Incubators Anonymous

[NYRIR]

shuffling... yup know all about that too. just shuffled 3 colored dorkings into the silver grey pen, so i'd have some place to stick the 7 ee chicks that have outgrown the brooder, so i can make room for the... 20 + 26 + 16... 62 eggs getting ready for lockdown over th e next week. (sorry, i know how many per incubator, but can't seem to remember the 'big number' lol maybe that's a trick for my brain to keep it's sanity?




Quote:
HaHaHa!! I know what you mean...we are actually building another small brooder in the morning so I have somewhere to put the babies about to hatch Sunday in....

 

[Arielle]

Arielle, any tidbits of nutrition wisdom you want to throw our way??

Sorry, I made a post on the Easter Hatch along. SO let me gather my thoughts a moment.

CHickens are are not fermenters. THat is , not like a cow or a rabbit. THey cannot utilize much fiber, so feeding sunflower seeds shoulb kept to a minimum. Eating grass, green grass, is more of a sugar base not a fiber base nutitionally for chickens.

Chickens drink a huge amount of water a day, like 1/2 cup. Chickens should always have water.

Fishmeal was removed from chicken feed because consumers didn't like feeding fish; so methionine and lysine amino acids are added instead to the feed.

Chickens are very good bug hunters.

Blue Seal adds a number of other ingredients to improve overall health and have a research facility in the midwest.

During one experiment, the temperature soared to 110, the researcher arrived expecting to see dead chickens. Well one group was dead, every bird; only 2-3 died in the other group. The group that survived was fed a ration with extra zinc. Of course with the unexpected death of the birds, the original experiment needed to be repeated.

The point here is that many miconutrients are very important to support immune system and overall hardiness.

HOw's that. ANy questions?

 

[Blarneyeggs]

thank you Dahling. Yer da bomb!

Seriously, good bit of info there, I did read your post on the Easter Hatch along and appreciate how you varied this one.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

I attended a chicken nutrition seminar last night!!! Gotta feed those egg laying ladies just right.ALl very interesting stuff.


As you have figured out by now, your in the right place!! We'll help you. Help you hatch more chicks , that is!!!

Enabler!!!!

Can't wait to see pics of your great work.


Yup, we all have IOD!

Arielle, can you give us some of the info from the nutrition seminar? What is a healthy holistic diet for layers?

 

[ki4got]

ok, well, right place right time, sometimes. went to TSC tonight to pick up a waterer for the ee's i just tossed outside, (heated coop, never fear) and the manager, who had bought some birds from me in the past, had to show me his 4 lonely little bantams, who were NOT happy by themselves... so guess where they are now?

the oldest cochin, about 5 weeks, 2 younger ones about 3 weeks, a 2 week frizzle and red dorking all pullets except the dorking. i kept them inside because i want them super sweet and the ee's they were with were spastic.
well, my oldest girl has taken it upon herself to adopt the babies. 8) oh babies are 3 cochins (i'm pretty sure) and a white silkie. all is happy now in the brooder, and the babies settled right in as soon as the older ones showed em where everything was. sorry for the off coloration, the camera's acting funky today.

 

[NYRIR]

ok, well, right place right time, sometimes. went to TSC tonight to pick up a waterer for the ee's i just tossed outside, (heated coop, never fear) and the manager, who had bought some birds from me in the past, had to show me his 4 lonely little bantams, who were NOT happy by themselves... so guess where they are now?

the oldest cochin, about 5 weeks, 2 younger ones about 3 weeks, a 2 week frizzle and red dorking all pullets except the dorking. i kept them inside because i want them super sweet and the ee's they were with were spastic.
well, my oldest girl has taken it upon herself to adopt the babies. 8) oh babies are 3 cochins (i'm pretty sure) and a white silkie. all is happy now in the brooder, and the babies settled right in as soon as the older ones showed em where everything was. sorry for the off coloration, the camera's acting funky today.

