The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

thanks. I have an add on BYC for hatching eggs. The broody madness here hasn't gotten out of control .....yet . Only 5 out of about 40 something Sumatra hens are broody. And a Runner duck is about to go full blown broody. She has been toying with the idea for a few days now.

I've sold 20 dozen Sumatra eggs in the last 30 days

I'm hatching Runners Stony! I added a few internally pipped runners to the incubator for lockdown. Can't wait to see them come out!

 

[OohLaLa]

 

[stonykill]

I'm hatching Runners Stony! I added a few internally pipped runners to the incubator for lockdown. Can't wait to see them come out!

oh good! So washing the eggs din't hurt them then? Glad to hear. Runners are the best

 

[aoxa]

oh good! So washing the eggs din't hurt them then? Glad to hear. Runners are the best

Not this time around at least. My first batch was terrible. My turner was broken and they were all glued to the shell and dead.

She didn't have them stored properly, leaving them in the coop for days when it went really low in temp overnight. Half did not even start to develop, some died early on - bacterial contamination - probably from the washing - but the call that just hatched 3 days early (from the same person who gave me the runner eggs) is very strong and hatched no problem.

I think in the future when I have broodies, I will only hatch duck eggs under them. They do not take to artificial incubation as well as chicken eggs. Definitely not.

Do they stand straight up soon after hatch? Oh I can not wait to see them! lol

 

[stonykill]

Not this time around at least. My first batch was terrible. My turner was broken and they were all glued to the shell and dead.

She didn't have them stored properly, leaving them in the coop for days when it went really low in temp overnight. Half did not even start to develop, some died early on - bacterial contamination - probably from the washing - but the call that just hatched 3 days early (from the same person who gave me the runner eggs) is very strong and hatched no problem.

I think in the future when I have broodies, I will only hatch duck eggs under them. They do not take to artificial incubation as well as chicken eggs. Definitely not.

Do they stand straight up soon after hatch? Oh I can not wait to see them! lol

I thought it was just me. I have a heck of a time incubating duck eggs. Yet the ducks do well at it. I plan on putting some Pekin/Runner mix eggs under a LF hen when one goes broody. Keep one drake and keep the girls for eggs. The rest of the mutt duck drakes will be dinner.

here is a pic of last years runners at 2 or 3 days old.









ok a few pics. Off to make the almighty dollar. BBL

 

[blipit007]

Newbie question... What does lockdown mean? And is it bad when a hen goes brody?

 

[bluebirdnanny]

Chickens are like little kids! I read somewhere that someone put a light in their coop so that the chickens were not afraid to go in at night!!! And once they got the hang of it they stopped .... I remember weaning the chicks off of the brooder light and they would scream at night settling down in the beginning... That is why I love the idea of the ecoglow as all they ever know is dark arriving at night! I found when I had new chicks the young boys would keep the youngsters out much later then the older hens!! Once I got rid of my boys ... the young girls would follow the older ones to bed at a more civilized hour

Same here with the ecoglows. They just don't get warm enough to use out in the hen house unless it's pretty warm out

I've been searching for a long time for a "no light" heat solution for brooding in unheated housing. Have looked at lots of ideas but so far haven't found a good one.

Except for a broody hen!

I don't think my less laying is the heat/cold/light issue. Has to be something else. They were laying every day...3 from 3.... even in the winter when I got them with very cold snowy/icey conditions with no light or heat. I think they may have been objecting to changing the porch bedding to pine shavings instead of the straw. And then in the very bottom of the nests boxes I sprinkled some of it too... Did find an egg down on the floor below the nests and out just a little from the 2x4 I wedged in the end for a better roost. I then put more straw over the sprinkled shavings in the nests and eggs went up to two again..... will add the rest of my straw bale when it stops raining today.... if I get three consistently then I will know it was the shavings.

I thought it was just me. I have a heck of a time incubating duck eggs. Yet the ducks do well at it. I plan on putting some Pekin/Runner mix eggs under a LF hen when one goes broody. Keep one drake and keep the girls for eggs. The rest of the mutt duck drakes will be dinner.

here is a pic of last years runners at 2 or 3 days old.









ok a few pics. Off to make the almighty dollar. BBL

Awww so cute!

 

[delisha]

Newbie question... What does lockdown mean? And is it bad when a hen goes brody?

Lockdown:
It is a term on BYC to describe the event of leaving hands off at internal pip in the incubator (day 18 or 19).
Broody: It is a celebration if you want chicks, not so much if you need eggs. Once a hen goes broody she stops laying.

 

[armorfirelady]

These beautiful runners are on my wish list when I get property

 

[blipit007]

Lockdown:
It is a term on BYC to describe the event of leaving hands off at internal pip in the incubator (day 18 or 19).
Broody: It is a celebration if you want chicks, not so much if you need eggs. Once a hen goes broody she stops laying.

Thank you.