Alright Kathy, fix it for me! I'm able to "quote" you and then turn the quote formatting off so it looks like I'm the ingenious contest master.
Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!
- Thread starter Mahonri
- Start date
Speaking of emus......What does one do with them?
Do they need another emu for company?
Speaking of emus......What does one do with them?Do they need another emu for company?
Mostly I want one to scare people off my property.
... and they're cute.
What if they run you of your property? They are cute, but kinda big aren't they?
OK, I FOUND THIS ON THE NY CHICKEN LOVER POST!!!!!! CASS DID THIS POST!!!!! To everyone who is having problems recieving notificatioins on thread updates (like me)
Try Logging out and logging back in. It worked like a miracle....I got updates within seconds. Who knew clicking that "keep me logged in" button could cause such a major problem. I DID THIS AND IT'S WORKING FOR ME!!!!!!!!!! HOPE THIS HELP!!!!!!!!!
Try Logging out and logging back in. It worked like a miracle....I got updates within seconds. Who knew clicking that "keep me logged in" button could cause such a major problem. I DID THIS AND IT'S WORKING FOR ME!!!!!!!!!! HOPE THIS HELP!!!!!!!!!
(Sorry to be chicken-centric to those who are hatching other breeds.)
So we set the eggs on March 17.
3 weeks before that (February 25) is when some of us will be separating out those chickens that will be a part of the Mahonri's 3rd Annual Hatch-a-long and putting them all together in the same coop. That's approximately how long it takes for us to know which rooster is the Chicky-Daddy to our little hatchlings if we have multiple roosters.
But February 25 is also when some of us will start thinking seriously about how we are feeding the Chicky-Mommas and Chicky-Daddies to help us win the Best Hatch Rate award. I guess some folks think about it all year round. But I don't feed my layers like breeders until spring time.
I'm talking hatchability! The higher the hatchability, the better the hatch rate. I remember how surprised I was when I found out that just because a chicken can lay egg, it doesn't mean that the egg has the ability to hatch.
So since there are very few places that we can buy Breeder Feed out there, I'm wonder how most folks supplement their normal layer feed during the weeks (usually 3) before egg collection begins.
I'm trying to remember what I do, but my mind is a little foggy still this spring (Winter Brain Arthritis or Tin Foil Hat Dementia). Plus I'd love a few of your nutritional secrets or tricks or methods for a great hatch rate (if you want to share them). I think it will be great if we are all able to get our "Best Hatch Ever" this spring!
For the few weeks right before I collect eggs for a hatch I try to: (Disclaimer: This is just what I happen to do. I would never recommend that you do anything different with your chickens because I'd never want your chickens harmed in any way. So check and double check all the stuff you read/hear on the internet before you do it because you never know if someone is just making stuff up as they go along.) Remember what follows is not a prescription; this is just what I happen to do sometimes, if I have the time or memory, in the spring.
- make sure that the feed ingredients are all fresh so that all vitiamins and oils are not detriorated into uselessness
- increase the availability of dried kelp
- make sure fresh growing greens are available in the yard or if the yard is covered with snow, then I provide homegrown wheat grass (store bought is crazy expensive). Other sprouted greens may be more beneficial.
- make sure the feed has alfalfa already in it.
- provide an extra 1/2 ounce of canned fish per chicken at least every other day (tuna or mackeral). I believe hatch rates are lower when chickens are eating a vegetarian diet, but I don't have the numbers on that handy like I used to.
- mix the fines (tiny bits feed and powder that the chickens leave in the bottom of the feeder) with enough milk to make a paste every four or five days if I have time and milk to spare (to get extra riboflavin (in milk) and make sure all the vitamins and minerals in the feed get eaten).
As one of the links at the bottom of kathyinmo's posts mentions, (paraphrase) bad hatch rates cannot be blamed on the feed we buy at the store and single nutrients missing is rare. So I'm not suggesting anyone needs to do anything special for this hatch.
I'd love us all to have a happy hatch day--especially those doing their first hatch! Let's make Mahonri's 3rd Annual Easter Hatch-a-long 2012 the best one ever!
So how do you change your feed regimen in preparation for a hatch?
So we set the eggs on March 17.
