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

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I'm not a big fan of turkeys... Scary looking things. Luckily we don't have them here. Except for the "Metso" which sort of looks like one, but those are not that common either. Really aggressive during mating season though. Are turkeys like that too?
 
I had to share this, Oz!

http://www.happyanimalsclub.org/

This boy is 9 years old... I see a bright future ahead of him
smile.png
 
I am going to spend this weekend catching up on my computer tasks.

I have three major projects:

  1. Complete the www.cocobeachpoultry.com website. I have customers building through BYC, word of mouth and Facebook. I need the website to refer them to. I have been on the phone with GoDaddy.com trying to get my domain names all hosted under my account. I own cocobeachpoultry.com, cocobeachfarms.com and thecrazychickenman.com.
  2. Complete a Microsoft Access database for my farm. Its way more functional than using Excel spreadsheets for both accounting and record keeping. It will allow we to create forms for the less computer literate to enter data like daily egg counts, medication administration, hatch counts, feed use and the like. I am hoping for English and Hiligaynon interfaces that deposit the same data in the same places. The final design I am hoping for is something that looks like web pages
  3. Export all the data from 1200 subjects in the research section of Mrs Oz' PhD and run statistical analysis on it so she can finish her dissertation.

Its hotter than heck here in SoCal so I shall be running up the electrical bill with the AC but I want to finish most of it by Wed night as I have an egg run Thurs for my Weekend flight.
 
Better you than me Oz LOL J/K.

Wife semi forced me into.... MORE DUCKS. She has been missing Pekins bad just wasn't ready to admit it. Until today when we stopped at the Farm and home store and they had them. Also insisted I get a few more Rouen ducklings so I have a broader gene pool. Either way unless 10/10 are hens I will be able to set off some for a breeding bunch. And if 10/10 are drakes my duck will be in for a lot of sleepless nights, J/K I pretty sure I can sell the drakes if I have a lot.
She got 4 Pekins so as to better her chances at least 1 of each drake/duck.

Tagged and weighed my meat project birds. A couple have gain a minimum of 1 oz. in under 5 days. Didn't have tagged before but max weight on them was 2.0 oz. And 2nd/3rd were 1.8 so even more than 1 oz. for 1 of them.
Set 15 MP (Meat project) 12 BSL 3 RIR and 1 WLH egg tonight. Still busy shuffling eggs to make hatch dates flow better.
Sunday is my eldest sons HS graduation. So that day is off limits besides normal chores.
Broody is dead set on not moving.
And I let my 12 replacement roosters out in a make-shift tractor today for about 4 hours. I have a CX chick with them that was falling way behind the others and had a sore on its hip. Was 3, other 2 had leg injuries but found dead this morning. Wife swore it was frosted this AM so that probably didn't help.
Ended my hatch of BYM and BA with 22 viable birds, set 38, 4 clears pulled thru out whole cooking. 3 hatched but didn't survive and I culled 1. so would have been 26/34. These I did a no-no and just "stirred" them. Rather than rolling I ran my hand across the top and made sure all eggs shifted center of gravity. It was another trial being as they were BYM mostly and even the BA might not be pure. Worked but don't think I will do again. Was more stress than I care for hoping it wasn't ruining a hatch.

Might, if I have the gumption, play swap breeders this week so when I hatch the birds on the 30th I can save eggs from different birds. Trying for some white from my A-W x WLH. And some bars from my BSL x BPR. Might have some bleeding BA blood but going to try them. Might also put BA's back in pen, since its better confined now for a batch of them. Let the awesome CX pullets have a break.

And lastly I finally was able to check the RIR eggs. Changed batteries in flashlight I use for candling and can see development so at least some of everything cooking have fertility. Tell you on the 30th how well the breeding pens turned out. 24th ducks are due again and lets keep fingers (Toes and eyes) crossed. Yes I have plenty but why not more. Wife says she wants 5-6 of each for our flock (Rouen and pekin) so excess I can sell or keep as I decide. Or try duck for the 1st time. Never tried it but wife has and didn't like she said. But that was restaurant duck so probably just like a caged chicken.
She said next year she might try getting us into turkeys but this years run-a-round got her in a mood. So stuck to what we know.

