Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[PouleChick]

Why not start a few eggs in the incubator

I'm not sure I'd even do that - that would push her to 9 weeks of being broody the poor thing. I'd probably at this stage buy / order some day old chicks and pop them under her!

 

[Molpet]

I don't mean to be rude, but is it economically wise to give just 2-3 eggs to a broody hen? We give somewhere between 12-18 eggs to a broody hen. I mean the broody is going to sit for 21 days and is going to spend somewhere between 45 looking after chicks and after all that you end up with just a couple of pullets or cockerels. Don't you think that hen is underused?

LOL I have had about 30 broods, some are hens on their second time around this year. Some were turkeys but most were chickens.. The coops and freezers would be very full with 300+ birds for one person

 

[Kabootar]

Now I understand, my family poultry both as a hobby and a small source of income. Farm grown chicken fetch good price in my country. For instance a boiler costs about 2 dollars or 120-140 rupees per kg whereas a free range farm grown chicken costs around 4 dollars that is 250-300 rupees per kg. And capons cost even higher. The only condition is that the chicken should not be white. Similarly farm grown eggs cost twice the price of battery eggs again the eggs should not be white. I breed many breeds breeds of chickens and ducks as well as aseels, they are novelty here and they fetch even more price.
So we easily sell of extra roosters and we keep replacing older hens with newer hens. It has turned out a nice small business..

 

[Molpet]

Now I understand, my family poultry both as a hobby and a small source of income. Farm grown chicken fetch good price in my country. For instance a boiler costs about 2 dollars or 120-140 rupees per kg whereas a free range farm grown chicken costs around 4 dollars that is 250-300 rupees per kg. And capons cost even higher. The only condition is that the chicken should not be white. Similarly farm grown eggs cost twice the price of battery eggs again the eggs should not be white. I breed many breeds breeds of chickens and ducks as well as aseels, they are novelty here and they fetch even more price.
So we easily sell of extra roosters and we keep replacing older hens with newer hens. It has turned out a nice small business..

Location does make a difference.
I do get more for eggs, but not enough to make any real profit. People tend to show late or not at all, so it is rather aggravating
By me it is mainly people who have a few backyard hens and free roosters are always on FB. If I wanted to sell meat it would have to be processed at an USDA licensed facility.. the closest is 3 hrs one way and I have to drop off very early morning and pick up the next day...since I have no one to look after the animals while I am gone, I just raise for my use.

 

[Kabootar]

Location does make a difference.
I do get more for eggs, but not enough to make any real profit. People tend to show late or not at all, so it is rather aggravating
By me it is mainly people who have a few backyard hens and free roosters are always on FB. If I wanted to sell meat it would have to be processed at an USDA licensed facility.. the closest is 3 hrs one way and I have to drop off very early morning and pick up the next day...since I have no one to look after the animals while I am gone, I just raise for my use.

It's embarrassing but I don't actually know if we have any law regulating poultry in my country. Furthermore chicken is not sold referigerate in a supermarket. You buy chicken either from the farmer or from the butcher. Butchers buy chicken both from free range farmers or factory farmers raising Cornish cross chickens. In both cases birds are sold from farms and buyers come to farms to collect chickens. we do not go selling or advertising.

 

[Molpet]

It's embarrassing but I don't actually know if we have any law regulating poultry in my country. Furthermore chicken is not sold referigerate in a supermarket. You buy chicken either from the farmer or from the butcher. Butchers buy chicken both from free range farmers or factory farmers raising Cornish cross chickens. In both cases birds are sold from farms and buyers come to farms to collect chickens. we do not go selling or advertising.

Much easier if people come to you and buy live birds..
By me Some people sell at "farmers markets" but that is after it comes from the processor, which Costs $2 to $3 a bird
A cornish cross, pasture raised and fed non-gmo feed costs $5.50 a lb at a farmers market... non-gmo broiler feed was $25 for a 40lb bag.
A factory farm, fed gmo feed is $1 to $1.50 a lb at the grocery store.. sometime less on sale.

