Setting Up For Breeding

[Madie'sOddFlock]

I've never bred before, so I'm almost completely clueless. My grain guy posted a video the other day about(mostly) incubating and breeder flock health. My breeders free range with another flock(it's not a very effective setup as far as breeding for purebred or whatever, a large majority of chicks will be crossbred) but they mostly stick to their own feeders. My grain guy suggested using black oil sunflower seed and supplementing biotin, and there was something else but I can't remember what it was at right this moment. I've got 12 eggs in the incubator due to hatch the week of 2/25, but I plan on incubating plenty more in the coming weeks. I incubated back in September, but I ended up with only a 12.5% live rate. Any tips, and suggestions would be great.
Thanks,
Madie

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Use fresh eggs (under 10 days). There's much more to breeder nutrition than black oil, biotin and another element.
I would suggest a product like Nutri-Drench used sparingly beginning at least 2 weeks before beginning collecting eggs. Use a complete feed and don't add much scratch and other treats - if at all.
Separate breeds into separate pens/paddocks so there is no possibility of cross breeding. That has to be done at least 3 weeks before collecting eggs.

 

[Mrs. K]

Perhaps your egg color is all the same, with multiple breeds? Or maybe you have multiple roosters. In my set up, with one rooster, I can just choose which eggs to grow.

Mrs K

 

[chickens really]

I just feed a Grower/Finisher and fresh veggies once or twice a week. My Birds are on controlled free range time.
I hatch healthy Chicks and Ducklings. I never supplement with vitamins too often and if I do it's very minimal.
Quality feed and fresh water is all that's needed.
Your issue with hatching can be multiple reasons. Start a new thread in the hatching forums...

 

[aart]

My breeders free range with another flock(it's not a very effective setup as far as breeding for purebred or whatever, a large majority of chicks will be crossbred)

So you're 'hatching' rather than 'breeding'.

 

[Madie'sOddFlock]

So you're 'hatching' rather than 'breeding'.

I guess that in a way, yes, but they are my own eggs from my own hens and I know at least partially what I'll be getting in the end. Eventually, I may have a breeder pen, but where I'm just starting out and there's still 2 feet of snow on the ground, there's really no point, plus I like the possibilities of the crossbreeding.
5 roosters, 47 hens, 7-8 different breeds, I guess I am just hatching for now, but I'd still like for the hens to be as healthy as possible for healthy chicks. So I guess I could have worded things a little differently.

 

[Madie'sOddFlock]

Use fresh eggs (under 10 days). There's much more to breeder nutrition than black oil, biotin and another element.
I would suggest a product like Nutri-Drench used sparingly beginning at least 2 weeks before beginning collecting eggs. Use a complete feed and don't add much scratch and other treats - if at all.
Separate breeds into separate pens/paddocks so there is no possibility of cross breeding. That has to be done at least 3 weeks before collecting eggs.

I actually want to cross-breed in my case since most of my customers and potential customers are looking for a small diverse backyard flock.
And I never use anything older than 5 days, mostly I plan to collect for one day, or do a staggered hatch.

 

[Madie'sOddFlock]

Perhaps your egg color is all the same, with multiple breeds? Or maybe you have multiple roosters. In my set up, with one rooster, I can just choose which eggs to grow.

Mrs K

We've got 1 that lays a green egg, 8 brown leghorns(white eggs), and the rest lay brown... and 5 different roos(cochin, wyandotte, orpington, and two that we think are rapa nui's or something of the sort).

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Perhaps your egg color is all the same, with multiple breeds? Or maybe you have multiple roosters. In my set up, with one rooster, I can just choose which eggs to grow.

Mrs K

Yep....a single male breed over a flock of mixed hens who produce different egg colors can be an easy way to yield multiple crosses and still produce purebred birds....making selection for hatching easy

 

[aart]

rapa nui's

Rapa nui... never heard of those.