Chicken calculations

[MROO]

@ValerieJ thanks for the quick response! Yes, Papa's Poultry is the one in CA.

Y'know, the National show is in Ohio, soon. If your CA breeder (or someone else he/she knows - or even another breeder entirely) is going, you could meet there and get a trio hand-delivered. Then your kids get to watch their own chickens hatch & raise chicks. That's even cooler than random incubator results!

 

[K0k0shka]

I usually have anywhere from four to ten roosters or even more and when I'm in my house I can't hear them. However, I can hear cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers, weed eaters, dogs, boom boxes, train whistles and roofers.

This is great to hear!

 

[K0k0shka]

Y'know, the National show is in Ohio, soon. If your CA breeder (or someone else he/she knows - or even another breeder entirely) is going, you could meet there and get a trio hand-delivered. Then your kids get to watch their own chickens hatch & raise chicks. That's even cooler than random incubator results!

Ooooh... What is this show? Can you give me a link or more information?

 

[Mrs. K]

Oh I am glad you understand, so many people make that mistake, and the documentation says that it WILL fit 6-8 birds, when in reality it won't.

Do share pictures when it is done. Enjoy this, it is a great deal of fun, and kids really do love it.

Mrs K

 

[K0k0shka]

Good plan. I am curious what kind of incubator you are planning on using.
That decision may skew the calculations about the percentage that will hatch.

I was hoping to rent or borrow one from a nearby farm or other chicken keepers. There are lots of people around here who keep chickens, and some offer to share equipment and tools. Ideally I’d get an automatic one that turns the eggs. I can’t be home to turn them as often as they need.

 

[K0k0shka]

Oh I am glad you understand, so many people make that mistake, and the documentation says that it WILL fit 6-8 birds, when in reality it won't.

Do share pictures when it is done. Enjoy this, it is a great deal of fun, and kids really do love it.

Mrs K

Thanks! I’m enjoying it already. I love building so this is a nice excuse to break out the power tools I’ll definitely post pictures when it’s done. I have a build progress thread going, I’ll post there when it’s done.

 

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

I don't know if anyone can give you a good formula for this. Generally speaking, 50% hatch rate on shipped hatching eggs is good.

Where is Papa's Poultry? I tried looking it up and found one in CA. That is a long way from you. I ordered hatching eggs from Florida and out of 13 eggs, I had one chick hatch. They were packed very well, and I allowed them to rest 24 hours. My incubator was working well (it was new). I think the issue is they were jostled around too much in shipping. It took USPS 5 days to get them to me via Priority Mail.

My one hatched chick is most likely a pullet, and thank goodness for that 13th egg. haha

My next question is, why do you want a rooster if you are planning on limited flock? Do you have a particular need for fertilized eggs? Normally you need about 10-12 hens for 1 rooster, although I have heard of people who had success with fewer hens. If he is particularly active he could really tear up your hens by over mating.

My general advice would be to find a hatchery closer to you, and then get at least 12 eggs. If you end up with too many chickens (I strongly doubt it would be 12) you can grow them large enough to be a nice dinner and cull the excess birds. If it were me planning a flock of 4, I would want all hens.

Good luck!

So...i don’t have a ton of hatching experience but my whole grade level does it at school. Hatch rates vary pretty greatly. We all had 12 eggs and classes had 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 12. And that was just thisbyears hatch. We all have the same incubators and follow the same temp and humidity guidelines set by the Ohio Staye University 4H program guidelines. Because we work with local farmers i don’t have all the gender data exactly. The hatch with 7 was 4 pullets and 3 cockerels.

I will check on the remaining genders tomorrow and see what i can find.

 

[K0k0shka]

We all had 12 eggs and classes had 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 12.

Whoa... That’s crazy. Good statistics though, illustrates the point very well. Thanks!

 

[MROO]

Ooooh... What is this show? Can you give me a link or more information?

http://www.ohionational.org/

 

[K0k0shka]

http://www.ohionational.org/

I will check it out, thanks!