OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[Stevens21]

Does anyone know where I can buy the watering systems at a good price? I am looking for 3 or 4 of them. Also needing some ideas on food containers so that they stop wasting half of their food by flinging it around.

we just ordered the water nipples and getting buckets to hang.

i hope this doesn't offend you. if your looking to make money with your flock, i would get rid of the golden comets. you cant breed to golden comets and make a golden comet. however they are great egg layers

marans are in demand here, i would probably stick with them, the australorps, barred rocks and silkies. is your rhode island red from a hatchery or breeder? there is a huge difference in that breed.

there is a huge demand for silkies, but they don't lay many eggs; its a hard breed to advertise because you never know when they will go broody. before i advertise silkies in my flock i want at least 3 roosters and 12 hens. also remember they don't ship well.

polish is a breed im just learning, i have white crested blue, white crested black chicks and one buff laced chick i think?. the blues are almost old enough to lay, the blacks and buff are only a week and a half old. people love their "hair do's" and i hear they are descent layers. but they are a hard breed to get right as far as colorations.

on rare breeds, enter into them with caution. as they become more common the price drops. its a great way to make or lose money. never spend more on a rare breed than you can afford to lose.

with breeding, you will find that regular layer crumble doesn't fit the needs of your chickens. i told you where i have mine mixed, im pretty happy with the mix i get; but i do give protein supplements (meal worms, cat food, calf manna, leftover fish and meat). never limit yourself to one pair, 2 trios are a great place to start. the price of the chicks will depend partially on the quality of breeders.

I started out with the Golden Comets they were the first ones the husband came home with last summer. Them and most of the ones in my big pin are my 'pets' I guess you can say lol Though once they aren't laying he has said he will put them in the freezer. (that part is ALL him!) Our RIR came from a hatchery if I am not mistaken. I am slowly building up to get ones that we might be able to sell next year if I am lucky.

Polish my husband wants one of them because of the hair, I personally just had a idea of wanting to breed it but he wants one hen =) When he mentions a type I try to get it so that I can just counter that he is picking some too

we are still new to this and have TONS to learn!

 

[mlaff]

I just saw pictures of the Euskal Oiloa Basque. OMG it is beautiful. I came across it when I was looking for welsummers and Millie leghorns. Urg, not only do they have all three they also have ccl eggs. Think I might be getting myself into some trouble soon. These little babies need to hatch so I can start filling up the incubator again. I believe I have found my breeders. Millie leghorns, ccl, isbars, and basques. Don't forget the silkies. Haha I may be killed in the next couple of weeks.

 

[loveourbirds]

RIP mlaff (I hope im not saying this for real soon)

 

[ShayBaby]

Has anyone mentioned how addicting these things are?
Just starting with mine this year, and just got mine grown and into the new coop. I told myself I never wanted to go the way of getting an incubator and hatching eggs because it was too much work and I'd have new babies to raise all over again (DH will never let me brood in the house again..lol). But now.. my birthday is in a couple days and DH is letting me pick out my own gift, and I'm stalking eBay and Craigslist for cheap styrofoam incubators.

Contacted one in Cbus already but they didn't bother getting back to me. Someone smack me before it gets out of hand? LOL

 

[loveourbirds]

Has anyone mentioned how addicting these things are?

Just starting with mine this year, and just got mine grown and into the new coop. I told myself I never wanted to go the way of getting an incubator and hatching eggs because it was too much work and I'd have new babies to raise all over again (DH will never let me brood in the house again..lol). But now.. my birthday is in a couple days and DH is letting me pick out my own gift, and I'm stalking eBay and Craigslist for cheap styrofoam incubators.

Contacted one in Cbus already but they didn't bother getting back to me. Someone smack me before it gets out of hand? LOL

be very careful on the Styrofoam incubators. they get bacterial buildup and the hatch rates drop dramatically. for a small incubator, and from what I have asked others - and even by mlaff's posts, I recommend brisnea for a small incubator.

im not saying Styrofoam are all junk, I started with them myself. but if the person "just quit using it last week" I would be a little frightened.

on another note, if I remember right your just in piketon. if you want some custom hatched I have some extra room in my incubators. just make sure they are fresh and unwashed.

 

[loveourbirds]

by the way, does anyone need any bantams? I have 1 1/2 trays just like this. and im running out of room myself. they will be hatched by the 1st of july.

 

[ShayBaby]

be very careful on the Styrofoam incubators. they get bacterial buildup and the hatch rates drop dramatically.  for a small incubator, and from what I have asked others - and even by mlaff's posts, I recommend brisnea for a small incubator.

im not saying Styrofoam are all junk, I started with them myself. but if the person "just quit using it last week" I would be a little frightened.

on another note, if I remember right your just in piketon.  if you want some custom hatched I have some extra room in my incubators.  just make sure they are fresh and unwashed.

Ooh, thanks for the info. I didn't know about the bacteria. I'll be wary. Are brinseas all the cabinet-type? Forgive my ignorance, I know nothing of the hatching world yet. DH has sadly given me a hundred limit, so I figure styrofoam was my only option.
That's very kind of you! Thank you! I'm in Lucasville/Minford, but am up your way (I believe) all the time. What got me interested initially was wanting some Seramas, but the cheapest way to come about them is hatching eggs, so I thought I might try my hand at it. I'll talk to DH about it (I'm betting he'd lean more towards borrowing ((compensated, of course)) incubator space than buying one, because "it wouldn't become a regular thing" ((muahaha))..) and give you a PM. ^^

 

[ShayBaby]

by the way, does anyone need any bantams? I have 1 1/2 trays just like this. and im running out of room myself. they will be hatched by the 1st of july.

Oh, how you tease lol. I much prefer bantams to LF. Breeds assorted?

 

[loveourbirds]

I don't have any brisnea myself, but they make several smaller units. one for sure under $100 new, but I don't know many of the features.

I have sportsman type incubators. I love them, but I do admit they are a little large for a small flock owner. - so you know where I am?

 

[ShayBaby]

Ah! Thanks!
Only Waverly from your profile, although I assume probably not downtown Waverly.