Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

I'm slightly intimidated by the possibility of 30 - ish hatching. I can only imagine over 100!

How many had hatched in the last hatch? I hope you didn't lose a lot

30 is only a little more than the minimum order (25) from most hatcheries, and those are way better than anything a commercial hatchery can supply (I suppose I'm a little biased, LOL).

hoping you do get at least 30 !

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

The girls have been very loud today but no eggs for 3 days. Vicki has been squatting for me again though. Does that indicate a willingness to resume laying?

Sounds like a good sign! Best of luck for eggs soon!

2 of the Welsummers and a Rhodebar died, and 12 of them were males that I culled. 3 out of 18 is a little disappointing compared to 3 weeks ago when I hatched 10 of 10, and 7 were pullets.

Do you cull the males early because you only want layers? Are they no good for meat? Just for informations sake, how do you cull them? I don't know if I could do it.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

30 is only a little more than the minimum order (25) from most hatcheries, and those are way better than anything a commercial hatchery can supply (I suppose I'm a little biased, LOL).

hoping you do get at least 30 !

true, but last year I was looking at hatchery lists saying there's no way we can get the 25 minimum. That's WAY to many for us lol. Now I have 28 outside and 37 in the bator lol. Fingers crossed! Less than a week left!

 

[dheltzel]

Do you cull the males early because you only want layers? Are they no good for meat? Just for informations sake, how do you cull them? I don't know if I could do it.

I can't really do it either, but I have a friend who raises snakes. He's allergic to rodents and so he buys frozen chicks. I give them to him live and he kills and freezes them. The ones he buys are certainly males from hatcheries, he told me the colors vary a lot.

The laying breed I hatch are not very good for meat production, but the Rhodebars would be the best. If anyone is interested in free meat chicks, I would save those for you to grow out.

 

[stake]

Sounds like a good sign! Best of luck for eggs soon!

Do you cull the males early because you only want layers? Are they no good for meat? Just for informations sake, how do you cull them? I don't know if I could do it.

Anne:

I think in the big hatcheries....50% (mostly the boys) are culled day old....SOP....look at PickeringValleyfeed list of pullets...offering700 pullets and 10 boys...a reason not to buy hatchery chicks...or from folks who over breed for hens to sell.....

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I'm feeling rather cheated today. I only got 2 eggs today I guess it must be since I got 8 yesterday but still. I haven't had a 2 egg day in a LONG time.

 

[stake]

I'm feeling rather cheated today. I only got 2 eggs today

I guess it must be since I got 8 yesterday but still. I haven't had a 2 egg day in a LONG time.

Two is better than the one I got today from my 11 mature girls.....usually have been getting 2-3...only a few of the girls laying regular....eight are on strike.....c'est la vie....

 

[fisherlady]

Well, everybody will stay warmer if all spaces are properly filled....

Now that is some of the best logic I have heard in a while!! I will file that away for future use!

I'm feeling rather cheated today. I only got 2 eggs today

I guess it must be since I got 8 yesterday but still. I haven't had a 2 egg day in a LONG time.

They sure can have wide swings in egging... our coop goes from 10 in a day to a high of 21, thankfully most of the time it is in the middle of that range.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I can't really do it either, but I have a friend who raises snakes. He's allergic to rodents and so he buys frozen chicks. I give them to him live and he kills and freezes them. The ones he buys are certainly males from hatcheries, he told me the colors vary a lot.

The laying breed I hatch are not very good for meat production, but the Rhodebars would be the best. If anyone is interested in free meat chicks, I would save those for you to grow out.

Very cool use for less Han desired chickens! Never heard of a rodent allergy before. Interesting.

Anne:

I think in the big hatcheries....50% (mostly the boys) are culled day old....SOP....look at PickeringValleyfeed list of pullets...offering700 pullets and 10 boys...a reason not to buy hatchery chicks...or from folks who over breed for hens to sell.....

I was just talking about this today. My best layers are hens I got for free from others that were not hatchery chicks. Lesson learned! Still love my original girls, but there is a huge difference for sure. So that means when I get my dream property, I will be bugging all of you go fill my coop. That shouldn't be hard.

 

[troyer]

So that means when I get my dream property, I will be bugging all of you go fill my coop. That shouldn't be hard.

Just holler!