Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Arielle]

I'm gonna warn you people if your ordering chicks don't do a split order with someone your not sure of cause I learned that the hard way and I don't speak to that person anymore.. This spring I am going to have way to many chicks and half the breeds I don't want hope I can sell them..

PUt them on CL and they will sell!!

Sorry you and your friend had a falling out-- a very difficult event-- BUt if they come asking for thier 1/2 of the shipment-- be sure to charge double the cost to that person as well as CL buyers. YOu will have shipping and some care to recoup.

 

[brahmabreeder]

I'm gonna warn you people if your ordering chicks don't do a split order with someone your not sure of cause I learned that the hard way and I don't speak to that person anymore.. This spring I am going to have way to many chicks and half the breeds I don't want hope I can sell them..

Are they show quality?

 

[brahmabreeder]

PUt them on CL and they will sell!!

Sorry you and your friend had a falling out-- a very difficult event-- BUt if they come asking for thier 1/2 of the shipment-- be sure to charge double the cost to that person as well as CL buyers. YOu will have shipping and some care to recoup.

Craigslist is a person's best bet if the birds aren't SQ. I just caution putting extra birds in the free section. Maybe it's just my area but a lot of 'odd' people come for the free ads. Any pullets that aren't worth my time to keep go on there( except ones that would make a good breeder or show bird those extras go to shows ). Everyone snatches them up in a hurry.

 

[fowlman01]

I always wanted to try broody hens, but somehow, never ended up with persistent hens. Well I lucked out last year, and enjoyed the experience. Goodness that is a management challenge though. They do it when and how they want to. And it takes some coordinating to manage it on any scale.

I am not beyond it and like the idea of it. Just lose some control, and it would require of me several more individual pens. It certainly has it's pros and cons.

I like to see a mother with her chicks though.

If you can find proven broody hens and have a hard breed to hatch, there is nothing better than a hen . If it doesn't hatch it wasn't fertile. This is just me so take it for what it is worth. Birds hatched and reared by hens are generally better in every way than incubated and artificially brooded birds. This is just an observation over many years ,I can't supply scientific proof or anything like that. The are more disease resistant and for some reason that makes no sense whatsoever to me.........they generally turn out to be better birds in every way including from a show perspective. I really don't understand why there conformation is a cut above the incubated birds and I have seen it enough to know it is not an odds or number thing.

Most people have great hatches with incubators when they get on to it, so I would not get to hung up on all these other convoluted methods. Bob kept saying KISS for a reason folks. If complicated makes you happy, do it that way........it is all about what works for you where you are. I'm lazy so i do things very simply here.

Walt

 

[Beekissed]

 

[Ripster]

Walt,

You are right on the money about birds hatched and reared by broody hens. I've seen it many, many times myself. Hard to beat those birds.

 

[gjensen]

If you can find proven broody hens and have a hard breed to hatch, there is nothing better than a hen . If it doesn't hatch it wasn't fertile. This is just me so take it for what it is worth. Birds hatched and reared by hens are generally better in every way than incubated and artificially brooded birds. This is just an observation over many years ,I can't supply scientific proof or anything like that. The are more disease resistant and for some reason that makes no sense whatsoever to me.........they generally turn out to be better birds in every way including from a show perspective. I really don't understand why there conformation is a cut above the incubated birds and I have seen it enough to know it is not an odds or number thing.

Most people have great hatches with incubators when they get on to it, so I would not get to hung up on all these other convoluted methods. Bob kept saying KISS for a reason folks. If complicated makes you happy, do it that way........it is all about what works for you where you are. I'm lazy so i do things very simply here.

Walt

No disagreement from me. It has always appealed to me.

The only thing I see against it is a management challenge when you are talking quantity. I enjoyed my experience with it last year. It is one of those be careful what you ask for deals. I was wanting more chicks from the hens that were setting.

I certainly see advantages on many levels. Particularly if you are set up for it. I was not. Maybe that will change.

I still consider how I would manage the process if I was to get more serious about it. Coops for single mothers on grass appeals to me.

Then I have to sort through (for myelf) how to manage who gets what eggs etc. It is hard to know exactly when they will go broody etc. Jut a process I would have to figure out.

It is a lot simpler to save a weeks worth of eggs, mark them, put them in the baskets, and put them in the cooker.

 

[Fentress]

No disagreement from me. It has always appealed to me.

The only thing I see against it is a management challenge when you are talking quantity. I enjoyed my experience with it last year. It is one of those be careful what you ask for deals. I was wanting more chicks from the hens that were setting.

I certainly see advantages on many levels. Particularly if you are set up for it. I was not. Maybe that will change.

I still consider how I would manage the process if I was to get more serious about it. Coops for single mothers on grass appeals to me.

Then I have to sort through (for myelf) how to manage who gets what eggs etc. It is hard to know exactly when they will go broody etc. Jut a process I would have to figure out.

It is a lot simpler to save a weeks worth of eggs, mark them, put them in the baskets, and put them in the cooker.

Breeding with broodies, that's exciting, please share with us how it goes. I will be attempting the same thing. I have sketched out what I call a broody sleigh, that I will isloate the hen in on the same pasture as the rest of the flock. My thinking is that the roof will lift off so I can grab the hen and isolate her (in a bucket or cage or whatever) and then quickly mark the chicks and then return her to the nest. I am not reaching into the cage/nest and start grabbing chicks with her still there! IF you have multiple broods coming off at the same/similar time chicks can switch mothers on you. That would not be good for record keeping.

 

[brahmabreeder]

What I do when I get a broody is I just put however many started eggs I can get under her and some how separate her. I like taking eggs from the bator because then I'm guaranteed fertility. Plus doing this means the hen doesn't have to sit there for so long and get skinny and unhealthy looking. I bought a silkie a few years ago and I think mine is defective!! Hasn't gone broody yet

.

 

[Beekissed]

I think it would be rather beneficial to let a broody set a clutch and at the same time add some eggs to your bator, allowing for a simultaneous hatch and slip the bator babies under her at night so she can brood and raise them all. A good sized hen can foster 20+ chicks successfully and take the pain out of maintaining temps in a brooder. I've had much success with broodies raising foster chicks.

It would double your pleasure, double your fun. You can have your bator babies already marked, slip out the broody babies for marking while you slip the bator babies in, then return your broody babies to the nest after marking. If done under the cover of darkness a good broody will tolerate the ol' bait and switch.