3 weeks before that (February 25) is when some of us will be separating out those chickens that will be a part of the Mahonri's 3rd Annual Hatch-a-long and putting them all together in the same coop. That's approximately how long it takes for us to know which rooster is the Chicky-Daddy to our little hatchlings if we have multiple roosters.
But February 25 is also when some of us will start thinking seriously about how we are feeding the Chicky-Mommas and Chicky-Daddies to help us win the Best Hatch Rate award. I guess some folks think about it all year round. But I don't feed my layers like breeders until spring time.
I'm talking hatchability! The higher the hatchability, the better the hatch rate. I remember how surprised I was when I found out that just because a chicken can lay egg, it doesn't mean that the egg has the ability to hatch.
So since there are very few places that we can buy Breeder Feed out there, I'm wonder how most folks supplement their normal layer feed during the weeks (usually 3) before egg collection begins.
I'm trying to remember what I do, but my mind is a little foggy still this spring (Winter Brain Arthritis or Tin Foil Hat Dementia). Plus I'd love a few of your nutritional secrets or tricks or methods for a great hatch rate (if you want to share them). I think it will be great if we are all able to get our "Best Hatch Ever" this spring!
For the few weeks right before I collect eggs for a hatch I try to: (Disclaimer: This is just what I happen to do. I would never recommend that you do anything different with your chickens because I'd never want your chickens harmed in any way. So check and double check all the stuff you read/hear on the internet before you do it because you never know if someone is just making stuff up as they go along.) Remember what follows is not a prescription; this is just what I happen to do sometimes, if I have the time or memory, in the spring.
- make sure that the feed ingredients are all fresh so that all vitiamins and oils are not detriorated into uselessness
- increase the availability of dried kelp
- make sure fresh growing greens are available in the yard or if the yard is covered with snow, then I provide homegrown wheat grass (store bought is crazy expensive). Other sprouted greens may be more beneficial.
- make sure the feed has alfalfa already in it.
- provide an extra 1/2 ounce of canned fish per chicken at least every other day (tuna or mackeral). I believe hatch rates are lower when chickens are eating a vegetarian diet, but I don't have the numbers on that handy like I used to.
- mix the fines (tiny bits feed and powder that the chickens leave in the bottom of the feeder) with enough milk to make a paste every four or five days if I have time and milk to spare (to get extra riboflavin (in milk) and make sure all the vitamins and minerals in the feed get eaten).
As one of the links at the bottom of kathyinmo's posts mentions, (paraphrase) bad hatch rates cannot be blamed on the feed we buy at the store and single nutrients missing is rare. So I'm not suggesting anyone needs to do anything special for this hatch.
I'd love us all to have a happy hatch day--especially those doing their first hatch! Let's make Mahonri's 3rd Annual Easter Hatch-a-long 2012 the best one ever!
So how do you change your feed regimen in preparation for a hatch?
- Thread starter
- #327
Great info!
Back when I had a roo, I put gamebird finisher in my breeders feed.
Back when I had a roo, I put gamebird finisher in my breeders feed.
Alright Kathy, fix it for me! I'm able to "quote" you and then turn the quote formatting off so it looks like I'm the ingenious contest master.
Don't bother to "quote." Just highlight it where it is, and Ctrl C (copy). Go to your editor page and Ctrl V (paste) it.
I feed this: Kent Feed High Flyer Breeder formula.
I do like the game bird feed, and I like the additional vitamins and minerals in the "breeder" formula. I also add goodies in with it at times. I keep oyster shell free choice, as well as grit. Clean water is a must, too. I don't add a bunch of stuff to the water anymore.
High FlyerBreeder
A complete feed for pheasant, quail, chukar, and turkey breeders to be fed during the laying season. Available as a pellet.
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein, min
17.0%Lysine, min
0.9%Methionine, min
0.45%Crude Fat, min
3.5%Crude Fiber, max
4.0%Calcium (Ca), min
2.5%Calcium (Ca), max
3.5%Phosphorus (P), min
0.75%Salt (NaCl), min
0.2%Salt (NaCl), max
0.7%Vitamin A, min
7500 IU/lbVitamin D3, min
1960 IU/lbVitamin E, min
25 IU/lb
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