FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[BlueChick62]

CMom, what do "chicken folk" generally do about mating sibling chickens? Trade the roo? I'm thinking I'd have a hard tme getting a Blue Cochin roo. Is trading the purpose of the "swaps?" This is all so new. I'm not sure I can give up my roo… he's my favorite! I'm not planning on breeding a flock, but figured I'd have fertile eggs to give away if I wanted. I only have 4 chickens total.

 

[cmom]

CMom, what do "chicken folk" generally do about mating sibling chickens? Trade the roo? I'm thinking I'd have a hard tme getting a Blue Cochin roo. Is trading the purpose of the "swaps?" This is all so new. I'm not sure I can give up my roo… he's my favorite! I'm not planning on breeding a flock, but figured I'd have fertile eggs to give away if I wanted. I only have 4 chickens total.

I can only tell you what I would do. I raise Heritage Rhode Island Reds and Rose comb Rhode Island Whites. I want to keep my lines pure so I have found people who have the same lines. Every so often I will get a cockerel and/or pullets from my friends hatch. They are all descendants from the original stock but from entirely different hatches. I would be looking for someone who may have a Blue Cochin cockerel or rooster. One of my friends that has the same line has borrowed a cockerel from me to put with his girls. If he gets a nice boy he can breed it back to his hens (the mothers). My circumstances are entirely different than yours. I breed for show birds. Not all of my birds make the cut for showing. I usually sell the birds I'm not going to show to people who want nice birds. I will sell show quality birds or people who want to raise Heritage stock. One young 4H girl bought a Buff Orpington cockerel from me when I was breeding Buff Orpintons. She showed him in the juniors competition at a show and won first place with him. You don't have to trade your rooster but maybe you could borrow one for a month or two. If you do get another boy he will have to be with the girls for at least 3 weeks before you can hatch eggs and be sure they will be his offspring. You can mate siblings, but when you do if there are any undesirable traits they appear more often in sibling matings. Good luck and have fun...

 

[BlueChick62]

Thanks Cmom!

 

[bdoza88]

Checking in from Sarasota FL! Would anyone happen to have some bantam chicks for sale? Preferably a few weeks old but not a big deal. Only because i have a 5-6 week old dominique bantam thats by itself and needs some company.

 

[Bangarang64]

Checking in from Sarasota FL! Would anyone happen to have some bantam chicks for sale? Preferably a few weeks old but not a big deal. Only because i have a 5-6 week old dominique bantam thats by itself and needs some company.

The LCross auction outside of Okeechobee always seems to have bantams for sale. It's the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month.

 

[MoonSkin]

Hey everyone, I'm from Yulee here! I have quite a few chicks growing up but, I'm looking to hatch some eggs. Does anyone in the area have an incubator or broody hen I can buy? Or perhaps a suggestion for a broody breed?

 

[GermanGirl82]

Hey everyone, I'm from Yulee here! I have quite a few chicks growing up but, I'm looking to hatch some eggs. Does anyone in the area have an incubator or broody hen I can buy? Or perhaps a suggestion for a broody breed?

Hello @MoonSkin
waiving from Bryceville!!!
Sorry pretty new to the whole chicken thing too, mine are only 3 Months and 4 + 5 weeks young.

 

[cmom]

Hey everyone, I'm from Yulee here! I have quite a few chicks growing up but, I'm looking to hatch some eggs. Does anyone in the area have an incubator or broody hen I can buy? Or perhaps a suggestion for a broody breed?

Silkies tend to be more broody than other breeds. Maybe check Craigslist for a good used incubator. or you can make one out of a cooler. The first 2 pictures was the first time I made one with one bulb and a dimmer switch. The next 2 pictures are after I modified it and put 2 - 15 watt bulbs in it with a wafer thermostat.







These are chicks I hatched out in the cooler-bator after I first made it. This picture was after I took all of the eggs shells from the chicks out and the chicks have dried and fluffed out


Other hatches in it.

 

[MoonSkin]

Well...I have a sizable Styrofoam cooler and some large plastic containers. Maybe I should just build some incubators. Is it possible to use a heated to hatch with tile to radiate? I use it to brood.

 

[cmom]

Well...I have a sizable Styrofoam cooler and some large plastic containers. Maybe I should just build some incubators. Is it possible to use a heated to hatch with tile to radiate? I use it to brood.

I guess you could as long as you can maintain the proper temperature and humidity and you would need to be able to turn the eggs if you have some kind of turner.