INCUBATING w/FRIENDS! w/Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs No problem!

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

@Ur-ur-ur-urrr , I have three "family" groups, each with its own rooster. I have 6ft deer netting up on movable posts to give each group a paddock and keep the groups separate (mostly to keep roosters from fighting, but also for controlling breeding). But honestly, even if I just had one group, I would do it, because I am alternating paddocks back and forth in order to allow the ground to recover and vegetation regrow. I hate to say this after you've already gone through all this trouble, but you may wish to have two paddocks and alternate. I worry the existing containment pen would eventually turn into a dust bowl, and then the whole ranging thing is moot.

My 8 Naked Necks have been in their current paddock (bounded by 164 ft of deer fencing, so similar size as yours) for about 2.5 months, and it's down to bare dirt in most places. (I'm actually overdue in putting up the fencing for the second paddock, planned to switch at 2 months, but am hoping to do it tomorrow). I will be moving them to the same paddock area they were in before - that one was ALSO down to near bare dirt. Now nicely recovered, full of yummy grass (and you can actually see the outline of the former paddock, as that area is more green), and they will love moving back while this area recovers. If you have 11 chickens in there, I do worry that eventually that ground will not be as great for them...

I'll try to get you pictures tomorrow.


My shipped eggs had a rough ride and rotten air cells, but I got 8 to hatch out of 12 that made it to lock down (though one died later). None hatched before day 22, and the last hatched morning of day 24. I thought it was that my temp was a bit lower than it should have been (though not drastically so), but you raise an interesting question, re: shipped eggs.

- Ant Farm

This roo isn't for breeding... just security. I may need more BR pullets in the future, so he may come in handy if/when that time comes.

It's funny you should mention that... I discussed the probability of having to build an alternate pen with my wife earlier this afternoon. I told her that they would probably wipe the grass out of that area in no time. With the mild weather and plenty of rain this time of year, it may hold for a few months, but when the summer heat and dry weather comes, it wont last any time.

Out of the 30 shipped eggs I set, on day 7 candling I saw 16 that looked like they have the potential to hatch. I've already pulled 9, and am about to do a 10 day candle on 5 iffys. I'm sure I already know how 3 will turn out, but I'm optimistic about the other 2. Will know shortly...

 

[Akrnaf2]

CC you should understand that we here don't have the possibilities that you have about chickens in the US.
We can't import even one egg without passing through a beaurocratic hell! And wich in the majority of times you receive a negative answer. So if we want to succeed in this wonderful hobby we need to use some, mmmmmm how I say it, unconventional ways, to get some eggs, so EVERY breed that enters, especially at the beginning is very very whanted, and you cant keep up with the demands! And because the gene pool is so narrow it is very impossible to escape from inbreeding.
And abaout teaching, a good teacher don't need anything except
His brain, and a good sense of improvisation!
The white chicken was a mix of Light Sussex, we CAN'T fined a good quality of light or buff Sussex here so we need to satisfy with the 3ed grade ones!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote: Yes - exactly! Except I only have one type of livestock, rather than sheep, cows, chickens, ducks...

I have an old book (paperback reprint) from war time (1940s) UK, when they were under wartime rations, called "Keeping Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps". There is a nice description there about how to manage a run (understanding that this is another era, wartime, and on very different land than many of us are on) - it's more involved than anything I would do, though I think the intense management described is for denser populations, but I found it interesting nonetheless. (I think I read somewhere else about how to know when to switch between alternate runs - which I'm way late in doing, because you're not supposed to let it get bare like I have - though it may be good for me because I can then replace weeds with clover and grass seed...). Note that my NNs are in a pen that is at the ~20 sq yds per bird level quoted below, and they have still decimated it in about two months...

"Grass run management:

Normal stocking on grass pens where space is available is 20 to 25 sq. yds. per bird. This area is usually too extravagant for most suburban gardens, but can be reduced to as low as 8 sq. yards per bird if special attention is given to the turf, and there are alternative runs. Where grass exists it is well worth preserving, as good grass goes a long way to preserve health of birds, to provide nutriment and to clean the ground. Proceed as follows, when establishing a pen on rough grass:

Mow off long, coarse growth. Dress lightly with lime. Turn in birds and let them scratch out weeds and matted bottoms. Roll well with heavy hand roller. Cut out obvious weed patches and bare spots. Fill in with fresh sods of odd pieces of turf and grass weeded from the garden. Firm patches by patting down with flat of spade. Cover these spots with thorn or wire netting to keep off birds till the turf knits.

Grass seed may be sown if no turf is available. Thereafter treat as a lawn. Mow with a lawn mower set high, and regularly roll during months when grass is growing. Mowing will kill practically all useless weeds, and in second year fine grass and clover will predominate. Mowing encourages fresh growth, which absorbs droppings, and is keenly relished by fowls. General scratching does not permanently damage vigorous short grass. [FAF note: Yeah, right!]

If grass will not grow, dig over at intervals, remove top layer when heavily caked with manure, and sweep off droppings in dry weather."

It has a lot more on what to feed chickens when wartime rations were insufficient for a layer, yet it was illegal to give a chicken any edible human food per rationing law... Fascinating...

This roo isn't for breeding... just security. I may need more BR pullets in the future, so he may come in handy if/when that time comes.

It's funny you should mention that... I discussed the probability of having to build an alternate pen with my wife earlier this afternoon. I told her that they would probably wipe the grass out of that area in no time. With the mild weather and plenty of rain this time of year, it may hold for a few months, but when the summer heat and dry weather comes, it wont last any time.

I just thought I'd point it out since you were putting up permanent type fencing structures, because when I first put up a paddock for the groups, I didn't think about that, and then realized I needed to do something different when I watched the ground getting barer and barer. It was irritating because I sort of had to redo everything...

- Ant Farm

 

[Akrnaf2]

Yup... I'm a proud papa... Four little webs...

Congratulations Phil!
Did you need this

For the labor?

 

[BullChick]

 

[kwhites634]

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Yes - exactly! Except I only have one type of livestock, rather than sheep, cows, chickens, ducks...

I have an old book (paperback reprint) from war time (1940s) UK, when they were under wartime rations, called "Keeping Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps". There is a nice description there about how to manage a run (understanding that this is another era, wartime, and on very different land than many of us are on) - it's more involved than anything I would do, though I think the intense management described is for denser populations, but I found it interesting nonetheless. (I think I read somewhere else about how to know when to switch between alternate runs - which I'm way late in doing, because you're not supposed to let it get bare like I have - though it may be good for me because I can then replace weeds with clover and grass seed...). Note that my NNs are in a pen that is at the ~20 sq ft per bird level quoted below, and they have still decimated it in about two months...

"Grass run management:

Normal stocking on grass pens where space is available is 20 to 25 sq. yds. per bird. This area is usually too extravagant for most suburban gardens, but can be reduced to as low as 8 sq. yards per bird if special attention is given to the turf, and there are alternative runs. Where grass exists it is well worth preserving, as good grass goes a long way to preserve health of birds, to provide nutriment and to clean the ground. Proceed as follows, when establishing a pen on rough grass:

Mow off long, coarse growth. Dress lightly with lime. Turn in birds and let them scratch out weeds and matted bottoms. Roll well with heavy hand roller. Cut out obvious weed patches and bare spots. Fill in with fresh sods of odd pieces of turf and grass weeded from the garden. Firm patches by patting down with flat of spade. Cover these spots with thorn or wire netting to keep off birds till the turf knits.

Grass seed may be sown if no turf is available. Thereafter treat as a lawn. Mow with a lawn mower set high, and regularly roll during months when grass is growing. Mowing will kill practically all useless weeds, and in second year fine grass and clover will predominate. Mowing encourages fresh growth, which absorbs droppings, and is keenly relished by fowls. General scratching does not permanently damage vigorous short grass. [FAF note: Yeah, right!]

If grass will not grow, dig over at intervals, remove top layer when heavily caked with manure, and sweep off droppings in dry weather."

It has a lot more on what to feed chickens when wartime rations were insufficient for a layer, yet it was illegal to give a chicken any edible human food per rationing law... Fascinating...

I just thought I'd point it out since you were putting up permanent type fencing structures, because when I first put up a paddock for the groups, I didn't think about that, and then realized I needed to do something different when I watched the ground getting barer and barer. It was irritating because I sort of had to redo everything...

- Ant Farm

I think I found your grass decimation problem...

As far as adding an alternate pen, it won't take very much to make it accessible. I always (try) to plan my projects where they can be altered without a lot of trouble.

Congratulations Phil!
Did you need this

For the labor?

That was a good one, Benny!!!

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

I didn't even get to say hello... so... hello, MC!

And good night to you as well!!!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote: Oh, sorry, that's a typo, I'll fix. I had done the conversion of sq yds to sq ft in the margin of my book - unless my math is off, it converts to ~200 sq ft per bird (I have my one set up rectangular long ways due to the terrain, so it's about 1500 sq ft. (Boy, 20 sq ft per bird, that would be TIGHT!!!!!!)

Glad you can adapt - I was worried when you were talking about sinking posts. (I'm using more temporary posts and netting, since stuff keeps changing here...)

- Ant Farm

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Out of the 30 shipped eggs I set, on day 7 candling I saw 16 that looked like they have the potential to hatch. I've already pulled 9, and am about to do a 10 day candle on 5 iffys. I'm sure I already know how 3 will turn out, but I'm optimistic about the other 2. Will know shortly...

Okay... it's been shortly. I double-checked the 5 iffys, and I'm proud to say that only 1 was culled. The other 4 have decent veining and embryo movement!

I love it when I'm wrong (about certain things) !!!