Other states than mine allow slaughter and selling from the farm, under a certain amount. .. I need to move LOL


If you are in India, I was going by the currency, all I could find was a 2017 report. http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports/Report269.pdf
Basically says a lot about animal welfare. the end of pg 19 it starts about slaughter house rules. page 21 it says
3.16 On perusal of the Slaughter House Rules, 2001, as well as the FSS Regulations, 2011, it is found that the procedures and standards prescribed in these rules/regulations are satisfactory. However, these rules/regulations are violated blatantly in roadside meat shops and outlets. The appropriate authorities shall ensure strict compliance of these laws by providing for personal responsibility of the concerned officer for a failure which may be treated as dereliction of duty, if so found. Additionally, a mechanism be developed for imparting training to butchers/slaughter men so that sanitary practices are followed during slaughter.

 

[Kabootar]

Much easier if people come to you and buy live birds..
By me Some people sell at "farmers markets" but that is after it comes from the processor, which Costs $2 to $3 a bird
A cornish cross, pasture raised and fed non-gmo feed costs $5.50 a lb at a farmers market... non-gmo broiler feed was $25 for a 40lb bag.
A factory farm, fed gmo feed is $1 to $1.50 a lb at the grocery store.. sometime less on sale.

Other states than mine allow slaughter and selling from the farm, under a certain amount. .. I need to move LOL


If you are in India, I was going by the currency, all I could find was a 2017 report. http://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/reports/Report269.pdf
Basically says a lot about animal welfare. the end of pg 19 it starts about slaughter house rules. page 21 it says
3.16 On perusal of the Slaughter House Rules, 2001, as well as the FSS Regulations, 2011, it is found that the procedures and standards prescribed in these rules/regulations are satisfactory. However, these rules/regulations are violated blatantly in roadside meat shops and outlets. The appropriate authorities shall ensure strict compliance of these laws by providing for personal responsibility of the concerned officer for a failure which may be treated as dereliction of duty, if so found. Additionally, a mechanism be developed for imparting training to butchers/slaughter men so that sanitary practices are followed during slaughter.

My God in 5.50 dollars I can buy more than a kilograms of goat meat! And in 2-3 dollars we can buy a Cornish cross. Things are very expensive in your country dude.
Sad truth is that when my country became independent the leaders sent their children to study in Europe and America and when these children became leaders they made these rules and regulations sitting in their palatial houses, thinking somehow magically everyone will start following. But India is a country of traditions people learn trades at home from their parents and grandparents and people know that this family is related to this trade and that family is related to that trade. They have generations of customers-service provider relations. What they don't know is that somewhere someone has made new rules and regulations regarding that trade. We don't violate those laws, we just don't know that they exist.

 

[Molpet]

My God in 5.50 dollars I can buy more than a kilograms of goat meat! And in 2-3 dollars we can buy a Cornish cross. Things are very expensive in your country dude.
Sad truth is that when my country became independent the leaders sent their children to study in Europe and America and when these children became leaders they made these rules and regulations sitting in their palatial houses, thinking somehow magically everyone will start following. But India is a country of traditions people learn trades at home from their parents and grandparents and people know that this family is related to this trade and that family is related to that trade. They have generations of customers-service provider relations. What they don't know is that somewhere someone has made new rules and regulations regarding that trade. We don't violate those laws, we just don't know that they exist.

Yes it is expensive here... some is due to the rules required

The educated leaders here make laws that don't make sense ... and people don't know about them either.... In my state, Illinois in America , they just passed a law that dogs and cats can not be left outside when it is very hot or cold... if they were thinking about little lap dogs I guess that makes sense, but working dogs need to stay with the flocks and barn cats after the rodents... A guy got in trouble last winter because his husky just had a dog house. They said it wasn't adequate...

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Molpet
Insane. As you say, working dogs have to be outside. I'll bet now you'll have to register a dog as a working dog to get around that law. Control. Sheesh.

 

[Molpet]

@Molpet
Insane. As you say, working dogs have to be outside. I'll bet now you'll have to register a dog as a working dog to get around that law. Control. Sheesh.

So far I have not heard of any way around it... but it is enforced by complaint, so keep the dog out of sight of the road and stay on good terms with the neighbors I guess