Okies in the BYC The Original

[Buckguy20]

I hope everyone is doing well.
So while eveyone is stuck home tonight, why don't we come up with some discussion topics.

What are some special breeding projects you guys are gonna work on this spring?

We have over one hundred fifty members now but most of them aren't very chatty. So if some of you "quite ones" are on line how about joining in. Same for any new lurkers that haven't joined our group. Now is the time to be heard.

What are some other things you want to discuss. I too appreciate nnbreeders breakdown on the feed/egg ratio.
Its been so long since my hens have laid I will have to sell eggs for $10 each to break even.
I'll be in and out tonight but lets see if we can get some conversation going.
Monty

 

[HennyPennies2007]

I won 10 BBS orp eggs in a BYC contest.... I am trying to decide if that is worth the investment of a Hova-Bator 1588 w/turner. I have heard horror stories about hatching... and good stories too... what do y'all think?

 

[Buckguy20]

You better hurry and decide. When do you get the eggs.
I haven't hatched that much with bators but I would say overall I did ok when I tried it with a pair of Little giants. One hatched great the other stunk so it was about a 50/50 deal. For me.
I have another discussion topic. What do you feed your chickens and is the feed always available?

 

[okiemommy]

I won 10 BBS orp eggs in a BYC contest.... I am trying to decide if that is worth the investment of a Hova-Bator 1588 w/turner. I have heard horror stories about hatching... and good stories too... what do y'all think?

I would def get a good incubator due to who the eggs are coming from. She has excellent quality BBS Orps. If you can part with the money, go for it!

Hey Ya'll

Hope you are all safe and warm!!

Edited for spelling​

 

[GracefulBantams]

Donna, if I ever make it up there (or we have a meeting place) for the Polish, I would for sure be interested in your friend's Sultans

Stimpy, the Golden Feather Membership is a pretty new addition to this site. Here is a link that tells all about it - https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=120457
How are those Call Ducks doing, by the way

HennyPennies, I don't think that incubator would be worth the cost to just hatch 10 eggs...... but knowing us chicken lovers, I doubt you will stop at one hatch!

The Hova-Bator 1588 w/turner is a great tabletop incubator. It is what I am currently using, and I really enjoy it!

Quote:
The main thing I am aiming for this year is to not sell all of my eggs and actually hatch some! (After sales of eggs, sales of birds, and losses, I currently have 1 bird more than I had this time in '07 of my original breeds.)
I do have more breeds to work with his year, so that will be fun

Quote:
I feed all adult birds premixed Laying Crumbles with the occasional handful of Scratch grains or wheat. I raise Ducks on Gamebird Starter for the first two months, and I raise chicks on Medicated Chick Starter for the first two months.

 

[okiemommy]

Grace, where can you get the layer crumbles? I can only find the layer pellets.

I need to clarify my answer to henny pennies...my advice was to just make sure that whatever bator you get, it's a good one, b/c of who the eggs are from, but not advice on which one to get. I have no idea which one you should get!!

 

[countyroad1330]

How'd the weather turn out for everyone??? There's a good covering here in Chickasha, the roads are horrible. I don't think the city did anything to try to prepare. My hubby's patrol car got stuck right in front of the house, he had to leave it.

On the bright side, I didn't have to work today.

Al, got the pm, thanks so much for the idea! I don't have any eggs in the bator thankfully, but I will probably be scoping one of those out for future reference.

Cuban, I thought you were the one I'd talked to, but wasn't sure with the screen name switch.

What colors are your birds again? I know you said one is Silkie, right? I bet that's cute!

 

[al6517]

My projects this spring include, trying to get into hatching my own birds. I like HennyPennies also won some BBS Orp's hatching eggs in a BYC contest ( 12 ) from Tuffholdens stock, and I am pretty handy so I am seriously toying with the idea of buiding my own incubator. I think I can build one that is better than I can buy, I also want to try to have some breeding fun, and experiment with some pairings. lets not forget the never ending chore of building more pens & run's. So you see not that much planned LOL.

AL

 

[Langshan Man]

I was going to get back the other night ans ran out of time. i raise bantam RIR,Barred Rocks,Modern Game, black Langshans, White & Black cochin and a few OEG, plus the large fowl, White & Black Langshans, Black sumatras , Buff Orpingtons, Aseels, Blue Andulusians, Black Le Flech

 

[poultryand bees]

I am interested in getting some more runner ducks this spring. I got a few this past fall and they are a hoot to watch. Although there are 3 of them, I almost never see one of them by themselves. It is always a group that moves together as a group. Since they don't fly, I think I will be able to keep them out of the water troughs that the goats, llamas and horse drink from. The water tub that they can access is always full of silt on the bottom, even though I empty it daily. It is fun to watch them run around the yard and then take a dip in the water tub.

I am trying a new feed, that was developed by Phillip Gordon of Gordon Feed Service out of McLoud. Since my pullets won't start laying until about March, I don't personally know how it well it works. He developed the feed as a high school agriculture project back in the mid 70s and told me his hens lay large eggs with it. It is beautiful feed, with a mixture of grains, including black sunflower seeds. My chickens like it, so we are going to try it for a few months. He also carries some other varieties of chicken feed and rabbit feed and feed for other critters. I called him New Year's Day when I realized I was out of rabbit pellets and we went to his house on New Year's Day (when the only other place that was open to get feed was Atwoods) and got rabbit pellets, chicken feed and goat feed.

If anyone wants to try his chicken feeds, his cell phone number is 405-213-3413. He also delivers in the OKC metro area.

Okiemommy asked where to get layer crumbles. Purina has layer feed in either pellets or crumbles. I used to get mine from Flaming Three Arrow on NE 23rd street, but I saw recently that he retired. I imagine that any place that carries the Purina feed could get the crumbles for you on request. My hens preferred the crumbles rather than the pellets.