens with each of your males. That would help you identify any problems even that much faster. This is assuming you don't know whether they are full blood sisters or not. This would be a lot more work the first year but you could easily get right back to 2 different lines the next year. For example let's say that you number each of your hens 1-5 and put them under your #1 rooster. Then you wind up getting some really green eggs from pullets that are toe-punched 3 & 4. Well, if numbers 1, 2, & 5 aren't throwing green eggs then you know it must be coming from your #3 & #4 hens. See what I mean? So then you can just cull all your #3 & #4 lines and you're back to three lines with 1, 2, & 5. Then you repeat the process with your #2 rooster.
I hope that helps. If I've totally confused you (you wouldn't be the first as I often don't make myself very well understood!
), you're welcome to call me if you'd like. Just send me an email and I'll send you my phone number.
(P.S. As a side note, if you (or others) don't get the Poultry Press, I highly encourage you to do so. Not only is thee a $5 coupon for Purina feeds in each issue - which in itself pays for the PP and more) but the last several issues have contaiined excerpts from Kenny Troiano's book about breeding purebred poultry. Either the December or January issue I think went into the pro's and con's of the various breeding methods. His articles are for OEG's but the principles of breeding are still the same. )
God Bless,
Thank you Tailfeathers
This is not confusing at all. I just need a toe punch. What do you use to keep track of your records, paper, software, MS excel?
Hi BNF, I won't purport that I can state what is "the best practice" but I can tell you what works for me and why.
If I were you I would create at least two lines from the two roosters. Ideally they would not be directly related but if that's all you have then go with that. From there put each of your hens under each rooster. You must make sure the hens are cleaned out first, that the roosters are in separate pens, and then wait at least three weeks - check for infertility - and then swap the hens under the other roosters. If your hens are from different lines than each other, additional lines can be created there as well.
If you keep both roos in with all the hens, you have no way of knowing who is throwing what in the short term. You may be able to still achieve the same results by flock mating but you will have to continue to raise a lot of chicks each year, cull down to a half dozen or so of the best each year, and then repeat the process for many subsequent years.
By line breeding as I have described above, you can very quickly not only determine what you have to work on but by keeping meticulous, detailed records, you will be able to identify who is doing what.
I would strongly recommend toe punching your chicks according to your breeding pens. To do this, take pen & paper and make a Breeding Plan. It can be as simple as this:
Pen #1 Pen #2
Rooster #1 Rooster #2
All 5 hens All 5 hens
Then as you collect your eggs each day from your pens, write the number of the pen on the eggs. Keep the above for your records. Toe punch the chicks as they hatch according to the number on the egg (or the pen they came from in other words). You will need to find a way to keep the eggs separated in the incubator should you hatch from both pens at the same time.
Now if you really want to go to town, you could create 10 different lines by making a pen for each of your 5 hens with each of your males. That would help you identify any problems even that much faster. This is assuming you don't know whether they are full blood sisters or not. This would be a lot more work the first year but you could easily get right back to 2 different lines the next year. For example let's say that you number each of your hens 1-5 and put them under your #1 rooster. Then you wind up getting some really green eggs from pullets that are toe-punched 3 & 4. Well, if numbers 1, 2, & 5 aren't throwing green eggs then you know it must be coming from your #3 & #4 hens. See what I mean? So then you can just cull all your #3 & #4 lines and you're back to three lines with 1, 2, & 5. Then you repeat the process with your #2 rooster.
I hope that helps. If I've totally confused you (you wouldn't be the first as I often don't make myself very well understood!
(P.S. As a side note, if you (or others) don't get the Poultry Press, I highly encourage you to do so. Not only is thee a $5 coupon for Purina feeds in each issue - which in itself pays for the PP and more) but the last several issues have contaiined excerpts from Kenny Troiano's book about breeding purebred poultry. Either the December or January issue I think went into the pro's and con's of the various breeding methods. His articles are for OEG's but the principles of breeding are still the same. )
God Bless,
Thank you Tailfeathers
This is not confusing at all. I just need a toe punch. What do you use to keep track of your records, paper, software, MS excel?
Quote:
Very cool idea.
Very cool idea.
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