The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[Miami Leghorn]

Exactly girl.
Work it.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Here's a secret. A look into my world.
For real I don't look too hard at them because I'm scared I'll see something too exciting.
One of the reasons I take pics. So I can look back later. Also why sometimes I don't mention certain chicks that hatch.
A few years ago I was hatching some that were firsts. I'd get excited that I finally got what I was trying for. For a minute it seemed to never fail that every one of them would end up dying.
It really sucked so I kinda don't want to get too attached too soon anymore.
Don't tell anyone this. I have an image to maintain.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Here's a secret. A look into my world.
For real I don't look too hard at them because I'm scared I'll see something too exciting.
One of the reasons I take pics. So I can look back later. Also why sometimes I don't mention certain chicks that hatch.
A few years ago I was hatching some that were firsts. I'd get excited that I finally got what I was trying for. For a minute it seemed to never fail that every one of them would end up dying.
It really sucked so I kinda don't want to get too attached too soon anymore.
Don't tell anyone this. I have an image to maintain.

Same here honestly nothing gets a name (or is supposed to get a name) until they're off heat. Usually they're less likely to up and die at that age

 

[The Moonshiner]

Next batch going in lockdown tonight.
The last hatch was the 12th for the year.
Total of 421 chicks.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Next batch going in lockdown tonight.
The last hatch was the 12th for the year.
Total of 421 chicks.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

How long does it take you to collect enough for a batch?
Also, is it random;do you collect as they're being laid,or do you wait until you have enough eggs from the projects you are focusing on to lock them down?

 

[The Moonshiner]

I only focus on a few pens at a time. I always have several project birds that I don't even hatch from.
I can't work on every thing at all times which sucks but it is what it is.
I hate to admit it but if I did I'd be hatching 1,000s of chicks a year and that's more then I can handle.
I usually only use two hovabators for hatchers. Each are split into 5 sections so that means to keep track of everyone I can only hatch 10 or 12 projects at a time. There's a few I can mix in a section but I don't like to just to make sure there's no mix ups. Like now I can scatter MF nonsense with anyone because nothing else is buff or buffish.
I've also been putting exchequer in with duckwing varieties.
It kinda works out to being able to collect about 14 eggs a day to set. I get a lot more then that from just what I'm working on at any time.
I collect for six days then set.
I toss dirty eggs, small eggs and funky shaped eggs. If I'm still over the limit I set the freshest and toss the oldest.
I hate not setting more and I hate tossing any but I have to keep things in check.
In the middle of the season I switch most projects out for others. Sometimes I randomly switch because I have enough hatches from a project or I'm worried that I need to get a different one going.
It's a huge balancing game with several factors. I just wing it and learn something every year.
For instance in the last year or two I've been having to give up breeder pens to grow outs towards the end of the season so I need to focus on the larger groups earlier. Hatch heavy the switch them out. That way towards the end I'm hatching from pairs, trios etc that don't need the largest pens.
Not many do what I do so my situation is very different then most and I don't have a lot of places to learn from besides my own trial and error.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

For instance in the last year or two I've been having to give up breeder pens to grow outs towards the end of the season so I need to focus on the larger groups earlier. Hatch heavy the switch them out. That way towards the end I'm hatching from pairs, trios etc that don't need the largest pens.

You know what? I thought about that.
How many breeder pens do you have?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

What do you do with the eggs from pens you're not hatching from?

 

[Painted Calls]

What do you do with the eggs from pens you're not hatching from?

Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to.

@MIAMI LEGHORN cover your ears!