How is your flock today?

[KingD]

That's awesome, is this your first time Hatching? I too would like to learn the whole process so when we find a bigger place I will be able to raise our own that way also.

Nope it's not my first time.
It's an exciting process every single time though.
Never gets old.

 

[416bigbore]

Right now, I am ga-ga in love with Blue Australorps! Absolutely adore the coloring. I have three Black Aussie pullets, and a Buff Orpington cockerel. He is often a jerk. I've held him down (I tell him I'll make him kiss the dirt) a few times, but he's getting full of himself again. I was thinking of hatching out some crosses, but I don't know what I'd do with more cockerels.

I started with three BO cockerels; never buying straight run again unless I want a boy! Three out of three! I had to cull two of them last July when hormones hit at 4 months. Hubby doesn't mind me getting more chickens, but he's very against having to cull cockerels. (No, we didn't eat the two last summer; killing them was hard enough and I buried them in the garden. I thank them for their contribution to the soil. It wasn't their fault they were born male.)

So, yeah, I plan to get more chicks, but might possibly hatch one egg of my own, just for the experience and to see what the cross would look like. And pray for a pullet. That would be a trick of timing. Hoping a girl goes broody and TSC gets Blue Aussies after she proves she wants to brood for 3 weeks. Stranger things have happened...


Yeah, I'm not sure what it would cost, but hubby was agreeable. He might be able to order it through work cheaper...? I really need to do something, as the coop is to the south of the run, so it blocks the low winter rays.

My coop is built on a trailer, so it is movable, and we put it down by the garden in the summer. That would be a nice protected spot for year round, but it's down our very steep driveway, which can be pretty slippery in the winter. It's also downwind of our neighbors, who burn a lot of wood. So do we, but the prevailing wind usually blows the smoke away.

Understandable on too many cockerels, not everyone is up for that task of culling from the flock. I am sure it would be very similar for people who raise meat rabbits.

I can relate to our like Cockerel Chewy turning into a real Jerk overnight when his hormones started to kick in. He is now finally starting to settle back down so you can at least touch him again. Then again, I think that might have something to do with the mealworm treats he gets in the evening before his bedtime. LOL He really loves those little things.

Wouldn't you want to at least hatch two for companionship? Would you try hatching naturally or incubator? I too would like to learn about that whole process for later on down the road.

I don't even want to get started on the outrageous prices of building material right now, it's ridiculously high and I don't understand why? I use a lot of reclaimed lumber and other salvageable materials from demo jobs that I do, so that really helps and I don't hear the birds complaining either about it! LOL

I like the coop trailer idea, but unfortunately that wont work for us right now because of limited space and I don't think the neighbors would appreciate them being out front of our place either. LOL

I have a burn barrel out back and have to be careful which way the wind is blowing for when I fire that thing off. I like smoked chicken, but not from that method of doing it!

 

[416bigbore]

Nope it's not my first time.
It's an exciting process every single time though.
Never gets old.

Okay, yes I bet it would be very exciting. Do you use your own fertile eggs and if so, how many do you try to hatch at a time?

 

[Sally PB]

Wouldn't you want to at least hatch two for companionship? Would you try hatching naturally or incubator? I too would like to learn about that whole process for later on down the road.

Here's my plan.

One of my girls goes broody, and means it.
TSC get some Blue Aussies in after said broody has been on the nest for nearly 3 weeks.
Broody integrates the chicks and we all live happily ever after!

If I do get a broody, I've thought of letting her hatch one egg AND get some chicks to pop under her when the egg hatches. The reason for one egg is 50-50 on the boy/girl thing. I would let her do the incubating, since even a first time broody knows WAY more than I do about hatching eggs. But, yes, I would get some chicks so that the baby wasn't by itself.

TSC has a minimum four chick purchase. If my one egg was a boy, he might replace my rooster. He has to outgrow his attitude, or he won't last.

So far, he is... okaaaaay. Frankly, I think he is a little dense. He has his job for at least a few more months, but he's been "written up" a couple of times now.

 

[KingD]

Okay, yes I bet it would be very exciting. Do you use your own fertile eggs and if so, how many do you try to hatch at a time?

Well. This is the first time I've ever tried hatching my own fertile eggs.
Im trying 10. They're all showing signs of life when candled so fingers crossed they'll all hatch.

 

[Parront]

Some eggs are still better then no eggs, that's great! I guess when we started our small flock of ducklings, we were thinking of them more as pets then being the awesome egg producers that they have turned out to be, so that is why we added four sexed Isa Brown chicks for the purpose of fresh chicken eggs.

I have noticed that our duck eggs are much harder to crack open then our chicken eggs. Are yours like that also?

Yes, very thick hard shells on all the duck's eggs I have ever had.

 

[BlueBaby]

Yep sorry.
It has gone from 5 to 35.
If all the eggs hatch, it will bring it up to 45

Congrats on your so far successful hatch!

 

[KingD]

Congrats on your so far successful hatch!

Thanks

 

[BlueBaby]

Hi! I have some ducks, breeds that I have not kept before, 1 Anacona, 1 Rouen, 1Buff, 1 Runner. So far the eggs still fit in an up-cycled store egg carton. I had Pekin ducks in the past, the eggs were huge! I was interested in the egg carton sale, but not if they would not fit~ I guess I will just wait and see. One of my neighbors has asked me several times if I have duck eggs to sell yet. She can't eat chicken eggs. So far, I am leaning towards putting them in a cute basket.

What type of cute basket are you planning on using?

 

[Parront]

Here's my plan.

One of my girls goes broody, and means it.
TSC get some Blue Aussies in after said broody has been on the nest for nearly 3 weeks.
Broody integrates the chicks and we all live happily ever after!

If I do get a broody, I've thought of letting her hatch one egg AND get some chicks to pop under her when the egg hatches. The reason for one egg is 50-50 on the boy/girl thing. I would let her do the incubating, since even a first time broody knows WAY more than I do about hatching eggs. But, yes, I would get some chicks so that the baby wasn't by itself.

TSC has a minimum four chick purchase. If my one egg was a boy, he might replace my rooster. He has to outgrow his attitude, or he won't last.

So far, he is... okaaaaay. Frankly, I think he is a little dense. He has his job for at least a few more months, but he's been "written up" a couple of times now.

Sounds like a plan! I kept one cockerel from 26 st. run Barred Holland chicks. He was the biggest when the crowing got to be too much at 12-14 weeks old, that was the deciding factor. One that was smaller, but very nice to the hens went to my nextdoor neighbor. She had a broody Oprington last fall, and wanted some fertile eggs for her.