Bob Blosl's Heritage Large Fowl Thread

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I am interested in the various ways one might brood chicks. In the past I've provided a heat lamp on one end of the brooder and raised it a bit every few days to decrease the temperature underneath it, watching them to ensure I haven't made it so cool that they want to pile up. Am I coddling them too much and discouraging faster feathering, or is the speed of feathering completely driven by genetics?

Bob, your dry incubation is due to higher ambient humidity than those of us in more arid climates, correct?

Thanks all :)

Judi
 
I know I often throw out what is perceived as too much information and most people want to keep it all simple. I can and do adjust to adapting to whatever people can do with the equipment or time they have. I just hope that the intent and the information I throw out there can be taken and adapted in whatever means possible, if at all. For some, they might want know the reasons why we do things and why some things work and others don't.
As far as good ol mother hen? I am right there with you marveling at their success rate. I have put egg shaped thermometers that will take temperature readings at any interval you want under broody Silkies. I set them to record at 5 minutes intervals for the entire incubation period (I know, I need a life). Still amazes me, I can set my incubators to control temperature and humidity to the tenth of a degree and they will do it. If I mimic what she did, I still can't beat Mother Nature and mothers instincts. And yes, when I print out the data I can tell when she got off the nest, my birds got off much more frequently after 12-13 days of incubation, and there are reasons for this, but I will stop there.
So back into that puny nut shell, sometimes you just can't beat nature even with the very best equipment.
Tease! LOL I would be interested in the reasons, and if it's just me I'll PM you to ask :)
 
As far as good ol mother hen? I am right there with you marveling at their success rate. I have put egg shaped thermometers that will take temperature readings at any interval you want under broody Silkies. I set them to record at 5 minutes intervals for the entire incubation period (I know, I need a life).
“Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough.”
G.W. Carver.

And you're supposed to do that kind of thing, it's your job. Just curious, but what was the high and low?
 
Correct however many folks even in Texas do this. I started doing this when I was drowning my call ducks. To much humidity and the air cells where to small. Need to check the air cells an make sure they have a enough room on the last few days to get out. I normally raise the temp about five degrees every week. They will get away from the light bulb in the box. I use a brooder box made out of wood about two feet by three feet with about a 16 inch height enough room for the one gallon water fountain to get in and out.

Brooding is a important part of rearing. Something I have been working on for a couple of years. I am going to try less heat on my leghorn bantams this year to see if feathering will be different. Hope to rear them with broody hens. Hope to have some half white rock and half silkie females next season to try to brood with.

When someone suggests a idea sometimes if they have been around a long long time in Poultry it can be hard to absorb. Just try to store it in your memory bank sometimes it will take three years be for you figure out what they where talking about. Always have a open mind and keep trying different things that work for you. I might have told you the story my grand father told me at age ten study ten people that are good at what they do then apply what they do best and in two or three years you can be as good as them. The basics of success is chickens is just old fashion hatching, and brooding of the young. More people go out of chickens because they never learned these skills. That is why if you have been having great success with feed store chickens you have not waisted anytime when you cross over to Standard Breed Fowl. You have practiced and perfected the craft of poultry husbandry which is more important than any think you can do in this hobby.

Enjoy your day hope to see some pictures of Dorkings all Dorking good and bad and so so. Even if they are one to two years old.
 
I like to read other's thoughts on this, and the actual facts are helpful.

At the same time, I am happy to know that my eggs are forgiving. I do not get too complicated.

For those that have been shipped to me, I just set them that evening. I do not think that I have ever just put an egg in from outside. They have been collected over the week, and stored tilted in a cabinet . Rotated a couple to three times a day, and set when I am ready.

So far the results have been favorable. I like keeping it simple. I am not smart enough for much more.
WHen you are ready for a challenge try marans eggs or penne eggs.
 
I know I often throw out what is perceived as too much information and most people want to keep it all simple. I can and do adjust to adapting to whatever people can do with the equipment or time they have. I just hope that the intent and the information I throw out there can be taken and adapted in whatever means possible, if at all. For some, they might want know the reasons why we do things and why some things work and others don't.

As far as good ol mother hen? I am right there with you marveling at their success rate. I have put egg shaped thermometers that will take temperature readings at any interval you want under broody Silkies. I set them to record at 5 minutes intervals for the entire incubation period (I know, I need a life). Still amazes me, I can set my incubators to control temperature and humidity to the tenth of a degree and they will do it. If I mimic what she did, I still can't beat Mother Nature and mothers instincts. And yes, when I print out the data I can tell when she got off the nest, my birds got off much more frequently after 12-13 days of incubation, and there are reasons for this, but I will stop there.

So back into that puny nut shell, sometimes you just can't beat nature even with the very best equipment.


I'm with you Bentley, I need a little time to get it all out.

I have tried simple hatching techniques and when the eggs don't hatch, it means I need to fix something. My first time I had 50% hatch ( was thrilled) Hatching my own chicken and turkey eggs are easy now, often 100%.;. I know marans are not heritage but something about the transporting/shipping effects the dark eggs more than standard brown eggs.. I have had to learn every little tip to get these eggs to hatch. I'm all for KISS if the eggs hatch.
 
Show people I have a question, if I raise a slow maturing breed, the chicks are hatched in Jan. & Feb. would they be mature enough to show the following Jan. in an APA show?
 
I seem to have a harder time figuring out the humidity levels then temps. I know what works for my guinea eggs but I read so many different things about chick eggs, some say low humidity, some say higher, some say dry hatch, etc. It would be nice to know what the humidity levels are under a chicken when she is hatching eggs.

Penny
Penny - THe key is to monitor the air cell development. THe egg needs to dry out slowly and in a timely manner so that it is a specific size at hatch. YOu can look up a number of digrams called "chicken air cells at day 7th, 14th, and 18th". I used this the first time hatching and I was thrilled to have so many hatch the first time. I ALWAYS keep this diagram near the incubators and candle the eggs on those days.


http://www.poultryconnection.com/quackers/aircell.html

Adjust humidity to get the air cell development correct. Add moisture or remove water. Sometimes I dry hatch, sometimes I need to add moisture. Depends on time of year in my house and if the wood stove is running.

Hope this helps.
 
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