The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
Some of the chicken pet owners on the Indina thread are setting up misting fans and extra tarp shading for their chickens. Others are putting frozen bottles of ice in the chicken water. And it has been mentioned to slice up fruit for fruit cups, toss in some water, and fill muffin tins with the fruit and water to serve frozen to the chickens.

 

[Fentress]

My favorite is blow drying a little chicks butt after removing a paste up.The image of that has always cracked me up.

 

[cmom]

I completed my last hatch for this year. I put 54 eggs in a rack as each of my racks hold 54 eggs and only 10 hatched. There were 2 quitters and the rest infertile. It has been HOT here.

 

[Rancher3535]

I completed my last hatch for this year. I put 54 eggs in a rack as each of my racks hold 54 eggs and only 10 hatched. There were 2 quitters and the rest infertile. It has been HOT here.

Funny how they fluctuate in fertility. All three pens of mine have been fertile mertiles and the last one or two have been poops.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I think it is the heat. Matt said it has affected his birds fertility too and a couple of others birds fertility has been way down. The heat index has been well over 100 degrees and the temperature has been in the upper 90's around 100. Right now the sprinklers are on in the pens.

 

[RedRidge]

@ NestingHillsSC - What age are your Reds? My Underwood trio didn't give me fertile eggs until they were over a year old. Never found out which bird(s) took so long to become fertile.

Hmm... my Underwoods started laying at 26 weeks and I had chicks in the ground before they were 30 weeks old. That said, it was fall/winter, so temps were cool. I never hatch after April. It's a waste of time because it throws off POL and makes for slower growth rates.
So I agree, it could be the heat. In the future here in tn I recommend pouring breeding pens together by the first of the year. This gets you feb hatches, Aug POL, and sets the stage for productive heavy laying that first winter.

 

[RIR-YELLOWLEGS]

Hmm... my Underwoods started laying at 26 weeks and I had chicks in the ground before they were 30 weeks old. That said, it was fall/winter, so temps were cool. I never hatch after April. It's a waste of time because it throws off POL and makes for slower growth rates.
So I agree, it could be the heat. In the future here in tn I recommend pouring breeding pens together by the first of the year. This gets you feb hatches, Aug POL, and sets the stage for productive heavy laying that first winter.

I AGREE THE AFFECTS THE VIRDS ALL THE WAY AROUND SOME WILL DISAGREE BUT MOST BREEDERS THAT HAVE BEEN BREEDING FOWL * CHICKENS*UNDERSTAND THIS AND IF YOU LOOK AT WILD BIRDS THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS THEY DO THIS SO AS BY FALL EARLY WINTER THE YOUNG ARE OLD ENOUGHT AND HAD SUMMER TIME TO FATYEN UP SO TO SPEAK TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE THE WINTER MONTHS

 

[irishsilkie]

i know its not a pure bred rhode island but can someone tell me if its a pullet or cockeral? 8weeks old

 

[BantamLover21]

Looks like a pullet to me.

 

[gander007]

i know its not a pure bred rhode island but can someone tell me if its a pullet or cockeral? 8weeks old

Give it about another 4 weeks at least ........

A better photo would really help and late in the evening and roosting on a 2X4 as any animal really will not pose for you naturally with out some encouragement

None of these wanted to pose for me and only worked with me here because it was late at night and the door was closed

Even these Moulton Houdan's had to be encouraged

gander007