BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[gevshiba]

We have never made sausage with chicken. Has anyone had any that was any good? If so, could they point me to a recipe? It is something that I would like to try. Another thing I would like to try is canning poultry meat.

We still pluck and will pluck the birds. I do not want to lose the skin. I have removed only the breast and thighs on some young cockerels, but I would rather get it all. We feed some to the cats and dogs. That is what I do with the old males. I am not eating them. I have too many young birds to eat. The dogs enjoy them though.

ETA: The waste feathers, feet, bones etc. is good for burying where the future fruit tree will be etc. It gives them a great start. All of my trees that I have planted have been planted over such holes.

I throw the feet into a ziplock bag and into the freezer. Then I pull them out for the dogs. They can be dehydrated too. They keep their teeth nice and white.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

I have a hatching "fence" in the designated incubator to keep the families separated if I ever get the second pullet into lay, and am hatching from both hens simultaneously.

OK, laugh if you must. I've always hen hatched--until now. I bought an incubator to really crank up production and I'm on my first whack. That being said, I would like to erect a barrier for egg separation, but I'm worried out of what? Don't want any bacterial problems! What are you using in your incubator?

Also, I have heard of folks putting the eggs in hollowed out egg cartons at lockdown to keep newly hatched chicks from flipping eggs. Anyone do this confidently?

 

[hellbender]

I throw the feet into a ziplock bag and into the freezer. Then I pull them out for the dogs. They can be dehydrated too. They keep their teeth nice and white.

My dogs are fed very well...I'd venture as well as anyone's, with respect to nutrition and "eat-ability"...

The chicken feet belong to ME!!! lolol

 

[bnjrob]

OK, laugh if you must. I've always hen hatched--until now. I bought an incubator to really crank up production and I'm on my first whack. That being said, I would like to erect a barrier for egg separation, but I'm worried out of what? Don't want any bacterial problems! What are you using in your incubator?

Also, I have heard of folks putting the eggs in hollowed out egg cartons at lockdown to keep newly hatched chicks from flipping eggs. Anyone do this confidently?

I use plastic canvas from the craft aisle, with plastic craft lacing to hold it together for barrier walls to separate chicks from different groups when they hatch. It tolerates the incubator heat fine and cleans up easily.

Yes, I decided to try the recommendations of using the egg cartons - much prefer it over having eggs rolling all over the place.

 

[jbkirk]

I use plastic canvas from the craft aisle, with plastic craft lacing to hold it together for barrier walls to separate chicks from different groups when they hatch. It tolerates the incubator heat fine and cleans up easily.

Yes, I decided to try the recommendations of using the egg cartons - much prefer it over having eggs rolling all over the place.

could you use cardboard as a barrier?
EDIT:how far into the web should the cuts extend on a day old?

 

[southernmomma]

Quote:
I'm not laughing I intend to hen-hatch exclusively. We lose power several times a year....

M

 

[bnjrob]

could you use cardboard as a barrier?

Having a solid barrier can restrict airflow throughout the incubator. It can also sag and fall over under the humidity of the incubator if it is not heavy enough. You'd have to try it in your own incubator to see if you could make it work.

 

[RedRidge]

 
 I have a hatching "fence" in the designated incubator to keep the families separated if I ever get the second pullet into lay, and am hatching from both hens simultaneously. 

OK, laugh if you must.  I've always hen hatched--until now.  I bought an incubator to really crank up production and I'm on my first whack.  That being said, I would like to erect a barrier for egg separation, but I'm worried out of what?  Don't want any bacterial problems!  What are you using in your incubator?

Also, I have heard of folks putting the eggs in hollowed out egg cartons at lockdown to keep newly hatched chicks from flipping eggs.  Anyone do this confidently?

No laughing here. I have a homemade partition in the hatcher of my cabinet Bator- 4 separate hatching areas. ;-)

It's notched so the two pieces fit together and don't move.

It does, of course, have a screen lid also

 

[ocap]

I have had chicks crawl over a short fence in a Styrofoam incubator. I read that one person uses very light weight laundry bags.

 

[bnjrob]

I have had chicks crawl over a short fence in a Styrofoam incubator. I read that one person uses very light weight laundry bags.

I had to cut my plastic canvas to go almost all the way up to the top of the incubator to keep them from crawling over.