Good luck on all your PC's work and all your endeavors.
 
5 Acre Rooster said:
Better you than me Oz LOL J/K.

Wife semi forced me into.... MORE DUCKS. She has been missing Pekins bad just wasn't ready to admit it. Until today when we stopped at the Farm and home store and they had them. Also insisted I get a few more Rouen ducklings so I have a broader gene pool. Either way unless 10/10 are hens I will be able to set off some for a breeding bunch. And if 10/10 are drakes my duck will be in for a lot of sleepless nights, J/K I pretty sure I can sell the drakes if I have a lot.
She got 4 Pekins so as to better her chances at least 1 of each drake/duck.

Tagged and weighed my meat project birds. A couple have gain a minimum of 1 oz. in under 5 days. Didn't have tagged before but max weight on them was 2.0 oz. And 2nd/3rd were 1.8 so even more than 1 oz. for 1 of them.
Set 15 MP (Meat project) 12 BSL 3 RIR and 1 WLH egg tonight. Still busy shuffling eggs to make hatch dates flow better.
Sunday is my eldest sons HS graduation. So that day is off limits besides normal chores.
Broody is dead set on not moving.
And I let my 12 replacement roosters out in a make-shift tractor today for about 4 hours. I have a CX chick with them that was falling way behind the others and had a sore on its hip. Was 3, other 2 had leg injuries but found dead this morning. Wife swore it was frosted this AM so that probably didn't help.
Ended my hatch of BYM and BA with 22 viable birds, set 38, 4 clears pulled thru out whole cooking. 3 hatched but didn't survive and I culled 1. so would have been 26/34. These I did a no-no and just "stirred" them. Rather than rolling I ran my hand across the top and made sure all eggs shifted center of gravity. It was another trial being as they were BYM mostly and even the BA might not be pure. Worked but don't think I will do again. Was more stress than I care for hoping it wasn't ruining a hatch.

Might, if I have the gumption, play swap breeders this week so when I hatch the birds on the 30th I can save eggs from different birds. Trying for some white from my A-W x WLH. And some bars from my BSL x BPR. Might have some bleeding BA blood but going to try them. Might also put BA's back in pen, since its better confined now for a batch of them. Let the awesome CX pullets have a break.

And lastly I finally was able to check the RIR eggs. Changed batteries in flashlight I use for candling and can see development so at least some of everything cooking have fertility. Tell you on the 30th how well the breeding pens turned out. 24th ducks are due again and lets keep fingers (Toes and eyes) crossed. Yes I have plenty but why not more. Wife says she wants 5-6 of each for our flock (Rouen and pekin) so excess I can sell or keep as I decide. Or try duck for the 1st time. Never tried it but wife has and didn't like she said. But that was restaurant duck so probably just like a caged chicken.
She said next year she might try getting us into turkeys but this years run-a-round got her in a mood. So stuck to what we know.

Good luck on all your PC's work and all your endeavors.
Click to expand...
lack of turning could explain the hatch rate.

lack of early turning is a huge chick killer in the second half of incubation.
 
