Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[RareBreedFancier]

I just candled, looks like all but two for the almost ready to hatch chicks have died! Momma was sitting nicely when I went out this morning and before I went to town, when I got back she was off the nest and when I went to collect the rest of her eggs she'd destroyed her nest and kicked them around a lot. They were very cold but I thought that she couldn't have been off them that long so they should still be ok. Sadly I was wrong. Some of the less developed eggs still look ok but a lot of those look like they've died too.

I think I'll head out and raid the other broodies and put their eggs in the 'bator, I don't want another replay of this. I'm wishing I'd either taken the chick or stolen her eggs last night or first thing this morning like I'd planned on but the chick was running around eating and drinking so I thought all was fine.

Edit: I raided them and gave them golf balls.

From under two tiny banties I pulled 30, yes 30 eggies!

One girl had about 20 of them. Candled them and some are clear but I'm leaving them as they may just be too early to see development. Tomorrow I'm going to put in a bunch for a Christmas hatch. I probably should have put them in tonight but I haven't organized exactly what I want to set. I might even play swaps and give the broodies marked eggs to sit on and I'll hatch out the mutts and either raise them or slip them back under the broodies later. I seem to have so many going broody at the moment. I need to get bust building broody coops, I'm completely out of room!

 

[scoopy82]

Hi All

I'm setting up a Facebook page for people in central Victoria who would like to make contacts with others who want to buy/swap/sell their poultry, eggs and equipment. The link is:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/All-T...-Central-Vic/283848998318381?sk=wall&filter=1
I hope the link works, please let me know if it doesn't.
Please like the page if you use Facebook, I saw someone had made a similar page for people in Gippsland and thought it was a fantastic idea, it makes it nice and easy to see what is available close to home, and the Gippsland page had plenty of activity.

PS - it is broody central here this spring! I have 13 hens, 7 of which have been broody this season and 4 of them are going for round 2 already! I've just sold my incubator!

 

[duckyfromoz]

The link works

Just a caution- I have had a guy turn up here today at 12.30 when I specifically said after 5. I was up at my block of land and most annoyed to find out about what happened. No duckies for him after all of this. I think he may have even been the person that was parked out front of my place when I got home since the car disappeared shortly after I texted the fellow about not coming back at 5pm.

Just be careful if you sell birds from home. ( i will no longer be doing this

) security and who knows what you have in your yard is very important to keep safe.

 

[scoopy82]

Hmmm, good point duckyfromoz. As it stands I am super concerned about my neighbours coming onto my property when I'm not home (still feuding and dont trust them at all) let alone random strangers. But I dont want to have to go trecking all over the countryside to deliver chickens either. Going to do some more research into poultry auctions shortly, I missed going to the last one held at Kyneton thanks to family commitments, but I have a few questions about them. If anyone would care to enlighten me:
What do the prices usually work out like? As in if your selling - do you usually get what your chickens are worth?
Does everything usually sell or is there a good chance that if you dont have what people are after you will be taking it home with you?
How do young cockerels sell at auction?

 

[duckyfromoz]

At Kyneton specifically- you are unlikely to take anything home. You set your reserve on the pen- and if no-one bids during the hour and a half then you can negotiate a price. I rarely see birds taken home unless they were unrealistically priced to begin with. Last sale- I had hatched some ducks specifically for the sale- and do price them a little lower than I advertise them for at home- but all sold and I took home about $100 more than the reserve prices over the 6 pens I had. Young cockerels still sell well as its a rural community so people can actually keep them out there. Prices really are set by demand on the day. I recently sold a cross bred goose up there for $121. Crazy price but she was a very sweet and tame girl who had just started laying. Point of lay pullets do best pretty much anywhere of course- but there is usually a good assortment up there of a little bit of everything.

 

[scoopy82]

Thats good to hear! I have some Silver Spangled Hamburgs, possibly a breeding trio and either a breeding pair or 2 pullets (still not sure if one of them is a boy or girl yet), some Buff Orpington cockerels and 2 male Wheatan Maran chicks that I am currently trying to sell, but if I get no interest in them then I was planning on taking them to an auction. I'm just hoping the boys keep their mouths shut for long enough, otherwise I have no choice but to . . . you know, and I'm going to have a fair few in the coming months, there are 14 chicks on the ground and 3 broodies sitting on a total of 31 eggs. From what you say I am very keen to give the auction way a go

And thanks for liking the Facebook page, hopefully interest grows quickly

 

[wooklet]

Ducky,I have spent the past hour looking at your link to the Croosroads(?) Show in America,totally amazing!

I haven't even got a quarter of the way through it yet!Well worth a look for anyone else,could you put the link up here do you think?

Here it is http://crossroadspoultryshow.blogspot.com/ I'm looking forward to spending more time with it tomorrow!

 

[duckyfromoz]

They sound like breeds that would sell well. The next Kyenton auction is March I think- Footscray Poultry club have one at Bacchus marsh in Late Feb as well- but those are the only ones I know of. Euroa is more of a meat market I am told. Bendigo have one monthly- not sure if they are in January though since its always the first Saturday of the month- but again a bit of a meat market.

nearly afraid to ask but since I only have ducks... do you mind me posting about them occasionally on your FB page?? I just had 5 hatch today and they are all different- such a nice change from the last few hatches where they were almost identical. I had eggs set from 4 different ducks this time around. One has big boofy fluff on its head like a fro- one has a tiny crest..one has a dark bill- and the two others have light bills with darker patches. 3 more eggs to go- cant wait to see how they turned out too.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Quote:
It really was HUGE wasnt it. Makes me wonder if going to Canberra next year should be something I plan on doing. Its a four day show I am told- which means 6 days away from home... I havent done that in years. But it really would be amazing to see so many great quality birds all in one place at the same time.

 

[Ma Noob]

I have Broody Babes!!!

Got home from Little Athletics this morning to see 2 little fuzzies with their mummy, I was so proud, And one of them has just a gorgeous red to it. Went to give her some water and food, only to find the ants had moved into the house and must have been after the egg shells. Poor thing had a few ants over her and the little ones were pecking them up too.

I ended up pulling the box out and her of the nest worries that they might be after a pipped egg, and i also cleared out the broken shells to get rid of them. Got quite a surpise when i found another yellow fuzzy hiding underneath. Poor Hen was running around frantic around the edge of the box trying to get back in, i dont think she knew what to do. I popped her back on the eggs and she settled down.

In the end i decided to take her inside. I figured the ants wernt going to go away, and i didnt want any pipped eggs to be eaten out by ants, that would be terrible. So she is now in my bathroom.

She seems quite settled and is a bit more used to me in and out checking on here, The 3 little ones have popped out a couple of times through the day, but havent seen any others as yet. im so hoping none of them have been ant eaten. Im just going to let nature take its course with this lot though, i already have 9 babes and 3 more now, so that is plenty, but would be nice if a couple more popped out. Mum has had something to eat, have tried to get her to drink but she isnt interested, so i put a heap of water in with the food to give her some liquids that way. Water is there for her though. I will leave her in the bathroom tomorrow. she and the babes are quite safe in there.

hopefully i will be able to put her back in the house soon, i dont want her away from the rest for too long. and i want the rest to get used to the new additions too.

if anyone has any suggestions, or if im doing the right thing that would be great too!