Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[ilikehorses2]

One day old!


11 Days old!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

No I didn't hatch them. My little guy picked them out at the feed store. Never again will I brood ducklings.

One day old!


11 Days old!

awwww love the coloring already, SILVER <3

 

[Sparkypatriot15]

I hope we can hatch together! It's no fun doing it alone and haha I tried to hatch ducks and chickens together this summer and I got 2 chickens and a duck but the duck had trouble hatching and it died quick ): and my friend said the incubator wasn't in the best condition so I might need some help fixing it up... I can either hatch ameraucanas, French copper marans, olive eggers, or get a random assortment of mixes between silkies/Sebrights/buff orpingtons/ and a few others. Are any of those easier to hatch than the other? I can also throw in some french Rouen duck eggs too.
Oh and yeah ducklings... Very very messy.... Idk how I've brooded them twice

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I hope we can hatch together! It's no fun doing it alone and haha I tried to hatch ducks and chickens together this summer and I got 2 chickens and a duck but the duck had trouble hatching and it died quick ): and my friend said the incubator wasn't in the best condition so I might need some help fixing it up... I can either hatch ameraucanas, French copper marans, olive eggers, or get a random assortment of mixes between silkies/Sebrights/buff orpingtons/ and a few others. Are any of those easier to hatch than the other? I can also throw in some french Rouen duck eggs too.
Oh and yeah ducklings... Very very messy.... Idk how I've brooded them twice

did u look at that bator thread sumi posted a few days ago? I am gonna make one like that with the daughter! have a read and watch this guys movies.... http://www.youtube.com/user/RushLanePoultry its easier to understand watching his videos...

 

[Sally Sunshine]

 

[sumi]

?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

misserable, and kids galour on top of it, not a fine day in the mnts here with this Mommasita and MomMom! lol

How is Sumi?

 

[Sparkypatriot15]

This is random, but do any of you have advise on how to properly care for chickens and ducks...? I'm just curious cause this is my first time with poultry still and I want to make sure I'm doing this right (I have read on the Internet but first hand accounts are always better) so, here's how I've been doing it... Alright- I have a big coop plenty big for my 3 birds (soon to be 4) that live in the coop and I change the bedding every week (sometimes with Cyprus mulch, pinestraw, or pine shreds and always with some extra pinestraw and leaves from the yard) and they have a mini coop inside that coop with a roof that they go to every night, a little patch of sand to swallow, and a pot that I plant some garden weeds in every time I clean the coop as a special treat cause they love it. They always have good available, but the duck drinks so much water and gets it all dirty that it has to be cleaned a TON. But I can't refill it at school so when I get home they're always out of fresh water and that's a problem but I can't get my duck to stop being such a water hog cause she's a duck!! Anyone know what I could do to fix their constant water problem...? I make sure they're all eating every day by hand feeding them a handful of chicken food to make sure they all eat. And I dunno how exactly to treat a pet chicken/ duck so I let them fly onto my shoulders like parrots and I stroke their feathers which they seem to like. Usually I'll bring them into the yard once a week to forage for about an hour before cooping them back up and I let the duck swim in her pond most every day. Does she need a pond in her coop? Cause every time I refil one of their two drinkers she hops in one and starts flapping around and them she tries to fly but ends up hitting the coop door (she needs to work on her breaks). Winter is coming and they don't have a heat lamp but do thy need one? And will I be able to let my little chick (who's currently about 2 or 3 weeks old) out into the big coop this winter? Sorry for all the questions I'm just curious on how to do this all right.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

This is random, but do any of you have advise on how to properly care for chickens and ducks...? I'm just curious cause this is my first time with poultry still and I want to make sure I'm doing this right (I have read on the Internet but first hand accounts are always better) so, here's how I've been doing it... Alright- I have a big coop plenty big for my 3 birds (soon to be 4) that live in the coop and I change the bedding every week (sometimes with Cyprus mulch, pinestraw, or pine shreds and always with some extra pinestraw and leaves from the yard) and they have a mini coop inside that coop with a roof that they go to every night, a little patch of sand to swallow, and a pot that I plant some garden weeds in every time I clean the coop as a special treat cause they love it. They always have good available, but the duck drinks so much water and gets it all dirty that it has to be cleaned a TON. But I can't refill it at school so when I get home they're always out of fresh water and that's a problem but I can't get my duck to stop being such a water hog cause she's a duck!! Anyone know what I could do to fix their constant water problem...? I make sure they're all eating every day by hand feeding them a handful of chicken food to make sure they all eat. And I dunno how exactly to treat a pet chicken/ duck so I let them fly onto my shoulders like parrots and I stroke their feathers which they seem to like. Usually I'll bring them into the yard once a week to forage for about an hour before cooping them back up and I let the duck swim in her pond most every day. Does she need a pond in her coop? Cause every time I refil one of their two drinkers she hops in one and starts flapping around and them she tries to fly but ends up hitting the coop door (she needs to work on her breaks). Winter is coming and they don't have a heat lamp but do thy need one? And will I be able to let my little chick (who's currently about 2 or 3 weeks old) out into the big coop this winter? Sorry for all the questions I'm just curious on how to ri this all right.

