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

[al6517]

Quote:
Well you asked for it.... and this bird is healthy vibrant, and has an amazing vocabulary...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/108101_big_bird.jpg

And he is of great culling size too

now that there is a big ole bird.

 

[bobbi-j]

I sure hope your information is wrong

It probably is. I don't even remember where I read it. Have you bred your birds in January and February before? If you have, at least you know it works.

I mean, I could have understood my failure better if I'd have tried hatching them in an incubator. I would have blamed the incubator or figured that I'd messed up somehow. I thought the broody would be fool-proof!​

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Just reading the comments about the first eggs being infertile...

I seldom start hatching here until around the first of March, but last year I started at the end of December. I noticed that my January and early February hatches were terrible. Around 15% compared to 85% to 90% the rest of the hatching season.

Most of my breeder pens are set up with 12 chickens. A rooster and 5 hens that are the previous years birds and the other half older birds from 1 to 3 years old.

I don't know if it's fertility here or just that the temps are so much colder. Maybe I'm just letting them get too cold before I gather them, or maybe it is something to do with the fertility at that time of year.

Now I'm curious.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

jvls1942 - Maybe it is because my roo is only 7 months old, but he is a "Randy Young Man"

He grabs his hens by the back of the neck, swings on and does his thing.

It was in the low 50's today & rained most of the day, that did not stop Owl from chasing the hens all over the yard.

It is now rare when I crack an egg and find it not fertile.

Went to my local feed store today & asked about Freedom Rangers, they said they can order some, am going to still order some from Ideal.
Told her we were getting 7 - 9 eggs a day out of the 11 that I know are laying. She said, "are you keeping them warm enough?" And did I have a heater in the coop?, Uh, No! All my hens are cold hearty hens, at bedtime they almost puppy pile on the roost, like they did when they were young pullets in the summer. And I know darn well & good they were not cold in the 80-90 degree temps we had at night this past summer. They just like to puppy pile.

Am keeping my fingers crossed we get snow on Christmas Day, one to let my girls have their first White Christmas, and to watch my chickens play in the snow.

 

[al6517]

I have found that allot of OT's have told me to be true is that to get better fertility they like the sun on their backs for a few hours a day, producing Vitamin D or something like that. The artificial light I have come to know isn't as good as the full sun when it comes to fertility.

 

[bobbi-j]

Hmm... that could be something. Vitamin D is essential to human health and well-being, why not for chickens?

 

[al6517]

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I have found after doing it for 3 seasons that it does help considerably, for roosters and hen's alike.

 

[southerndesert]

Chicken habits (instincts) run on a time clock and sunshine (day length) is of the utmost importance. Breeding, egg laying, etc....

 

[Beekissed]

Could be why they lay more with longer daylight hours? I think you've got something there, Al....

 

[scottcaddy]

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I am to<BG> This is looking like a nice winter for starting a bit early.
Thanks Scott