Hatchers Anonymous *Official Thread*

[LaurenM23]

Anyone here in the February Hatch??? I just saw the notice from Brinsea on the giveaway yesterday...a wee bit late for peeps to join in if they weren't already on BYC

It's nifty that they are advertising for the forums though!

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

I'm Vanessa and I'm a hatchaholic. My incubators have not been off since last May. There's peeping in this room as I write...lemon blue cochins in the hatcher

Thanks for letting me share

 

[gryeyes]

Brinsea is now aware what a customer base there IS at BYC, trust me. Hehehehehehhehehe.

I'm in the Feb Hatch, but haven't posted hatching photo on Brinsea's FB page yet... I am hoping for a really good one to share. Since I have more than one 'bator running and will have more than one hatch this month. I'm just in it for the fun, but it wouldn't hurt to win something, too. I don't expect to be a winner.

I'm already a winner with all these chicks!

 

[dsqard]

Quote:

Exactly!

 

[doxies1]

Hi, I'm George and --I am a hatchaholic-- It started when I got guineas to reduce the tick population for my dogs. Now I'm finishing my DIY 200 egg + incubator. We have 40+ Guineas, 40 + cortunix, 8 cochins, 4 Jersey giants, 15 Marans,(and 60 in the bator), 8 Polish,12 Silkies, couple of dozen Serama's,7 pea fowl, 1 Juvie Red golden Pheasant male, (a Pair of 2 yr RGP and a pair of 2 yr silvers on their way ),Half a dozen laying hens, one Mini Horse, 2 Great Pyrenees, 2 Chihuahua's, a Pap, a Chinese crested hairless, and 21 Dachshunds. We also have six parrots, from Macaws down to a ring neck.
My thirty six by sixty barn is about to fill up with fowl. That is in addition to a guinea coop , a chicken coop and plans to convert an old camper into another chicken coop.
I plan to wage war on ticks by selling guineas to those who have the place for them. They are not for everyone. Hoping the Marans might help pay the feed bill. My wife and her friend are doing the Seramas. They paid more for a trio of them than I did for most all of my birds put together.
When I write that down it really makes me think I should have my head examined.
It's not the hatching part that's bad it's the keeping babies that makes work. I'm really going to work on selling or giving away a bunch of babies this year.

 

[LaurenM23]

Welcome, George! It sounds as though you are well on your way!

Do you keep your various fowl separate, or do they mingle? The guineas sound pretty nifty, but where to keep them?

We have a friend who is very wealthy and seems to live up to that whole "more dollars than sense" thing. He had read about guineas for tick control and bought a large flock to keep on their estate. He brought them to the property (grown adults, new to him), unleashed them from the transport cages, and off they went! They ran straight down the hill, off his property, and never came back!

 

[LC orps]

OH NO I CAN'T STOP hatching my extra eggs......

 

[doxies1]

The guineas and a few chickens are free range but most are penned to protect them from predators and allow true beeding. We only have sixteen and a half acres but it is set well off the road so it is more securefor ranging. I'm in the middle of finishing a thousan square foot flight pen for the Peas and will put some guineas in with them. (To breed specific colors) My Marans are hatching as we speak One dozen cukoo and the rest French black copper. The Pyr are a big help in keeping predators away. I had an uncle who said of my wife and I "It's a good thing you two found each other . It saved two divorces."

 

[LaurenM23]

So...I pretty much spent my whole weekend planning a design for a new chicken tractor.

I don't have one currently, but love the idea of taking my babies out for a *protected* stroll on nice days. So far, I think I'm settling on purchasing a kit such as this: Doghouse The lid already lifts up! Then, I'll add wheels to the back end, a run (with access door), and handles from a wheelbarrow. I'm thinking I can complete the whole deal for around $200, as we have some of the materials such as lumber and hardware cloth laying around.

We are also in the process of acquiring the following 80 year old shed from a historic church. It needs work, but is in decent shape. It is approx. 6.5' w x 9' l. Anyone else see a new coop?!?!

AND my girlies are laying again! Spring is around the corner!!!

Who needs a stinkin ground hog when you have featherbabies?!

 

[dsqard]

Lauren I think that would make an awesome coop!