Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[ozexpat]

And the incubation routine

Incubation

• Eggs must have marking with breed and date. They are to be stored with large end up. Tilt the tray each time you add eggs
• Set eggs at 6pm on Sundays
• Never wash eggs
• Eggs are placed in trays in the large incubator (incubator 1) with the large end up.
• The eggs need to be turned a minimum of 3 times a day. Not turning eggs caused them to pip but die in shell as they are stuck to shell wall.
• If power outage – plug in battery back up after one hour. Do not open incubator during power outage
• Candle eggs on day 10 (a Wednesday) to look for veining and movement. You cannot candle quail. Remove all eggs on day 10 that are clear. Report candling results to me.
• If incubator smells, find bad egg and remove it.
• On day 15.5 (Tuesday Morning at 6am) move quail to hatcher
• The quail should hatch on Wednesday. Remove from incubator on Thursday at 4pm
• On day 19 (Thursday at 6pm) move chicken eggs to hatcher. Separate breeds into baskets.
• The chicken should hatch on Saturday and Sunday. Remove from incubator on Monday at 12MD
• On day 21 (Sunday at 6pm) move chukar to hatcher
• The chukar should hatch on Tuesday. Remove from incubator on Wednesday at 4pm
• On day 22.5 (Tuesday morning at 6am) move Guinea to hatcher
• The Guinea should hatch on Wednesday or Thursday. Remove from incubator on Friday at 4pm
• Clean all trays in a solution of 30ml bleach to 4 liters of water. When the hatcher is free, clean with same bleach water solution.
• Chicks should be leg banded. They should have their beaks dipped in water as they are put in brooder and some feed should be spread on a piece of cardboard. One long feeder and waterer to every 20 chicks
• Heating lights – on during night and day for the first ten days then at night only for ten days. A 50w is sufficient for up to 40 chicks and use 2 lights for more than 40 chicks

Humidity ventilation and temps are sorted and stable. Its just a routine of setting turning candling and moving

 

[Tomtommom]

What does the wonky gait indicate, Oz?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

awesome, what a long journey! so happy its continue to fall into place!

 

[ozexpat]

What does the wonky gait indicate, Oz?

New onset wonky gait could mean Mareks

 

[ozexpat]

How do you hatch 27 different groups of eggs at once?

in baskets

CODE BREED EGGS BASKET
M Black Copper Marans 1 1
BCM Black Copper Marans 27 1
SA1 Salmon Faverolles 1 2
SA2 Salmon Faverolles 21 2
BO2 Buff Orpington 22 3
OX New England Whites/mixes 8 A
BBC Banty Barred Cochin 2 A
BLRW Blue Laced red wyandotte 2 A
CL crème legbars 5 B
BF Breda Fowl 12 C
PH Mottled Houdan 1 D
C BBS Cochin 3 D
MH Mottled Houdan 4 D
RR2 Rhode Island Reds 2 E
BP black penedesenca 2 E
WE white empordanesa 2 E
CP crele penedesenca 3 E
SF1 Swedish Flower Hens 8 F
SF2 Swedish Flower Hens 5 F
NH New Hampshire 3 G
BB1 Black Bresse 7 G
BB2 Black Bresse 10 G
WFS White Faced Spanish 6 H
B Blue Partridge Brahma 1 H
BBR Banty Barred Rocks 17 J
PR1 Silver Pencilled Rocks 14 K
PR2 Silver Pencilled Rocks 13 K

 

[ozexpat]

awesome, what a long journey! so happy its continue to fall into place!

just bumps in the road

Hats off to Mrs Oz who does what it takes to keep my dreams alive

 

[FridayYet]

just bumps in the road

Hats off to Mrs Oz who does what it takes to keep my dreams alive

Hats off to both of you!

 

[OffGridMAMA]

just bumps in the road

Hats off to Mrs Oz who does what it takes to keep my dreams alive

Yes she's awesome. Don't ever forget it
P.s. your daughter and mine have the exact same car seat great minds think alike.

 

[ozexpat]

Yes she's awesome. Don't ever forget it

P.s. your daughter and mine have the exact same car seat

great minds think alike.

I could never forget it - even on the days when I want to slip her a feed of shellfish - which is not too often

Mrs Oz will be here in two weeks

The car seat was a hand-me-down gift from a friend after her son spent six years in it.They are great seats. Without them I dont think they could handle the three and four hour road trips.

 

[maryhysong]

wow just catching up on all the news; have been very busy with work around here. Can't imagine being so far away from the operations. Geez, thought Bernie would stay forever, seemed like he was doing really well. But understandable reasons.

could have given you a bit more notice though. But Mrs Oz is a smart cookie and she will be able to carry on until replacements are found. Maybe she will discover she likes doing it ;-)