Adorable! I would have done the same thing....sigh....I'm hopeless!

 

[Arielle]

thank you Dahling. Yer da bomb!

Seriously, good bit of info there, I did read your post on the Easter Hatch along and appreciate how you varied this one.

I didn't think I could find the original post--the Easter Hatch along thread moves a mile a minute, I have 30 posts to read to catch up since late last night!!!!

I actually attended 2 seminars: one for beginners and one on nutrition only. I have a BS in ANimal Science anyway, but I needed to brush up on chickens. ALways something new to learn, even if it's only one nugget. And happy to share . . . .

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
See the post above for some good information. As for holistic diet, understand this seminar was given by a nutrtionist that works for BLue Seal. THe primary focus is to help new chicken owners take care of their chickens and buy BLue Seal which is sold by the host of the event.

It is very hard to feed a quality diet that beats a very good quality commercial feed. THe nutritionists' recommendation was to keep other foods and treats to under 25% of the diet. Honestly I have very mixed feelings. I can see the benefits of added chelated minerals like the zinc and that every mouthful contains every nutrient a hen needs. SUpplementing with just corn, for example, can throw off the nutrient balance. Blue Seal feeds also contain Lactobacilus and 2 other good microbes and I know the manufaacterer of my feed does not include this.

I am very torn. I let my birds free range to collect all manner of things and keep pellets available. ANd toss them corn and unfinished sandwhiches, old lettuce.

Hens need a lot of water, protein and calcium. Formulating feeds is complicated. THat's why I buy a bag of feed and don't totally free range. More recent studies have only added to the requirements of chickens as we now recognize the effects of micronutrients, chelated minerals, and more.

According to this nutritionist chicken benefit greatly from meat sources.

If you are already thinking "healthy holistic" this won't apply to you specifically, but in general about many people: ONe of my greatest interests is many people feed their chickens better than they feed themselves. Christine and I discussed this after the lecture. People ask nutrition questions for their chickens while they themselves are eating a burger from McD's. We laughed. THe irony.

You can find recipes on line with a bit of sluthing! I've done it. All the recipes were for grain based feeds. NOthing about fresh greens, etc. I think greens are very important to our health and our pets.

As an aside, beef used to have lots of healthy Vit A in the meat when the cattle grazed; the feed lot cattle fed huge amounts of grain have a pittance of the Vit A. Just food for thought.

Not sure that I answered your question. Probably muddied the waters. At least I hope you are still thinking about the peices, and you can continue to work at improving their diet.

Anyone else have something to add, or refute. Basically breeders birds need a higher plain of nutrition, 18% protein, higher % vitamins and minerals, and oddly, a lower Calcium level. SHe didn't go into feeding the breeding hens beyond my one question.

Hope this has been a little helpful.

 

[ki4got]

ok well, lockdown for the colored dorkings was yesterday, thursday for the reds, and i just set 10 mille fleur cochin eggs.

talk about a 'holy crap' moment... they were sent saturday, got here today. from washington state, to virginia!

have 24 quail going on 3 weeks old, the ee's are all outside now and doing well, the bottom brooder is a mishmash of chicks. 1 red dorking going on 3 weeks old, 1 3 day old white silkie and 6 bantam cochins ranging from 2 to 6 weeks old.

 

[DMRippy]

I put a batch in lockdown today. I accidentally bought 17+ EE hatching eggs last night... I never buy auctions, too much stress. Nobody else bid so they were mine for $5 I guess. I have not heard from the seller yet....

Anyway... I have about 60 + eggs I was going to set next. I got some Lavender AMs, Olive Eggers and Wheaten Ams that came in the mail Monday, but since I have this batch coming I will wait. I called my neighbor and he had 5 doz hatching eggs for me

I will have to sell some of this hatch... I can't handle that many chicks back to back. I have a batch of 220 in the bator now... Not including what I put in lockdown...... or what is in the brooder.... I am going to be in so much trouble in a few months.