BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[ronott1]

Arielle,
We traded some chicks for a Little Giant 9200 bator with egg turner. The Styrofoam is broken on one corner.
Can we get parts for it? Or is it feasible to coat that corner with duct tape?
Thanks,
Karen

You can buy a new bottom, for example this place sells it for $12.99

http://www.efowl.com/Hova_Bator_Replacement_Bottom_p/6737.htm

 

[Leahs Mom]

Has anyone tried the incuview incubators? I haven't purchased or used an incubator yet. Had a lot of folks recommend the 1588s but just recently hearing some good reviews on the incuview. And I really don't want styrofoam, honestly. (And more honestly, I'd rather use broodys and will when I have them!

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/incuview-egg-incubator.html

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Has anyone tried the incuview incubators? I haven't purchased or used an incubator yet. Had a lot of folks recommend the 1588s but just recently hearing some good reviews on the incuview. And I really don't want styrofoam, honestly. (And more honestly, I'd rather use broodys and will when I have them!

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/incuview-egg-incubator.html

I have the Incuview and I really like it. Yes, broodys are better. But no incubator is as good as a broody.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote: @MargaretYakoda
Have you used it a lot? So far everyone I read has positive reviews.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

@MargaretYakoda
Have you used it a lot? So far everyone I read has positive reviews.

I'm super new to incubating, so take this with a grain of salt. But yes, I used it three times last spring.
You'll want to put it some place where the temperatures are stable, and generally warm. My house is quite cold in the winter (no central heat and no working fireplace) so we consider 60 degrees to be downright balmy. The IncuView recommends a temp of at least 65 I think? That's not a problem for most people.
Even so, I was able to get a decent steady temp by putting it on a double thick bath towel.
If you've got some prize eggs, you might want to start out with a test batch to get used to it, but it's not hard.

The real joy is actually getting to see the chicks hatch, in great detail. I had ours on the coffee table and it was a terrific show. Really.

My hatch rate was something like 24 eggs go in, 18 or so made it to lock down, and 14 or so came out. So, all in all, not too bad, considering that mostly the eggs I hatched were barnyard b***ards. Of the Jersey Giants I put in, I had 14 shipped eggs, two of which appeared to be blanks, or early quitters, and five of which were so porous that they dried up quickly in the IncuView and caused a humidity issue for the first week, until I realized what was going on and chucked them. They had shells that were very bumpy on one end, so that was definitely a fault with the egg, not the incubator.

That was my first time using the IncuView. Taking out the porous ones, that's seven out of nine shipped eggs that hatched. So that's not a bad result, actually.

 

[DesertChic]

I'm going to have to do something. My DD was at the grocery store in NW La today and bought regular hamburger meat in the large economy pack for $4.99 a pound. Ungodly. I'm really thinking about muscovy white ducks. JM Hatchery has them. Low amount of fat and they get to 12 lbs at 12 weeks. BIG birds. More of a red meat and assumably tastes like veal. Really, really thinking about them. I sold 27 birds last month so I'll just have the 4 White Rocks, 2 Sapphire blue egg layers and a Coronation Sussex. The last 3 for eggs. And I have 2 little black bowling balls in the small pen. Cockerels of course. I ordered white rock and they are "supposed to be Barred by accident". Five weeks old mostly but. still black. Turk, I'm thinking about trying to caponize them. Just thinking.

If you decide to go forward with purchasing the Muscovy ducks please, please, please supply us with regular updates about your experience. I just started with chickens (and my husband is desperately trying to reign me in so I don't purchase more before these ten have matured), and I now want to add Muscovies to the mix. He thinks I'm a little crazy, but I've tasted their meat and they are stellar....really fantastic when prepared properly...and from what I understand their dispositions are wonderful and they're extremely quiet. Please....feed my addiction. Since my husband won't cooperate I need a good enabler.

 

[hellbender]

If you decide to go forward with purchasing the Muscovy ducks please, please, please supply us with regular updates about your experience. I just started with chickens (and my husband is desperately trying to reign me in so I don't purchase more before these ten have matured), and I now want to add Muscovies to the mix. He thinks I'm a little crazy, but I've tasted their meat and they are stellar....really fantastic when prepared properly...and from what I understand their dispositions are wonderful and they're extremely quiet. Please....feed my addiction. Since my husband won't cooperate I need a good enabler.

If I were to have ducks, they would be Muscovy. My mom kept several around, just to aggravate my dad. She really did enjoy them but she got great pleasure from seeing my dad's face turn purple when she went to care for them.

My suggestion to those wanting to get any ducks and already have chickens...I know from experience, it is far better to keep the two species totally separated. I know, there will be those who will say, "Oh, they do fine together" but ducks are FAR messier than chickens and have different needs.

We have the space to keep ducks separate and have actually considered getting some Muscovies but we have a plethora of meat protein sources now and just can't justify the additional 'mess' created by the ducks... Keep in mind...this is just our opinions...

 

[Kinmera]

So most of the time I'm just lurking around here, but I could really use some input.

I now have 3 Freedom Ranger Pullets that I received through a trade for cockerels with a local Amish Neighbor. My intentions are bo breed the pullets to both a white rock male & an orpington male. The goal is to create a self sustaining meat flock. I am not opposed to raising cornishX and will continue to raise them for now.

I am interested in your thoughts on if I should start with the White Rock or the Orpington. Since I only have 3 of the girls they are going to stay with the same roo until those babies grow up to laying age. Then I will switch the girls to the other roo.

On the Duck Thing .... We researched ducks for meat because I have several Vietnamese families in the area who prefer them. I have standing orders for 5 doz duck eggs a week and as much duck as I can produce. DH and I decided on Swedish because they have good laying ratios and also have a decent carcass. Just my 2 cents. I have friends who have muscovies and I absolutely hate them -- they were the nastiest birds temperment wise i'd ever met. The vet we use actually has guard muscovy drakes because they are more effective.

 

[DesertChic]

If I were to have ducks, they would be Muscovy. My mom kept several around, just to aggravate my dad. She really did enjoy them but she got great pleasure from seeing my dad's face turn purple when she went to care for them.

My suggestion to those wanting to get any ducks and already have chickens...I know from experience, it is far better to keep the two species totally separated. I know, there will be those who will say, "Oh, they do fine together" but ducks are FAR messier than chickens and have different needs.

We have the space to keep ducks separate and have actually considered getting some Muscovies but we have a plethora of meat protein sources now and just can't justify the additional 'mess' created by the ducks... Keep in mind...this is just our opinions...

Thanks for the input!

Luckily we have enough property that we would keep them relatively separated from one another, but still within sight of one another....not that that matters. I wouldn't mind having them to help me weed the yard and garden.

 

[hellbender]

Thanks for the input!

Luckily we have enough property that we would keep them relatively separated from one another, but still within sight of one another....not that that matters. I wouldn't mind having them to help me weed the yard and garden.

Where folks get into trouble is when they try to house chickens and ducks together. Can it be done...sure but it makes life for the chickens worse than miserable and even dangerous in many cases.