The Middle Tennessee Thread

[Wasson6Pack]

LOL...I guess I should rephrase that. The left side is the 8X6 lean-to that I am putting my hutches under! And the 8X32ish run (which will be off the right side of the coop) is going to be divided down the center (4X32) with a chicken door for each half so that I can sow seed and have a bit of "controlled pasturing" alternating each side for the little ladies. This should give them fresh greens continually with out constant decimation of the run. I am also experimenting with making fodder at the moment so that they will still have fresh sprouts in the winter months. My neighbor looooves the experimenting right now, because his goats are getting the fodder treats since I have no chickens at the moment...LOL.  AND...I have started seeds in the house for chicken/human friendly herbs and flowers to plant all the way around the outside of the run. The humans have the herbal benefits of whatever is growing on the outside, and the chickens get to munch on whatever grows through the fencing! It's win/win! 

Has anyone else tried a "rotating" pasture/run like this? I'm trying to give them the free range experience without the actual free range...seeing as my dogs LOVE the taste of chicken...they took out at least 4 of my 9 chickens I had last year!   I'm also pretty big into herbals, so I think our animals should eat and be "medicated" as healthy as we are! No chemicals please! I just have a few more "not-so-common" herb seeds to buy and that part will be done. If anyone else is into herbals, maybe we can swap some seeds? Let me know!  

I am interested in learning more about it, are there books you can recommend?

 

[Wasson6Pack]

I hope to get pictures up of my new brooder tomorrow. 35 out of 48 hatched with 4 bring clear. Thank you Donna as I know you are a busy woman!
I also bought 14 Easter Eggers at Tractors Supply and 2 ducks.

So, what we did was to go on CL and search for shipping creates. They were cheap and a little south of Nashville I believe. My husband cut out the lid and then used that to make dividers as we have some hatchery chicks coming in 2 weeks.

He went to Lowes and purchased vinyl flooring remnant for half price. We got them ask moved in today!

Now my incubator is lonely and I feel I must fill it up again

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Ok so Wayne didn't steal my chickens either!

Huh. He did mine.
Why are you letting him get away with it?

 

[JennaLynn122]

Today was supposed to be hatch day for me, but ....nothing! No chirping, no cheeping, no pecking, just a lot of eggs rocking around, that's it. Why must they make me wait? This is my first time and its driving me insane.

Question. I have mine in an egg carton in the bator. Should I take them out of it before lockdown? I have them in it mainly so i can turn them equally eaisier

 

[supermom1185]

Question. I have mine in an egg carton in the bator. Should I take them out of it before lockdown? I have them in it mainly so i can turn them equally eaisier

I hatch mine in egg cartons now! I've tried lying them on their side and in the carton and had much better results with the carton. Others may have different experiences but it works for me. If the eggs are just laying on their side with nothing to hold them in place then they get kicked around inside by the chicks that hatch first. Hatching in egg cartons is also good if you ran high humidity during incubating. Chicks can drown during hatch if there is too much liquid in the shell but the carton holds them up and extra liquid in the bottom. There might be better ways others know of but this will work too

 

[Heme]

Hi from Dayton, TN: If you know of anyone who has a used 48 egg incubator available...our youth project just got a new objective. Seems we got some Guinea eggs as an add on to our week old chicken eggs now in process. Now we need to take the 18 day old chicken eggs (2 weeks coming) and move them to another incubator while the Guinea eggs are maturing in our current box.

We will cover shipping if out of the area. Need soon to sanitize and make all adjustments. [email protected]

Appreciate anyone's assistance. Larry

 

[Heme]

Are you saying the last 3 days of incubation, you take the eggs from the turner, place them in still egg cartons and allow them to hatch there? Point Down? And with all of that; the chicks can break out even with the restrictions surround the shells in a carton?

 

[supermom1185]

Are you saying the last 3 days of incubation, you take the eggs from the turner, place them in still egg cartons and allow them to hatch there? Point Down? And with all of that; the chicks can break out even with the restrictions surround the shells in a carton?

Yes, on day 18 put the eggs (pointed end down) in an egg carton with the bottoms cut out of each hole. That helps air flow and drainage. The only ones I lost this way pipped on the wrong end but that's not often. I use Chookschick's Incubation Cheat Sheet. I don't know how to post the link but its on here somewhere!

 

[supermom1185]

I should add that I also cut off the top of the carton. I only use the bottom

 

[JennaLynn122]

I should add that I also cut off the top of the carton. I only use the bottom

I didn't cut mine off but I only have 11 eggs in there for my first clutch. If I do more I'll have to cut the top