Like I said I don't follow all the rules for hatching. Yes maybe hatch rate would of been higher, maybe not. I do everything perfect 1 hatch and it bombs. I follow lose rules the next and its great. I wanted to see if it would work. The current eggs I am following the rules 100% 3-5 x turning etc. will see how well this 1 goes. I am content with my hatch. All these are my eggs, so wasn't worried about cost. And nothing is on MY endangered list like my ducks/WLH were. Nature can be forgiving. Not telling everyone they should do what I do. Just tested a theory. Like my meat project, with so many people saying, even the experts, that you CANNOT get CX to lay and have babies.
I have things I want to try with the hatching, crosses, different incubation tech. etc. Like hatching the ducks from full sibling parents. I was told YOU CAN'T. But I did. I have better luck than a lot of "Pro breeders" and I am happy with our birds. Even the ducks that went 7/8 had a spike of 108 and then a low temp for nearly the last week since bator went wonky on me. I get to work with what I have and make due. It works out more often than not.
Its a hobby, turned obsession and wife is happy as long as we have eggs and table birds and the bonus is the little profits we get and might make. Not to mention the looks on my children's faces when I bring in a new hatch, or they get to help me feed them, or hunting for eggs. Most of my family loves the birds others tolerate them (2 of my sons) but they all know they are working animals, except maybe ducks for now.
I do 95% of all the work, with a few small exceptions. Some days I can't do everything perfect, others almost literally nothing. But it works for our little farm and our family. Having 1 income and the stress of being disabled, but denied SSDI because of my age (Really no other reason) I am given a strict budget (But more than I would ask for). My wife does this for a few reasons and we stay happy with what we have. Being in just the lowest end of Middleclass (If that's possible) we keep a happy family. My oldest graduates Sunday and in the fall is off to college of his choice. Its all from grants and because of his grades and ACT test scores. He knew years ago we couldn't afford college and he is making his own dream come true. We never pushed him, just let him know that if that's what he wants he would have to earn it.
We try to raise our children with old values that seem to be non-existent these modern days.

Didn't mean to rant just a few thoughts why everything doesn't always have to be perfect but it can turn out well. I limit myself even when offered more. Sure I have a wish list. But until something changes it will stay a wish. We make do and are happy. That's my 1 wish that's never put on the list, its always a reality here. What else is there if we are not happy.
 
5 Acre Rooster said:
Like I said I don't follow all the rules for hatching. Yes maybe hatch rate would of been higher, maybe not. I do everything perfect 1 hatch and it bombs. I follow lose rules the next and its great. I wanted to see if it would work. The current eggs I am following the rules 100% 3-5 x turning etc. will see how well this 1 goes. I am content with my hatch. All these are my eggs, so wasn't worried about cost. And nothing is on MY endangered list like my ducks/WLH were. Nature can be forgiving. Not telling everyone they should do what I do. Just tested a theory. Like my meat project, with so many people saying, even the experts, that you CANNOT get CX to lay and have babies.
I have things I want to try with the hatching, crosses, different incubation tech. etc. Like hatching the ducks from full sibling parents. I was told YOU CAN'T. But I did. I have better luck than a lot of "Pro breeders" and I am happy with our birds. Even the ducks that went 7/8 had a spike of 108 and then a low temp for nearly the last week since bator went wonky on me. I get to work with what I have and make due. It works out more often than not.
Its a hobby, turned obsession and wife is happy as long as we have eggs and table birds and the bonus is the little profits we get and might make. Not to mention the looks on my children's faces when I bring in a new hatch, or they get to help me feed them, or hunting for eggs. Most of my family loves the birds others tolerate them (2 of my sons) but they all know they are working animals, except maybe ducks for now.
I do 95% of all the work, with a few small exceptions. Some days I can't do everything perfect, others almost literally nothing. But it works for our little farm and our family. Having 1 income and the stress of being disabled, but denied SSDI because of my age (Really no other reason) I am given a strict budget (But more than I would ask for). My wife does this for a few reasons and we stay happy with what we have. Being in just the lowest end of Middleclass (If that's possible) we keep a happy family. My oldest graduates Sunday and in the fall is off to college of his choice. Its all from grants and because of his grades and ACT test scores. He knew years ago we couldn't afford college and he is making his own dream come true. We never pushed him, just let him know that if that's what he wants he would have to earn it.
We try to raise our children with old values that seem to be non-existent these modern days.

Didn't mean to rant just a few thoughts why everything doesn't always have to be perfect but it can turn out well. I limit myself even when offered more. Sure I have a wish list. But until something changes it will stay a wish. We make do and are happy. That's my 1 wish that's never put on the list, its always a reality here. What else is there if we are not happy.
Click to expand...


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