Sparky you just asked alot of what I had to learn! lol I actually have alot of links and info saved on a pinterest board http://pinterest.com/ssunshiner/chickens-chickens-chickens-and-more-chickens/

1. Sand is ok when young but as they grow you should have grit....
Oyster Shells and Grit why you need both. Crushed oyster shells provide an extra boost of calcium that will allow your chickens to lay nice, hard-shelled eggs. To give your chickens oyster shells, just offer in a bowl or cage cup in a separate container next to your chickens’ feed. only laying HENS! Instead of chewing, chickens store grit, or small stones in their “crop,” an area of the digestive system where chickens begin to digest their food before it enters the stomach. They can get Sour Crop

2. GRASS - A FREE Nutritious Food Source. Provides 1/4 of a hen's overall daily nutritional reqmnts & ALL of her protein needs, Grass also provides Vitamins C and E, magnesium, iron & phosphorus NOTE: long fibrous strands can get stuck in chickens' crops and lead to sour crop or impacted crop. Never feed grass that has been treated with fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides - Cut grass strands into very small pcs less than 1" NEVER FEED Your Chickens.... Citrus(peels or fruit) declines egg production. Spoiled meat. Meat in large quantities. Raw eggs are safe, BUT encourages them to eat their own ! Garlic and onion are safe, just be ware that if your hens eat these, you’ll have garlic- and onion-flavored eggs. Avocado. The fruit of avocado is OK for chickens to eat, but the skins and pits are slightly toxic to chickens. NO Potato peels are toxic.beans, salty food,sugary foods. Chocolate, Morning glories & daffodils. Natural Wormer...pumpkin soup!! see this GREAT CHART! https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

3. Quick and simple way to keep water from freezing also READ.... Should I heat my coop? https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/should-i-heat-my-coop (we have lighting on a timer)
COOKIE TIN WATER HEATER
directions here... http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/11/make-cookie-tin-waterer-heater-under-10.html

​

4. some pretty cool ways to protect your water. Plenty of ways Modify chicken/duck feeders for less waste and messfrom ducks cheaply too!

nipples available at tractor supply and ag stores

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/651102/my-pvc-true-auto-waterer/10

5. ACV Apple Cider Vinegar
CHICKENS HEALTH & APPLE CIDER VINEGAR contains acetic & other acids, mineral salts, & amino acids that are great for your chickens. Using apple cider vinegar in various ways around your flock and coop can do the following: Improve the digestive health of your chickens by maintaining proper pH balance in the digestive tract Increase egg production Kill germs that cause respiratory illnesses, water free of harmful bacteria! 4 tsp to gallon of water(use raw unfiltered & unpasteurized)

6. Chicks see https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...s-in-your-city-the-basics-of-raising-chickens This article has most basics!! take time to have a look!

Chicken Care After First 60 Days, General Chicken Care, Coops - Once feathered move into a coop! 2-3 sqft per chicken in the henhouse & 4-5 sq/ft per chicken outside run. Keep local predators in mind! Flooring - Pine shavings work best. Try the deep litter method for low maint. Food & water-chicken layer feed / pellets. Or make a homemade chicken feeder / waterer, Treats - Vegetables, bread, bugs, chicken scratch(cracked corn, milo, wheat)

Adding to your flock.... see section 2 in this... Understanding Flock Dynamics (the Pecking Order) [URL]https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock[/URL]

[URL]http://www.mypetchicken.com/ba...duce-new-chickens-into-my-old-flock-H128.aspx[/URL]​

7. Ducks ?????????? CLUELESS!! Chicksooner!!

 

[chicksooner]

From what I have learned about ducks...they need water to play and splash around in. I would set up a water supply for drinking and then a water supply for the ducks to play in. They need to be able to get in and wash off. If they have a separate water supply they tend to mess with the drinking water less. They also use the water to eat. They need it to wash down the food so the water will get crudded up pretty quick. Nasty water but happy duck.