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

[WalkingWolf1]

But, this one still strikes such a chord with my feminine side.

I bet the margin is much better on this one.

 

[NickyPick]

Our next one will likely be this one: For what's it's worth. I'm sure we'll have some minor "issues" with it as well, and if you ask around, I'm sure you'll find the inevitable haters of it, but it's what we'll buy anyhow.



It's the 1588, and with optional turner, around $200 or a bit less.

Well, yay! Here I was, feeling a little chagrined about all this bad stryobator talk, because my one an only incubator is a stryofoam one, and then you put up the one I have and say you'd get it? I feel a lot better now.

I've only hatched once - set last year at Christmas. I got 12 chicks and 7 of them were cockerels. An easy craigslist elimination, but I don't know if I'll use it again until I move to my farm. There's just no room in this subdivision home to have a grow-out pen and I don't know what else to do with the chicks until they're big enough to fend for themselves in the flock. I may try using a broody hen this spring and see how that works with chicks vs. established flock.

 

[thedragonlady]

The truth is this. For decades we either just bought day olds, waited for a broody to do her thing, or we'd take eggs down the road to the Mennonite fellow who had a large, kerosene fired incubator. But a few years back, after we took him a large batch of critical eggs, he was called away on an emergency, the diesel ran out and the eggs died. A real bummer.

So, we looked at the stuff at the local farm stores, rejecting the el cheapo styrofoam LG types they sell and just bought an ECO on line. To be honest, we didn't do a whole passel of investigating. Also a fact, they've been bullet proof for us. Yep, they aren't perfect, especially regarding head room, but they've sure been rock solid on temps and have worked out very well.

Our next one will likely be this one: For what's it's worth. I'm sure we'll have some minor "issues" with it as well, and if you ask around, I'm sure you'll find the inevitable haters of it, but it's what we'll buy anyhow.



It's the 1588, and with optional turner, around $200 or a bit less.



But, this one still strikes such a chord with my feminine side.

Fred,

I hatched in a pair of GQF Sportsmen for years. I'm really liking the performance of the 1588s though. I use two. One as a hatcher with the turner out , since I hatch with my eggs in the bottoms of cartons with holes punched in them. Hatching in cartons has always given me good hatches , as the first chicks hatched do not roll the slower ones over .The eggs that do get rolled , sometimes have dead inshell chicks who can't find the air space. Just my experience . What ever you use to hatch in , it's important to really clean your hatcher in between hatches. I disinfect with Oxine, and place the bottoms in the sun for a day. Works for me.

 

[al6517]

Morning Al!

I have a quick question on top dressing for you! Can you top-dress too much, really?

I mean, as long as I'm not pouring half a gallon of oil on their food each day, is a little left over fat from a meal given several times a week ok?

Let's say I roast a chicken on Sunday, and have a couple of 24oz cottage cheese containers full of fat/broth left over. That will top dress about 3 days worth of meals for my pullets. If I dress every day or every other day, is that a problem?

They just love it so much that I hate not putting it on their food when I have it - if I take feed out without the grease in it now, they look at me like 'what's this sh!t?' hahahahahaha!

No I don't think what your doing is too much per sey, but your certainly doing a good thing with top dressing, Glad it's working for you. After awhile I would just check their physical condition IE feather & skin quality, combs/wattles and of course body condition. If they get plenty of time ranging and fooling about, they will fine. If however they are more sedentary then after they start to look good you could lay back a little but if your not seeing any ill effect like them getting to fat and lazy then just keep doing what your doing.

 

[Fred's Hens]

That's where we wish to go as well. Our plan, however wise, is to use the ECO to bake 'em and then mostly use the QDF for hatching. We're still learning.

 

[al6517]

Actually, I am horribly torn between which of these to recommend.















So torn!!!! Please can anyone help me decide? I really need to know!!
I really, really, OMG!!!! so really want the 3 egg pink one!

LOL really pink Pink !!!!! can you tell who their target buyer is LOL. They all look little toy's, another example of how fluffy the chicken market has become. I would however think of using them as Christmas tree Ornaments LOL.

 

[al6517]

Thank you Kathy for the additional information
Fred, your humor is simply golden
Al..What can i say. You have a ton of valuable and great information to share, especially when it is served on a laughing sharp knife.

LOL thanks D ........... laughing sharp knife ............ I like that sorry It's my way. It's my way of bringing chicken raising an animal husbandry back from the brink of everything being so cutesy tootsey and fluffy this and that. I like to believe their might be 1 or 2 people out there who don't hug & kiss their chickens LOL, Just remember they'll poke yer eye out

.

 

[Maven]

No I don't think what your doing is too much per sey, but your certainly doing a good thing with top dressing, Glad it's working for you. After awhile I would just check their physical condition IE feather & skin quality, combs/wattles and of course body condition. If they get plenty of time ranging and fooling about, they will fine. If however they are more sedentary then after they start to look good you could lay back a little but if your not seeing any ill effect like them getting to fat and lazy then just keep doing what your doing.

Thanks!! Good to know!! They free-range all day long and are very active so that's covered!

I've been top dressing ever since I read your thoughts on it, and boy-howdy, does it work just like you say it does!! I'm telling you, these birds SHINE - in the sun they almost look like their feathers are pure liquid. It is just amazing - all the dust bathing in the world can't hide that shine! Next good sunny day I'll try to remember to get some pictures of a couple of them for you!! Their feathers are very supple and their skin is soft as velvet. I can never thank you enough for the top dressing tip!

I have the prettiest hatchery mutts this side of the Mississippi thanks to you OTs!!

 

[al6517]

Maven : Yeah this little trick is well worth the little effort, the birds not only look good but act better as well, it has more far reaching effects than just good feather condition doesn't it. I do this with my horses as well and they shed their winter coats early and just shine away. Animal fat is so so critical to chickens, this doesn't really go over well with the Granola heads but you can't deny the fact that it is one of the best things you can do for your birds. Chickens who don't get animal protien and are fed strict diets of all that funky Organic all natural blah blah blah don't look and act nowhere near what a healthy chicken does, FACT it is.

Soon we will talk about feeding for other health/breeding benefits. I don't do the FF thing I just choose to do things in other ways to achieve the same or better results that benefits my needs and goals for my birds.

 

[JeffOeuf]

Maven and/or Al...

Could you point me to the previous discussion of topdressing with fat?

Without sounding too fluffy lol, is there anything to watch for in the grease? As in, bacon fat has quite a bit of salt. Skimmings off a soup or stock will have quite a bit of seasoning. As I'm typing this, I'm convincing myself it isn't anything to worry about...with the possible exception of the salt in bacon fat.