Bator to full?

[Mareloo]

and.. I don't understand your Halloween at all. I must be missing something! You spend a lot of time and money to get dressed up, especially the children.. Go to door to door .. and beg for sweets?

How strange is that?

 

[silkiechicken]

Haha, yeah silly things! Candy is great.


As for meat. Yeah, people here often have never even seen a live chicken or animal they eat. They think milk comes from the store and that meat comes in trays. Most people, especially city folk, are even mortified at the idea of killing a live animal but don't hesitate to eat meat! Butchering animals is just something you get used to and it's not a part of most cultures here. Unless of course you are Asian and will pay top dollar for fresh meat. That's how my roosters contribute to the feed bill.

If you are in a city, and someone catches you butchering a bird, some weirdo might even turn you in! You keep it on the down low if you butcher animals!

 

[BirdBrain]

Quote:
Absolutely you make sense!! This is the way I think it aught to be. I didn't grow up in this country and knew where all my food came from (the garden, the backyard flock, the local butcher and a small--I mean small--store where we could get rice and sugar and the extra eggs from someones flock).


Quote:
When I did meat birds this spring (we live in a subdivision with 6 foot cedar fenced backyards) the children and I butchered chickens in the backyard and the neighbors (who were out barbecuing at the time) were none the wiser. We keep really quiet and the birds didn't say much either. It made me think about what actually goes on behind tall fences and made me shudder to think about the possibilities. It made me glad that I live a very boring life!

 

[BantyChickMom]

I can't believe I missed this thread too, but I've been very busy with my own hatch!!

I love the Africa pics, and it is so interesting learning of your culture and society.

I would love to be able to get back to some of the basics of life and raise/grow my own food, but I shudder at the thought of slaughtering and eating my own flock.
Regardless of how they look, I guess that's why mine are nothing more than pets.

Mareloo,

keep the info coming -- it is very interesting!!

 

[Mareloo]

BantyChickMom.. It all depend how you look at your flock. If you do see them as strictly pets then I can understand that you wont slaughter from them. I also have some I see as pets or that is special to me, that I wont slaughter. Lets put it this way... If it got a name, it stays! LOL

I will make time this weekend and post plenty photos..

Silkiechicken.. For us to slaughter any animal, is nothing unusual. Nobody will bat an eye lid. It is quike and clean. A way of life. The only reason why anybody will ever keep it on the down low is to make sure you don't get to many visitors dinner time!

I have done what you suggested. Made a small hole in the large end of the eggs that was left in the bator. You were right. They all dead. One looked like it was fully formed, but the rest has been dead for at least a week. They haven't fully developed. Also strange, why start to only die?

Skeeter9.. I do not know if I will ever sell an egg just for pure profit. Were I am now in my life, an egg is much more worth to me than its market value. I might change my mind down the line, who knows what will happen, but for now.. Most definably not. The only person that has ever eaten a egg from my flock is my mother, and that only happens if it is cracked, or really really mis formed. It is a huge treat for her. (If it wasn't I would've tried and make a plan to fix the crack!) I will swap fertile eggs for others, but not sell to eat or a new bloodline for somebody else..

BirdBrain.. If you got chickens, you not living a boring life! They always keep you busy.. And slaughtering them behind tall fences.. tsk tsk.. Keeping real quite.. LOL

You have described my life perfect with your little shop and all.. The only difference being.. eggs. LOL.. If anybody was selling eggs, it would've been part of my routine to be at the shop, every morning when it got delivered!

The chicken feed prices in South Africa is much higher than by you. We also haven't got all the different variates like you. I read a thread on this forum, asking people what they pay were ever they are. If I must convert Rand to Dollar, we paying at the very least twice as much. Maybe that is why more people don't keep a few for them self.. Who knows...

I have candled today a batch that is on day 10. 24 eggs from my own flock. They were the first ones that went into the large bator. I am so disappointed. Only 8 are viable. I can see a slight reddish color in two of them, and the rest is clear. I do not know if the basic design of the big bators are flawed, or if something else is to blame. I did change all the big chickens feed about 2 and a half weeks ago. There is a new brand that really looks good. I was in the city and found feed that got all extra little goodies in. Sunflower seeds, "koring" ext ext. It is or that, or the bator, or something I don't know about jet. Time will tell.

Still not that bad.. I am thinking of one of the other members that wrote.. This month I have killed thirty odd silkies, ext ext ext.. That must be a terrible feeling!

I will take pics.. LOTS.. for all those that is interested, and be back this weekend to share. Thank you all for your kind words. If I have left anybody question out, I am so sorry. It is late, I am tired.. it feels like I personally incubated and delivered every single baby on the last hatch. Anybody ever felt so drained after a hatch? The baby's are doing great!!! They are adorable. Al healthy and already fighting with each other!

Good night all.

 

[silkiechicken]

If you find alot of eggs not fertile, what is your rooster ratio? It is possible that the hens might not be getting enough "action."

 

[Mareloo]

I have 3 roosters and 16 hens in total. I know there are some hens that doesn't lay, but up until now I haven't been able to figure out who is cheating. Maybe one of the roosters isn't doing his job properly. Your answer gave me a brilliant plan. I will mark from now on were the egg come from and will be able to narrow it down.

 

[silkiechicken]

If your birds are not penned up, that's going to be difficult to keep track. Is it possible they are fighting too much and thus not doing their job? There are lots of possibilities in play.

 

[Mareloo]

No, you are right. They will or hurt each other badly or kill each other of. The roosters don't like each other. I give them turns to free range. I only made the mistake of letting two roosters out at the same time once.. Believe me.. never again!

Look at the spurs on this boy! He is not aggressive with anything or anybody, just the other roosters..

I got the gate up today so I will be able to let out more at one time.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/hek.jpg

I got a very good idea for a feeder in this forum. The young ones, experientially those in the cresh really messes with there food. I built a experimental feeder today and it works great.. They took to the feeder immediately. I was amazed at how many can eat at the same time. It is wonderful! Never do I have to worry that everybody get enough to eat! I will built asap for all the coops..

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kosbak3.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kosbak.jpg

Does anybody know if I can use that exact same design for water? Will it work? Just a thought. Lol, I can always built one, test it, and if it doesn't work, use it for a feeder. I am getting spoiled here, especially by Silkiechicken. I can ask anything and know i will get an answer!

The babys are doing great. One of them got the start of a feather on his wing tip! WOW, day 4!

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/babas.jpg

It is day 18 for my second batch. There is 19 eggs in. Now the whole proses start all over again!

Just for fun I took the following pics. For the last 3 weeks, since the batar has been switched on for the first time. My cat has been basically living on top of it. It doesn't jump up and look every time the lights come on anymore, but still hardly moves of it. I wonder what is the attraction!

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/breinskade.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/breinskade2.jpg

This is also the very first cat I have ever seen running away for a 4 week old chick!

 

[nccatnip]

Mareloo- thanks for the new pics. Your little chicks look nice and healthy.
I sympathize over the loss of the eggs, but at least some are viable. I am sure a few here will maybe offer up suggestions on increasing fertility/hatch rates. I am still a newbie so nothing to offer.