Hi, yall from Texas

Date sort Score sort
bachbach1

bachbach1

Songster
7 Years
Joined
Jun 27, 2013
Messages
109
Reaction score
23
Points
119
Brian from North Texas here, this is my first post. I am new to BYC, and I am wanting to get back into chickens. I am 54 now when I was a kid, me and my dad built custom incubators. He built the cabinets, and I did the electrical systems/controls. Mostly big frige size units, but quite a few smaller units over the years too. We also raised cows, Cornish game, quail, chuckers, and a few pheasants, so I have been around birds, and cows a lot but it has been 35 + years on the birds, and 10 years on the cows..


I am trying to figure out whether to build an incubator, buy one or just buy chicks. I want to set up some layers, but want to put some meat in the freezer too. I am thinking about some Cornish x chicks for the freezer. The layers I am not sure about, I don’t have a lot of preference as far as color of eggs. I am just looking for good hearty birds that wont kill each other, LOL. Also healthy breeds, that lay a lot of eggs, and good eggs too. Maybe a tall order there I am out of touch as far as what birds are now available. I had mostly Rhode Island reds for layers, we put quite a few of them in the freezer too, but I am looking for something better there for the freezer.


On the list is making a home made chicken plucker, the drum type that looks like a washing machine, I have a machine shop so that wont be too hard. I am mostly looking for what breeds, chicks or eggs, which points me at incubator or not. Then what type of pen/house for them. Starting from ground zero here, so any suggestions would be welcome


I did design a super cheap incubator heat/humidity system that can be built with easily available parts, in an ice chest. I have been dying to try out, if I do that are there any members that have hatching eggs for a desirable breed for a good deal. Anyway this is a lot, but I am hoping to figure out some of this so I can do it, LOL
 
Welcome!
welcome-byc.gif


Glad to have you here on BYC! There's forums for hatching eggs. The BST forum might be a good place to look for whats for sale.
wink.png
 
Greetings from Kansas, Brian, and
welcome-byc.gif
! Pleased to have you with us! Afraid I can't advise on if you should hatch or buy chicks. To each his own. On the variety of chicks available, it is sometimes dizzying! From what you described I'd advise perhaps one of the sex-linked varieties - Red Stars (sold under many names) and Black Stars. They are friendly, docile, great layers. But there are as many opinions as their breeds. If you want to research a few breeds here's a handy dandy link to a chart that compares breed by attribute. Good luck to you and your building projects!

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html
 
welcome-byc.gif
you may want to start with "Where am I, where are you," to find your state thread and post there. That would bring you in contact with people from your area that may have the eggs or birds you want - so no shipping would be involved.

Once you have 20 posts you can participate on the Buy, sell,, trade forums" - your local craig's list may also have opportunities for you.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom