Incubators Anonymous

[ozexpat]

You may want to read the previous posts regarding SFH, esp if you are planning to use as a dual purpose bird or process extra cockerels, they are not a good investment imo. The peeps on the SFH are quite in love with them and refuse to admit that the meat yield is as pitiful as it is. A friend of mine who raises them has gotten max 3.5lbs dressed. Almost not worth the effort...there are many other breeds that are much better for dual purpose.

Good luck with your cooler bator, would love to see pics!

speckled sussex will give you a cute but yummy decent size bird

 

[mrshaggie810]

speckled sussex will give you a cute but yummy decent size bird

Good to know! Thanks! I just like SFH, wasn't planning to raise them for meat. I want to get either some Freedom Rangers, or Delawares (but I might try speckled sussex now) to raise for meat...we're trying to decide if we want to do that, or just get 3 batches of meat chicks (we can't house more than 5 or so to slaughter weight at a time until we are on our own property) and just fill up our freezer...I'm thinking the second option is cheaper, which is the name of the game, unless they are good layers too. Thanks for all the tips though! I'll post pics once I get it set up!

 

[ozexpat]

Good to know! Thanks! I just like SFH, wasn't planning to raise them for meat. I want to get either some Freedom Rangers, or Delawares (but I might try speckled sussex now) to raise for meat...we're trying to decide if we want to do that, or just get 3 batches of meat chicks (we can't house more than 5 or so to slaughter weight at a time until we are on our own property) and just fill up our freezer...I'm thinking the second option is cheaper, which is the name of the game, unless they are good layers too. Thanks for all the tips though! I'll post pics once I get it set up!

i am hatching 40 SFH from two vendors if they arrive Monday. People love them so I sell them easily. I will let you know how they go.

I also have bbs, red and white crested black polish, mottled houdans, white sultans, black crevecoeurs and german spitzhaubens, oh and some Marrunda Basque Hen (Euskal Oiloa)

my name is oz and i am a hatchaholic

eta. I forgot the brittish black orps

 

[OffGridMAMA]

i am hatching 40 SFH from two vendors if they arrive Monday. People love them so I sell them easily. I will let you know how they go.

I also have bbs, red and white crested black polish, mottled houdans, white sultans, black crevecoeurs and german spitzhaubens, oh and some Marrunda Basque Hen (Euskal Oiloa)  

my name is oz and i am a hatchaholic

eta. I forgot the brittish black orps

Wow my friend. Just wow ! that is ALOT of birds … step away from the eBay portal unless you find something you can't pass up

 

[ozexpat]

Wow my friend. Just wow ! that is ALOT of birds … step away from the eBay portal

unless you find something you can't pass up

if i get anymore i will have to incubate them in my arm pits

 

[OffGridMAMA]

Heeehee that is hilarious Oz I think Mrs Oz would intervene at that point!

 

[ki4got]

You may want to read the previous posts regarding SFH, esp if you are planning to use as a dual purpose bird or process extra cockerels, they are not a good investment imo. The peeps on the SFH are quite in love with them and refuse to admit that the meat yield is as pitiful as it is. A friend of mine who raises them has gotten max 3.5lbs dressed. Almost not worth the effort...there are many other breeds that are much better for dual purpose.

Good luck with your cooler bator, would love to see pics!

interesting, i've never heard anyone mention them being dual purpose... granted extra roos of any breed are edible, regardless of their desired purpose.

i only consider them an egg breed, and colorful. that's all i expect from them. that and a winning personality. 8)

Good to know! Thanks! I just like SFH, wasn't planning to raise them for meat. I want to get either some Freedom Rangers, or Delawares (but I might try speckled sussex now) to raise for meat...we're trying to decide if we want to do that, or just get 3 batches of meat chicks (we can't house more than 5 or so to slaughter weight at a time until we are on our own property) and just fill up our freezer...I'm thinking the second option is cheaper, which is the name of the game, unless they are good layers too. Thanks for all the tips though! I'll post pics once I get it set up!

have you joined the sfh thread? go ahead and introduce yourself!

another breed to consider, for a meaty breed. IMO the ORIGINAL dual purpose/meat breed, is the Dorking. you can read about mine on my website, or join the Dorking thread too for more info.

they're not a widley popular breed, but growing. at one point i think they were nearly extinct, which is sad for a breed that can trace it's roots back nearly 2000 years. IMO they're not all quite up to standards yet, but we're getting there. each generation is a bit better than the previous IMO. and once i get my breeding pens together, i'll be back to hatching all that i can. till then i'll hatch everything else i can. LOL

got close to 30 sfh eggs on the way too. in exchange for some dorking eggs this fall once i've got them set up.

 

[maryhysong]

if i get anymore i will have to incubate them in my arm pits

 

[ozexpat]

interesting, i've never heard anyone mention them being dual purpose... granted extra roos of any breed are edible, regardless of their desired purpose.

i only consider them an egg breed, and colorful. that's all i expect from them. that and a winning personality. 8)
have you joined the sfh thread? go ahead and introduce yourself!

another breed to consider, for a meaty breed. IMO the ORIGINAL dual purpose/meat breed, is the Dorking. you can read about mine on my website, or join the Dorking thread too for more info.

they're not a widley popular breed, but growing. at one point i think they were nearly extinct, which is sad for a breed that can trace it's roots back nearly 2000 years. IMO they're not all quite up to standards yet, but we're getting there. each generation is a bit better than the previous IMO. and once i get my breeding pens together, i'll be back to hatching all that i can. till then i'll hatch everything else i can. LOL

got close to 30 sfh eggs on the way too. in exchange for some dorking eggs this fall once i've got them set up.

dorkings are awesome. i have 36 in the incubator in the phillipines. was expecting 24 more but did not ship

orpingtons and dorkings are the backbone of my flock to be. soon to add rocks and rir.

i suggested speckled sussex as it has a similiar "speckling" and sussex is a high value dual purpose breed

 

[gladahmae]

i will not candle. I will not candle. I will not candle.

But I just LOOOVE peeking at those little peepers while they're growing! Seriously though. I'm not going to see anything on day 4, so there's no sense in looking.

I got a second thermometer/hygromter (analog) to have a way to sort-of ensure some accuracy. My digital one is sitting on top of the turner, so top of egg height (I have the kind that have the cups that look like fingers, or a spikey hairbrush) and my new analog one is sitting on the RAILS of the turner (where the bottom of the egg would be) They're reading about 1-2 degrees different. It's a hovabator with a fan (stock, not DIY). I know there's a chance that it's just the latent discrepancy between the m, but which one should I go with? I've used the digital one with 3 other hatches that didn't go well, likely due to humidity issues on my part, and the digital one is also right on with what the thermostat thermometers for the house. I feel like I should trust the digital one, but that almost 2 degree difference has me concerned.