The Middle Tennessee Thread

[DMRippy]

Im 30 mins west of Lawrenceburg

How close is that to CRUMP? Heirloom Orpingtons in still there till they move. Silver Rock may be willing to help...but not sure. emmalynn is down that way too. She sold out of chickens.... but seems to still have a few on hand......

 

[fireman0298]

Bout 2 hours away frm both. Im on TN/AL line.

 

[matlock585]

Some turkey hens love to set eggs and others could care less. If she's a setter you can leave the egg and she'll lay a nestful and try to hatch them but your hatch rate isn't going to be nearly as good as an incubator, and possums, rats, etc. will steal the eggs during their last week of incubation. I let several hens set eggs last year and got so frustrated that the eggs that were almost due to hatch would disappear! I did get a few poults but then some of them disappeared also. I got 90+ percent hatch rate last year with turkey eggs from my cabinet incubator, as long as I put them in the day they were laid. (I dated them and was putting eggs into lockdown and hatching poults every day through the summer.)

Hmmm... that's certainly a lot to consider, as I've had terrible trouble with possums in the past.
I decided to go ahead and collect the egg and I replaced it with an artificial egg to try to keep her from choosing another spot. I have chickens in my incubator that are due to be hatched this weekend. I'm guessing I'll just save them and see what I have when the incubator is done and cleaned and set them. Maybe in the future if Suzy goes broody I'll let her have some, but I'd much rather hatch and control the babies myself like I did with Tommy... who is the Tom over Suzy. With us raising him and being his only interaction he turned out to be a great pet. He's been very gentle right up to this spring, and I think he got antzy because it's mating season.
Now this really makes me want to build a separate hatcher, so I can rotate and hatch as many as I can. Tommy is a nice smoky gray color, and he's huge, so I'd like to try a project to get that gray color consistently. He came from a Naragansett Tom over a midget white hen. But you'd never pick out either breed looking at him. When I brought him back home the other day I couldn't believe how heavy he was. I guess he's in the upper 20 to lower 30 pound range. Suzy is a naragansett, so I'm hoping to get some poults more like him.

@DMRippy
I love the improvements! That looks awesome. Really.

 

[fireman0298]

Ok thanks rippy. Crump is bout 45 mins frm me.

 

[Wasson6Pack]

I'm in Lewisburg, but don't have eggs until late summer/fall, but I'm guessing I will be getting some more from Donna in the next month or so and I will bee going to pick them up, so you could then pick them up from me.

 

[Wasson6Pack]

I am wondering about those that set eggs daily or every 3 days. I can understand how it works if you set every the days and then you have your hatching area rotating every 3 days because that is about how long they are to be in lockdown. BUT, those that add eggs everyday, how do you handle lockdown? I thought it meant that the machine was to not be opened for at least 3 days.

 

[Silver Rock]

Hi fireman0298, if you would be interested in Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks I should have eggs ready for you in few weeks.

 

[DMRippy]

I am wondering about those that set eggs daily or every 3 days. I can understand how it works if you set every the days and then you have your hatching area rotating every 3 days because that is about how long they are to be in lockdown. BUT, those that add eggs everyday, how do you handle lockdown? I thought it meant that the machine was to not be opened for at least 3 days.

It is not a good idea to add eggs daily. Just a mess if you do. I used to hatch every three days but that got to be too much. I just set eggs once a week now. It would work best if you have a separate hatcher. Really an incubator used EXCLUSIVELY for hatching so you don't have to bump humidity up with other eggs at different stages. It can be done in one bator but I think you have better luck with a hatcher.

I guess I need to let you know when I am getting feed again?????????

 

[Wasson6Pack]

Yes, I cannot remember what was left on my list, but I know I want Guineas some time and probably ameraucanas. Also, olive eggers if you have them I'm also looking for anyone who has banton sebrights.

 

[DMRippy]

Yes, I cannot remember what was left on my list, but I know I want Guineas some time and probably ameraucanas. Also, olive eggers if you have them I'm also looking for anyone who has banton sebrights.

Didn't I send you some Olive Eggers? They are the ones with ML on the dark eggs. I can put you down for some wheaten ams around the first of next month.... I can move that based on my FEED NEEDS lol.

Ormond???? she got some sebrights..... My neighbor might have some Goldens soon. She is picking some up tomorrow I think.