Laree's "I CAN'T STOP MYSELF FROM HATCHING!!!" Hatch-a-long

[superchemicalgirl]

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Give her hatched chicks...or you if you want to let her set, give her additional protein and maybe some carbs like fruit. Or you can just make her get up more often.

Can you put her in a cage by herself? If you put food/water close enough to her so she doesn't have to leave the eggs to eat she will eat more. I usually do 22% protein in water to make a nice little mash, and you can put sugar in her water, too.

I've got another broody to go with my phoenix who is unbreakable. It's my GLW who has already hatched chicks TWICE in her year and 2 months of total life. They didn't get the memo (or are ignoring it) that we are DONE hatching chicks this year. I take them out of the nests and put them on the roost all night long and they still fly down and try to find a nest to go into. Last night the phoenix hen had a visitor from one of my easter eggers who apparently couldn't wait until morning to lay her egg, it was sitting right in front of the phoenix this morning as she was contentedly laying on golf balls.

I haven't been having good luck selling the chicks I've hatched either. I've got 12 chicks right now about 2 weeks old that are a combo of brown and olive eggers, turkens or regular feathered. There's really been no interest here. I just hate growing them out to sell them at a loss and then have to worry about the roosters. I have way too many roosters. Right now two of the ones from my Feb hatch (about 14 weeks old) are causing me so many problems. They're rapists and they work together! I've had enough of them, I can't even get rid of them for free. Right now they're in a cage in my front yard to hopefully fatten them up so they can be dinner. How much longer is that going to take? They're big but skinny!

 

[1muttsfan]

With the heritage breeds it takes 16-18 weeks to get to a good eating size. Some breeds never get that plump, but it helps to feed a higher protein diet. Mine are little devils too and they are only 12 weeks old.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

They were eating 20% protein! How can they be this skinny?! They actually look big but they're not filled out at all. When you go to pick them up their breastbone could slice through your hand.

I read on here that someone puts their roos in smallish cages (so they don't have a lot of area to move around in and burn calories) a few weeks before slaughter. I think that's what I'm going to try. However, I can't leave them out all night (predators) and moving them back and forth daily seems a pain to me. I guess I'll try it though. I can't leave them in with the rest of the flock, they're annoying the heck out of my girls. I wish my roo would man up and show them who's boss.

Oh, I sold 12 chicks this morning, right after I posted. Wahoo! Now all I've got "extra" are 3 roosters (two 14 week and one 8 week old) and 14 chicks in the basement that I want to grow out to determine who to keep. Life's looking up in my little chicken world.

 

[BHep]

Well.... I went to the auction today and sold 59 chicks. So please tell me why I came back with 38 hatching eggs, 6 Seabright biddies and 1 naked neck frizzle thing-a-ma-gig. ????

The eggs were a super deal , 18 Buff Laced Polish for $4 and 10 Mille Fluer D'Uccles for $4. The chicks ( 1week old) are from someone I know and are in the fishtank brooder in my office, the NN is in quarantine in my bathroom. I don't even have a place to put her outside where my other nosey busy bodies don't get to. AND... I really did not need to get her but she is so cute, but skinny & needs a bath. I really don't like buying from the auction, but I could not resist. I gave her a cup of mealworms and we are now BFFs LOL I will get pics tomorrow.

 

[shelleyd2008]

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I got a silver Lakenvelder roo at the auction a few weeks ago that surprisingly is not showing signs of illness. I think this is probably a first for me...buying a bird there that was NOT sick

If I take anything to the auction it either stays in the back of the truck or does not come home. If it goes inside the auction barn or gets put on the grass it sells...no matter what the going price is...usually that's not very good.

 

[BHep]

Quote:
I got a silver Lakenvelder roo at the auction a few weeks ago that surprisingly is not showing signs of illness. I think this is probably a first for me...buying a bird there that was NOT sick

If I take anything to the auction it either stays in the back of the truck or does not come home. If it goes inside the auction barn or gets put on the grass it sells...no matter what the going price is...usually that's not very good.

Same here.... I sold some chicks for 50 cents a piece

Just because I was not bringing them home !!! Good thing they were free eggs from my flock and at least I am not feeding them, but 50 cents ! come on !!! I will sell off what I need to get rid of end of this month, then shut down the big bator and wait till Spring, that is when you get good money for the birds.

A 2 great surprises today.... A gifted 6 month GFM

and I recieved an order of chicks from McMurray Hatchery. I ordered the min. of 25 and got 37 ! Very generous of them and the were of the breeds I had ordered. Plus the free exotic chick, some kind of bantam.

So CRAZY CHICKEN MATH HERE.................... Sold 59... brought home 7 chicks & 38 hatching eggs and now 37 new chicks

I MUST be out of my mind !!!!

 

[dsqard]

I have been soooooo good while you all have been setting eggs and hatching chicks. I have been tempted to drag out the bator and hatch some of my eggs now that my "youngest" chicks are over two months old. I have kept reminding myself that I have got to get another large coop up to house all of these chickens. I have behaved myself and left the incubator in the cabinet, all nice and clean for next year. What do I find yesterday? Oh, yeah, you guessed it, my first broody.

I hadn't been paying much attention to my GLW. I just figured that she just happened to be laying when I was going to collect eggs. Yesterday she was sitting in one of the nest boxes (again) and I pushed her out off the golf ball she was on to see if she had any eggs under her. She wasn't happy and went out of the coop and walked around all upset and poofy. After I collected the eggs and did some other chores, I checked again and yup she was back in the nest box. It dawned on me then that she hadn't been outside all day with the others free ranging. I am going to see if I can break her since I think my DH wouldn't be happy with more chickens around.

I thought hatchery birds weren't supposed to be broody (I know, I know it is possible but thought that if any of them went broody it would be the Ameraucanas)

 

[LarryPQ]

OK floks-- I am going to try and mail the prizes out today. I apoligize for slacking. We had a friend of the family die, (a former neighbor), and have been spending a lot of time with her boyfriend/our neighbor.

Anyway, I will try to get the boxes in the mail before 4pm!

 

[wolftracks]

Nothing from my pheasant eggs. No movement, no pips, nothing

Maybe by tomorrow. They aren't due till today anyway. Have more due tomorrow.

Just got FBCM and Silkie eggs today. One order of Silkies comes from show stock. Hopefully I'll get whites from one order and splash from the other to add to my whites and blacks.

I haven't fixed the turner in my Sportsman yet, so hand turning 154 eggs. I'm still looking for something around here I can use to hold the arm onto the rod in that thing. Since I haven't had my car in 9 days I can't get anywhere to find something to use to make a cap or something to hold it on.

Ohhhh.......forgot it was auction and fleamarker day. Maybe I'll walk over and look for something there!

 

[thebirdguy]

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My pheasants were late and dragged out... don't give up on them yet.. in the same bator with identical lock downs etc.. the turkeys were a day early and the chickens were right on schedule.. kind of a wierd hatch...