Colorado

[krcchickens]

Just some information I learned, I have only been doing this for eight months so I am no expert but want to offer anything I can think of from a newbe point of view that might help....

I am sure a lot of people here will agree ACV (apple cider vinegar) is your new best friend.  I use a table spoon of Bragg's per gallon of water, two in summer.  Also sugar helps calm them so when I make major changes, like moving them to the coop or on mowing days that I have to keep them locked up I dissolve a table spoon or two in there water as well.  While they are young you can give them feed mixed with Greek yogurt and bananas, oatmeal and eggs, or just mash(feed and water) as a teat, I started doing this at two weeks old you might wait a little longer then I did.  I used the medicated feed with mine and had no serious problems, however I am sure there are many opinions on that point. I also made sure to mix grit into there food.  They will crap in the food, if you can put the food up that would be best mine always kicked the wood shavings in the food and then could not find it.  For treats I found a shallow cat dish that was rectangular so each of them could get to it without blocking it from the others. I started giving mine mealworms at 3 weeks old, kind of early.  That is all I can remember right now.  As I said I am new as well and I am sure there is better advice out there, this is just my thoughts from my first batch. 

I'm a big fan of braggs I use it for quite a bit of stuff. Is it for their digestive system. Really they eat eggs? Like scrambled or raw? What age do u give yougurt and bananas?

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I'm a big fan of braggs I use it for quite a bit of stuff. Is it for their digestive system. Really they eat eggs? Like scrambled or raw? What age do u give yougurt and bananas?

Scrambled eggs, not raw. You never want them to make the connection between what you are feeding them and what is coming out of their hinies. Yogurt they can have as chicks, though my chicks have never liked it. Don't know why not....

 

[wsmith]

I'm a big fan of braggs I use it for quite a bit of stuff. Is it for their digestive system. Really they eat eggs? Like scrambled or raw? What age do u give yougurt and bananas?

I also add a little molasses in the water when they are little.

Chickens are omnivores: They will eat just about anything and everything. They love eggs, cooked or raw. They love hot dogs. Ham bones, chicken, turkey, old rice dishes from the fridge that noebody ate, etc. We never use the garbage disposal in the sink, we use the one outside.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

 I kept mine between 40% - 60%. It got down to about 25% one day. We had a 65% hatch on eggs shipped from Virginia. My goal this year is to have 85%-90% or above hatch rates. We'll see.

When I was a kid, we had one of those old round incubators that was heated by a light bulb. We had a pan of water under the screen. No hygrometer. A bulb type thermometer. We turned them twice a day by hand. Our hatch rate was dismal. about 25%, and this was with eggs we got from our hens.

I will aim for 50-55% then. That simplifies things too since that is right where the incubator wants to stay around anyway. Lowest it has dropped was from 52% to 45% overnight. Added a little water and next check was back to 54%

I just read an article that basically said to increase your relative humidity and increase your ventilation when hatching eggs that come from a lower altitude so they get more oxygen. I took out the red plug closest to the fan, do you think I should take out the other one too?

 

[wsmith]

Mine only has one plug, and for my elevation the directions said to remove it. So I did.

 

[Mtn Margie]

I'm getting really worried about trying to add turkeys though. I really wish I knew what type of noise to expect. I just want 4 broad breasted bronze, I've decided for my small area they will be the best ones, I've read a lot about other breeds and they are prone to being escape artists and such... Just can't do that in my tiny burb.... As it is I've run over a jar of honey to all my close neighbors that touch because I feel like the girls are making so much noise! Of course it's only during the afternoon, likely half of them aren't even home. But, still.....
Maybe I should play them some music or something !

Just a heads up that these babies can get big and you will need to control their feed in order for them to stay healthy. We raised BBB for the table and at 4 months we had a tom dressing out at 30lbs. Mine were free ranged as much as possible to keep them mobile and healthy.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Mine didn't come with much in the way of directions. It was just a two page pamphlet with basic instructions. I think it said the second plug was intended to be removed after hatching starts to help the chicks breath and dry out. But it didn't mention altitude I don't think.

 

[Mtn Margie]

You guys are making me want an incubator! Hopefully a couple of my hens will go broody and then........

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

You guys are making me want an incubator!  Hopefully a couple of my hens will go broody and then........

 

That's how I started! Chicks are like chips, once you get started you just can't stop!

 

[suncatcher]

So you don't really want day olds then, you want started pullets when they are old enough to know they are pullets? If you want just a few pullets I can wait until my hatched eggs are old enough to tell what they are and sell you a few started pullets. Since I've never raised RIR I can't say for sure what age that would be, but hopefully by around 12 weeks or so, would that work for you? If not I can always add to a McMurray order, pullets only. Depends on whether you prefer CO bred and raised, and bred to SOP, I guess - either works. Some day a couple or so years from now, among us we should be able to provide many breeds and mixes without ever needing to order from a hatchery again. Yay!

That works. I would much rather wait on any pullets you hatch from the CO RIR eggs, since they will be SOP chicks! Let me know if you need a deposit. I am still interested in three McMurry SS pullets, if and when you get them.

Let me know if you (or anyone) would be intersested in Black Australopes (sp) hatching eggs, my daughter has 10 to 12 BA hens, they are in with a really HUGE black rooster, he is either a BA, or a Black Jersey, she is not sure. She is getting around 8 eggs a day, and they should be fertile. I don't think she would be asking much for hatching eggs, maybe $3 or $4 a dozen???

I agree, will be nice when we can sell chicks and hatching eggs here in CO! Should help with the hatch rates too.