EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[Akrnaf2]

My mother in law remembers the same. Only it was always her pet chicken. One would have to be very quick to beat rigamortis. I have tried, didn't work for me. Too slow I guess. And as CC says oven would have to be ready. Mother in law says the used to marinade theirs in a coke first. The wife however doesn't remember that. Guess I'll try that next. Seriously doubt ancestors used a coke if they even had such a thing.

I always have to do everything myself and I'm not organized enough to get a bird killed, plucked, cleaned and ready for the pot while preparing dinner. So I let them rest.

... Blue copper marans and an F2 olive egger from Eight Acres (Luanne) - per her info, she makes her olive eggers by first crossing blue/black copper marans with welsummers, and then crossing those with wheaten ameraucanas for F1 OE. Then the resulting laying hens are covered by a splash copper marans rooster. The egg color is AMAZING! I got three chicks from her - only one ended up being a pullet. I have all the "pieces" of the puzzle in my yard to make more, though (including both a lavender ameraucana cockerel and a splash copper marans cockerel). Yeah, it's the big temperature swing I'm really complaining about - I understand cold in the winter. But it's just so bizarre to be outside and sweating and then have it drop into the 20s that night (getting even colder tonight). It's the hardest on the plants... Yup - weird, weird weather. (Love that rooster coffee picture - thanks for the smile!) ... - Ant Farm

Is that Luanne Kellor? Sounds like someone had lots of time on their hands. Sometimes I think egg color genetics are misunderstood. (because there's little scientific research) I crossed a very dark egg Welsummer hen with a very dark line of Penedesenca and so excited to see the results. The daughter's eggs were a very pale brown. The genes cancelled each other out - I can only surmise. I don't pretend to be a genetics expert. The yoyo temp swing heaving for smaller perennials kicks them right out of the ground.

Boy! You guys sure are chatty today! I almost couldn't finish reading all the posts in three minutes! Gee, so generous! Smoothie. Daiquiri. Same thing, right?

I am generous. I'll always share the pain.

Good afternoon all from Cali. I hope your Sunday is a blessed one. I'm out here working my butt off one woman show let me tell you what. Preparing everything for the processing of the Ducks when they get here later this evening. Of course I'm not going to be able to process all the Ducks tonight but I'm working really hard on getting a lot of these chores done that need to be done that been neglected since I've been at work for the last few days. Gotta finish the Pheasant pen so I can put him in a bigger space he totally totally hates that cage I swear. Preparing for him to get a pheasant hen. Wish me luck on my adventure as I wish all of you a safe journey as well. Have a glorious day.

That's good work.

Todays eggs

Nice. Makes for a fabulous egg basket.

The 2 birds could be heterozygot for the egg shell color, and their F-1 hens could get the the recessive gene from both parents. Did you try the reciprocal cross?

 

[BullChick]

[VIDEO]

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yup. As a supplement, for the animal protein - since they're molting, though some folks do it year round. (All the protein in any of the feeds I can find is vegetable/soy.) They do really well on it. We've been chatting a lot about it over on the Breeding for Production thread.

- Ant Farm

That may be the cheapest way to go about it. The protein in the vegetable sourced feeds is supplemented by synthetic lysine and methionine that you'll find posted in the ingredient list. They are down the list near the added stabilized vitamins.

Does it need to be kitten, and how do you prepare it?

Just look for the crude protein % and look for meat/fish to be the first ingredients listed.

Kitten food selected because it's often the best shot you have at finding it where meat is the first three ingredients. (Others just skip the cat food thing and give their birds straight raw meat if available). I soak it because they wouldn't eat it dry, but other folks serve it dry. I also like that soaking it gets liquids into them another way. (I don't do FF.) I will note, though, that it's not cheap. Kev has had great luck with the kitten food found at Sams/Costco, and the price is one of the more reasonable ones, but I'm not a member. I will probably only do it through the molt and breeding season and then stop...

Yeah, bone soup would be awesome.

I opt for plain meat or fish. I have 60% fishmeal that I mix in at a 10:1 ratio that raises a 16% feed to 20%.
A really cheap and simple thing is canned mackerel. Good quality fish and the cheapest canned one can buy per ounce in a grocery store.

I just bring it to the halal butcher; they have a machine & it takes like 10 minutes.

That's fast and convenient.
The first time I raised a big batch of meat birds as an adult, the only place I could find was about 60 miles away in Illinois. Add the travel time/cost and price to the cost of raising them I decided it didn't make sense not to do it myself here.

So we didn't finish yesterday but we did today!! So we'll hook it up tomorrow and take it for a test run! And if all goes well then I guess I set Tuesday or Wednesday

I guess I'll let you guys see the thermostat my brother and I (mostly my brother) built and programmed

Nice. Is that an Arduino Uno?
I'm working on the same thing.
Mind sharing what sensors you/he are using?

You wake up little Suzie, it's too cold here.
The weather man says it is +3 here but I'm measuring exactly 0 F here at 5 AM on my Thermoworks instant read.
I'll check it closer to sunrise.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Wasn't a good night to be a firefighter in the St. L area. Single digits above or below zero temps. A 4 alarm fire at a warehouse and at least 3 house fires, two just a few miles from here.

 

[BullChick]

You wake up little Suzie, it's too cold here.
The weather man says it is +3 here but I'm measuring exactly 0 F here at 5 AM on my Thermoworks instant read.
I'll check it closer to sunrise.

 

[Chaos18]

Wasn't a good night to be a firefighter in the St. L area. Single digits above or below zero temps. A 4 alarm fire at a warehouse and at least 3 house fires, two just a few miles from here.

Sounds like a busy night.

 

[BullChick]

Wasn't a good night to be a firefighter in the St. L area. Single digits above or below zero temps. A 4 alarm fire at a warehouse and at least 3 house fires, two just a few miles from here.

I saw a news report showing the ladders iced to the building of a local fire a few days ago.

 

[BullChick]

I was awake for almost two hours before I finally got up. The birds were not amused at me coming in to feed and water before the sun was up. I worked in the dark, and the quieted down after a few minutes. I am wide awake now thanks to the many close calls with the ice.
I use some kind of "pet safe" salt, but I am interested in what others use when free ranging. Kosher salt is an option if I want to brine them...

 

[Chaos18]

I was awake for almost two hours before I finally got up. The birds were not amused at me coming in to feed and water before the sun was up. I worked in the dark, and the quieted down after a few minutes. I am wide awake now thanks to the many close calls with the ice.
I use some kind of "pet safe" salt, but I am interested in what others use when free ranging. Kosher salt is an option if I am want to brine them...

I use regular rock salt on the driveway and usually some type of "pet safe" junk on the sidewalks.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The warehouse fire was apparently started by some homeless people trying to keep warm. One of the house fires was from a van catching on fire in the garage and another was a man cooking in his basement.

I just checked it at just before 6AM and it is up to a balmy 1.4 F. Going all the way up to 25 today.
I'm hoping this is the coldest of the season. The rest of the week is supposed to be 40s high and 20s for a low.