Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Mahonri]

Quote: COOL... and we have an Aussie... any Europeans? Hawaiians? South Africans?

 

[thebirdguy]

COOL... and we have an Aussie... any Europeans? Hawaiians? South Africans?

I lived in Brasil for 2 years does that count for anything???

 

[sager:)silkies]

COOL... and we have an Aussie... any Europeans? Hawaiians? South Africans?

yep need more ppl from all over this is only my second hatch and my first hatch along ginna be fun

 

[Mahonri]

At this point last year we were on post #637....

We still need another 65 hatchers to break last years record.

I'd ask Debi to join in this hatch, but as many of you know her husband is very ill.

I hope you'll all join with me in prayers for Ken and Deb.

 

[Mahonri]

Quote: Yeah, and I lived in Ecuador for 2 years.

I wonder how many languages this Hatch has?

ENGLISH
SPANISH
PORTUGUESE

 

[Spangled]

What do you think? Does anyone know if field peas will have a negative effect on health/hatchability?

If you're asking me, it beats me.

I'm only talking about field peas (pisum sativum var. arvense), not dried green split peas of pea soup or Jolly Green Giant frozen peas.

Field peas are IFN 5-03-600. I'm not quite sure what others are talking about or if they are also talking about pisum sativum var. arvense.

Robert Blair wrote a book entitlled, Nutrition and Feeding of Organic Poultry with a copyright date of 2008. Much of what he wrote on pages 125-128 seems to be summarized here: www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/livestoc/eb76-5.htm Maybe it's not a summary, but much of the same information is covered.

Blair's book claims trypsin inhibitors (and others anti-nutritional factors--tannins, phytase, amylase, etc.) in field peas are, except for young poultry where inclusion percentages should be restricted, generally considered to not cause any major problems in poultry. They say there's a slight decrease in rate of lay in layers when 10% field peas are used, but the text itself doesn't say what feed they're comparing it to (maybe it's in the actual studies that he's citing--Harrold, 2002). But the very next sentence states that Castell, Guenter, and Igbasin in 1996 found that diets for layers provided good results when field peas were included at rates of up to 30%. The kicker? I don't see where they mention hatchability at all. I also don't see where cooking is mentioned as being necessary. Since this is a textbook for organic poultry producers, if cooking were necessary, I'm surprised it's not mentioned. But then, I don't think this book is meant to be an exhaustive treatise on poultry nutrition.

This link www.smallgrains.org/hans/Dry_Field_Peas/dry_field_peas.html (click on uses) from the University of Minnesota states that they don't have to be cooked. I found a couple of other sources, but they weren't documented by a university or researcher or poultry nutritionist.

So, anyway, we've all gotta do what we think is the most advantageous for us in our efforts to win the prize for the best hatch rate in Mahonri's 3rd Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long.

If anyone would like to share their "Hatchability Hints & Secrets," please do! It would be fun to set a record this year for Best Hatch Rate that will stand the test of time, that future Annual Easter Hatch-a-longs will strive to supercede.

Oh ... here's one. Keep the oyster shell available at all time free choice. The hen can regulate her intake. Shell quality is really important becaues after about Day 10, the chick somehow takes calcium out of the shell to help build its skeleton! Wow! (I've lost the link.)

 

[kathyinmo]

3AM, now I am awake, and everyone else is sleeping! haha Night shift workers understand this.

Looks like our thread was 3rd highest in posts in the past week..

 

[Mahonri]

Yup, but those duck folk and the Okies are just extremely chatty.

 

[kathyinmo]

Thumbs up for this one!

I think this is a great idea! We could gather all the hints and secrets and share them!

If anyone would like to share their "Hatchability Hints & Secrets," please do! It would be fun to set a record this year for Best Hatch Rate that will stand the test of time, that future Annual Easter Hatch-a-longs will strive to supercede.

1. Oh ... here's one. Keep the oyster shell available at all time free choice. The hen can regulate her intake. Shell quality is really important because after about Day 10, the chick somehow takes calcium out of the shell to help build its skeleton! Wow! (I've lost the link.)

2. Mine is to be sure your breeder stock is healthy and fed appropriately for hatching.

from the link in my signature:
It is of basic importance to realize that hens can still produce eggs even though the dietary levels of vitamins will not allow the eggs to hatch.
The nutrient deficiencies most likely to give rise to reduced hatchability, unless adequate breeder supplements are used, are Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and some others of the B group (eg biotin), Vitamin E, manganese, zinc, phosphorus.



I feed a game bird breeder feed, made by Kent, during hatch season. It includes additional vitamins and minerals.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:

Yup, but those duck folk and the Okies are just extremely chatty.

We can use the thumbs up and be in first place with that alot of times!