BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Phill98]

Adorable.  I won't hatch again for a month or two, have to change living arrangements first.  But when I do it will be from Fm roo and hens.  Excited to see how dark the chicks will end up being.

When everything is done post some pics of both setups and flocks

 

[Kassaundra]

When everything is done post some pics of both setups and flocks

Right now my nakeds and friends are living in a refrigerator coop, but it is too small. They are moving to the big coop Gary just built. It has a chicken wire wall seperating the two flocks. It butts up to the current run for the nakeds. All I'm going to do is move the ladies so the only one's w/ Vader will be the eggs I want to hatch from, only Fm w/ the exception of a "blue" hen I have that is not fm but her feathers are blue so she gets to stay. The ladies going in the run w/ Stripey Butt will likely be annoyed being put in the run. Those will be the mottleds, barreds, feather neckeds (except for one that is fm) and non fm ) That will give a good chance to have a real look at those put in Stripy butts area to see who is staying and who is leaving.

 

[DesertChic]

Tomorrow is hatch day here for the incubator and I"m sitting here drinking coffee listening to eggs peeping inside the bator,
Can't wait.........

My first one pipped last night and hatched today, a full day early. It's been flopping around yelling at the other 18 eggs. One more pipped correctly, one pipped at the wrong end, and one is just wiggling like crazy. C'mon babies!!!!

 

[Gorman Farm]

My first one pipped last night and hatched today, a full day early. It's been flopping around yelling at the other 18 eggs. One more pipped correctly, one pipped at the wrong end, and one is just wiggling like crazy. C'mon babies!!!!

I have one pip as of late this morning, not hatched yet but tomorrow is day 21, and lots of peeping. I have 17 viable chicken eggs as of candling on day 14 didn't look again after that. We won't even talk about the turkey eggs in the other bator...lol

 

[DesertChic]

I have one pip as of late this morning, not hatched yet but tomorrow is day 21, and lots of peeping. I have 17 viable chicken eggs as of candling on day 14 didn't look again after that. We won't even talk about the turkey eggs in the other bator...lol

SO EGGCITING!!!!!

Here's my first hatchling, trying to figure out why "Mama" won't cuddle him/her.

 

[Gorman Farm]

SO EGGCITING!!!!!

Here's my first hatchling, trying to figure out why "Mama" won't cuddle him/her.

So adorable look at those big feet..

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Before I set my breed pens, I begin checking for egg laying.

Like BeeKissed, I have checked with gloves doing the rectal exam....For large fowl, use my index finger only to the first knuckle. For my Bantam hens, I use my pinky finger.
The hens are not uncomfortable because the pressure is very gentle. The egg is ready for laying and so far, I have never broken an egg.
As a precaution, I dip my gloved fingers in a 10% Oxine solution between hens. Oxine is anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral.

Another way to identify a laying hen instead of trap nesting is to use food coloring in the vent...a drop is plenty. When I have a trio or quad and want to know who is laying what egg, I apply a different color to each hen in the morning. When she lays her egg, the color is streaked on the egg.
Once I know the shape and shell color shade for each hen, I no longer need the food coloring.
This helps when one or two hens are laying or eggs are not fertile or vital during incubation.

My last tip, a hen that is laying will have a moist, pliable vent while one that is not laying will have a shrunken dryer vent.

When culling for laying, it is best to check the girls when peak laying is occurring.
Not good during molt or while a hen is brooding chicks or when you have moved your hens to new pens, given them a new rooster, or your weather is too hot or too cold.
Many things can affect laying...telling them to get busy or become soup, just won't do it.

Thanks for sharing this - I had been wondering how the food coloring thing worked. So, you put a drop of liquid food coloring inside the vent?

- Ant Farm

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Cross post from the Naked Neck thread:

I have a S&G broiler Naked Neck report (age 5 weeks). They are growing fast, and seem to be visibly larger between morning and evening. They are moving around a lot when weighed - I am able to get accurate weights, but not great photos. But here are a couple.





Graph and table. Blue line is Tank for reference. The largest one is >2 pounds at 5 weeks.





- Ant Farm

 

[lpatelski]

Do your hens lay late, like really late in the day, never before 12 and they lay around 5 the most!

Some of my hens wait until I come out. It is like they hold on until they see me. Then they make a mad dash for the box and pop out eggs. It's fun because for those hens, I know who laid what egg.

 

[casportpony]

Cross post from the Naked Neck thread:

I have a S&G broiler Naked Neck report (age 5 weeks). They are growing fast, and seem to be visibly larger between morning and evening. They are moving around a lot when weighed - I am able to get accurate weights, but not great photos. But here are a couple.





Graph and table. Blue line is Tank for reference. The largest one is >2 pounds at 5 weeks.





- Ant Farm

What a great chart!

Curiously, are the heavier ones boys, or is it still too early to tell?