https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=387564721594179&set=gm.227283441008548&type=3 if your in south-east Oklahoma, come join my chicken group on face book
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***OKIES in the BYC III ***
- Thread starter Buckguy20
- Start date
this is my face book. And almost only internet usage truth be told.
Here is some information gleaned from my 20 plus years of chicken breeding and discussions with great breeders. Hope this helps improve hatch rates.
For those incubating eggs collected during these cold temperatures....things to consider...
1) roosters with any frostbite on their combs may not be as fertile until the frostbite heals
2) Freezing temperatures can kill the embryo within an hour of laying unless the hen is still covering the egg.
3) hens use all energy and nutrition from digesting feed to stay warm...this can affect the hatching vitality of the embryo in the eggs produced in cold temperatures. The quality of the shell surface is also affected.
4) just as in temperatures over 90 degrees in summer, temps below freezing affect the fertility of your roosters.
5) eggs are 90% fluid...so lack of access to unfrozen water can be harmful to egg production and hatch ability.
Collect your eggs frequently during the day.
Provide plenty of water during the day...warm water added to a frozen layer helps keep it unfrozen a bit longer. I provide water three times a day in harsh temperature.
Used cod liver oil or vasaline on combs during fridgid temperatures...good on legs too...to prevent frostbite.
Provide a hard grain treat in the evening so birds can generate warmth by digesting these at night...BOSS, cracked corn, wheat, etc.
When incubating...bring eggs to room temperature and then place in the incubator...too quick a change in temperature will cause eggs to condense on the surface allowing bacteria to grow and draw inside thru the porous shell.
To pretreat eggs for bacteria : Use a 10% Oxine spray on the eggs or a 50% Gold Listerine spray and allow eggs to dry before placing in the incubator.
Select eggs for hatching that have a quality shell shape and surface
Candle eggs before placing in the incubator looking for fine cracks from freezing.
Candle at five days and again at 8 days and remove any eggs that are not growing embryos...a burst egg in the incubator is not only messy, but contaminates everything!
I will put my breed pens together in late January and begin collecting eggs around the middle of February to incubate. Since hens can lay a clutch of eggs from breeding with a rooster, I like to expose my hens to my chosen cock for at least three weeks before selecting eggs for hatching.
For those incubating eggs collected during these cold temperatures....things to consider...
1) roosters with any frostbite on their combs may not be as fertile until the frostbite heals
2) Freezing temperatures can kill the embryo within an hour of laying unless the hen is still covering the egg.
3) hens use all energy and nutrition from digesting feed to stay warm...this can affect the hatching vitality of the embryo in the eggs produced in cold temperatures. The quality of the shell surface is also affected.
4) just as in temperatures over 90 degrees in summer, temps below freezing affect the fertility of your roosters.
5) eggs are 90% fluid...so lack of access to unfrozen water can be harmful to egg production and hatch ability.
Collect your eggs frequently during the day.
Provide plenty of water during the day...warm water added to a frozen layer helps keep it unfrozen a bit longer. I provide water three times a day in harsh temperature.
Used cod liver oil or vasaline on combs during fridgid temperatures...good on legs too...to prevent frostbite.
Provide a hard grain treat in the evening so birds can generate warmth by digesting these at night...BOSS, cracked corn, wheat, etc.
When incubating...bring eggs to room temperature and then place in the incubator...too quick a change in temperature will cause eggs to condense on the surface allowing bacteria to grow and draw inside thru the porous shell.
To pretreat eggs for bacteria : Use a 10% Oxine spray on the eggs or a 50% Gold Listerine spray and allow eggs to dry before placing in the incubator.
Select eggs for hatching that have a quality shell shape and surface
Candle eggs before placing in the incubator looking for fine cracks from freezing.
Candle at five days and again at 8 days and remove any eggs that are not growing embryos...a burst egg in the incubator is not only messy, but contaminates everything!
I will put my breed pens together in late January and begin collecting eggs around the middle of February to incubate. Since hens can lay a clutch of eggs from breeding with a rooster, I like to expose my hens to my chosen cock for at least three weeks before selecting eggs for hatching.
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Had a friend tell me to start a thread on winter egg hatching in the Hatching and Incubating section so more cautions /advice could be shared.
So I've started a new thread there.
So I've started a new thread there.
I started with boxes like these and pallets. With
I got this much out of it plus 2 nice size boxes.
1 box and a start
next step, The left is of the pic actually the top. You can kinda see the nest boxes on the top of the pic.
And here is where I ran out of nails and screws. Went to town it got cold and I got lazy.
This is looking good!!I I started with boxes like these and pallets. With
I got this much out of it plus 2 nice size boxes.
1 box and a start
next step, The left is of the pic actually the top. You can kinda see the nest boxes on the top of the pic.
And here is where I ran out of nails and screws. Went to town it got cold and I got lazy.
I'm still doing a little a day. Still being lazy and should've finished weeks ago. But buying paint and hardware right after losing a job wasn't what I wanted to do. Now that I got it yea just lazy. If I was doing it as a job It'd be done already and much better.
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