Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[fowlman01]

So, colored zip ties, same - same. Great idea. I like this. I would assume room for growth and then cut and re-do once a month or so? These too could potentially cut into them during unchecked growth spurts.

Walt, you can't beat a good broody. But, you can't quite predict them or time them as well either.

I hatched from broodies for 4 years and then this year I had a BYC lady down the street hatch for me cuz she enjoyed doing it and seeing the strange chicks that come from my farm. My big incubator is on loan to a friend and you know how that can be....hopefully I will get it back. I have an even larger one, but my wife gets a little crazy when I run it cuz the electric meter spins so fast you cant see the black line........hahaha It is an old redwood unit that does about 1200 eggs at a time. I needed more out since we are having a national meet 3 hours from here at the end of January. I am convinced that broody babies are better birds in all ways and their natural resistance to disease is exceptional.

Yup..the zip ties or whatever you use need to be watched during the growing and cut off and replaced when getting too tight. After the bird stops growing it is not an issue, but I found that the plastic spiral wire bands are just dangerous because they have those two sharp ends.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

OK, seriously. Without an experienced person, who could have possibly known about this? A chick hatching bag. Seriously.

Talk about being a nube!!!

Some people use little wire baskets with tops. Anything you can do to keep them separate until you toe punch them.

w.

 

[Beekissed]

OK, seriously. Without an experienced person, who could have possibly known about this? A chick hatching bag. Seriously.

Talk about being a nube!!!

Yes! Me too! I would never have thought of that....well, maybe, but I didn't know folks were doing this with 'bator hatching. Great idea!

I hatched from broodies for 4 years and then this year I had a BYC lady down the street hatch for me cuz she enjoyed doing it and seeing the strange chicks that come from my farm. My big incubator is on loan to a friend and you know how that can be....hopefully I will get it back. I have an even larger one, but my wife gets a little crazy when I run it cuz the electric meter spins so fast you cant see the black line........hahaha It is an old redwood unit that does about 1200 eggs at a time. I needed more out since we are having a national meet 3 hours from here at the end of January. I am convinced that broody babies are better birds in all ways and their natural resistance to disease is exceptional.

Yup..the zip ties or whatever you use need to be watched during the growing and cut off and replaced when getting too tight. After the bird stops growing it is not an issue, but I found that the plastic spiral wire bands are just dangerous because they have those two sharp ends.

Walt

I agree with that. I've even taken hatchery chicks and stuck them under a broody a couple of times and it made all the difference, I'm thinking.

 

[JeffOeuf]

Well, I'm ever more of a nube, and that brings some questions up. How do you turn the eggs when they're in the bag ...OR.... do you not put them in the bags until lockdown? Guess as I was typing this, I figured it out on my own...if that's the right answer.

 

[Beekissed]

You old timers have all my respect and love! I've enjoyed the time we've spent here.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

I have learned so much, but for every question answered three it brings up 3 more!!! Got to let all of this good stuff settle in the ol feeble brain.
Feel like a three year old.."Why?" "Why/" "Why?". Guess that's a good thing though.

 

[fowlman01]

I have learned so much, but for every question answered three it brings up 3 more!!! Got to let all of this good stuff settle in the ol feeble brain.
Feel like a three year old.."Why?" "Why/" "Why?". Guess that's a good thing though.

I'm an OT and I'm still learning. There is as much to breeding chickens as you want there to be. IMO not all people can do it well. I know that Bee could do it, but most people just don't have the eye they need to succeed. Keeping chickens is easy if you spend a little time and get reliable info as you would find on this thread. My dad would say that successful breeding takes a "knack", even if you had all the info that you needed to do it.

It is a hobby that has served me well. Believe it or not I am much mellower now than before I started this hobby......it is a hobby to me.

It is natural to have more questions.

Walt

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

If you know anyone who has a flock in which they cull their old hens or extra roosters or even if you see a rooster for sale in the locals, you could always buy one and do your first butcher on a bird not known to you. It can be your first anatomy lesson on chicken structures and where everything is located and will also make you more comfortable when it comes time to kill your own birds.

Sounds like sound advise, I told my kids and wife when we bought our farm, that everything had to have a purpose on the farm, breakfast, lunch, dinner or breeding for next year. We are getting ready for our first family chicken processing.

So here we go.

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

Anyhooo....Nicki, you round up your posse and anyone else on here who would like to do the processing party, I'll bring the aprons and such and we'll make a day of it.  Might bring the Bat's Coney Island hot dog sauce, if I can...you won't regret tasting that. You don't even need a hot dog..you'll find yourself just eating it from the plate. 

 

LOL, a potluck processing party with my posse! (Maybe we can start our own thread with that name to share the fun with Mountain Mama and all the others that live too far away.) This just keeps getting better & better! I can easily arrange for hot dogs to go with that sauce. After roasting a farmers market chicken last weekend, making and freezing some stock, using the rest and leftovers to make a pot pie that we'll eat leftover tonight, I just cannot wait to have home grown birds to put on the table.

Enjoying the current lecture. Thanks to Fred for asking the question, and Al & Walt for answering. I'm looking forward to the decoder to that toe punch chart!

 

[al6517]

Well, I'm ever more of a nube, and that brings some questions up. How do you turn the eggs when they're in the bag ...OR.... do you not put them in the bags until lockdown? Guess as I was typing this, I figured it out on my own...if that's the right answer.

They are only put into the bags during the time their in the hatching tray (day 18 to hatch).

I hate the term lockdown........... i don't lockdown, the term was invented on the BYC and is used for the styrobator folks, In real incubators there is no such thing as lockdown.