The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[COChix]

Have you ladies and gents every provided hatching eggs to schools? We were contacted to provide fertized eggs for an elementary class. Was just curious about this and looking for feedback as to what your experiences might have been, both good and bad. What happens to the chicks if they do hatch?

 

[lalaland]

wouldn't this make a good chicken coop? An old airline baggage cart - roll the tarps up, add hardware cloth, a ramp.......could put tarps down in rain, could position it so wind is at the back...$300. I'm kind of thinking of it, want to raise some chickens for meat this spring. Thinking of getting 30 straight run buckeyes and butchering the roosters.

 

[COChix]

wouldn't this make a good chicken coop?  An old airline baggage cart - roll the tarps up, add hardware cloth, a ramp.......could put tarps down in rain, could position it so wind is at the back...$300.  I'm kind of thinking of it, want to raise some chickens for meat this spring.  Thinking of getting 30 straight run buckeyes and butchering the roosters. 

Love the idea and if you have any ability for pasturing the chickens it is already on wheels!

 

[ronott1]

Have you ladies and gents every provided hatching eggs to schools? We were contacted to provide fertized eggs for an elementary class. Was just curious about this and looking for feedback as to what your experiences might have been, both good and bad. What happens to the chicks if they do hatch?

A local pre school picked up two dozen eggs from my last year. The first hatch failed because the incubator they borrowed was not calibrated. The second hatch was better. The chicks went to the teachers brother in law.

The way that seems to work best is if the eggs are set in the classroom with a lesson and then the incubator is taken home by a teacher and brought back in for candling days and then lockdown. Most schools to not heat the classrooms after 5pm and on weekend holidays. The temperature drop at night hurts the hatch along with other problems like kids fiddling with the incubator.

 

[vpatt]

wouldn't this make a good chicken coop?  An old airline baggage cart - roll the tarps up, add hardware cloth, a ramp.......could put tarps down in rain, could position it so wind is at the back...$300.  I'm kind of thinking of it, want to raise some chickens for meat this spring.  Thinking of getting 30 straight run buckeyes and butchering the roosters. 

I think that would work great.....I would love to have one!

 

[COChix]

A local pre school picked up two dozen eggs from my last year. The first hatch failed because the incubator they borrowed was not calibrated. The second hatch was better. The chicks went to the teachers brother in law.

The way that seems to work best is if the eggs are set in the classroom with a lesson and then the incubator is taken home by a teacher and brought back in for candling days and then lockdown. Most schools to not heat the classrooms after 5pm and on weekend holidays. The temperature drop at night hurts the hatch along with other problems like kids fiddling with the incubator.

So this might be a silly question, did you give them all fertilized eggs, was wondering if you candled before picking the eggs. Or was it just luck of the draw, so to speak. Thanks for your response.

 

[ronott1]

So this might be a silly question, did you give them all fertilized eggs, was wondering if you candled before picking the eggs. Or was it just luck of the draw, so to speak. Thanks for your response.

Can't tell fertility by candling. Yes, the eggs were fertile--chicks died in the shell.

 

[COChix]

Can't tell fertility by candling. Yes, the eggs were fertile--chicks died in the shell.

Ok well seems fairly easy, we have two roosters and our fertility rate seems fairly high, thus the question. I am sure some might not be fertile out of two dozen, which is what they are asking for. Did you provide any support to the teachers or was it just they got eggs and that was the end.

 

[ronott1]

Ok well seems fairly easy, we have two roosters and our fertility rate seems fairly high, thus the question. I am sure some might not be fertile out of two dozen, which is what they are asking for. Did you provide any support to the teachers or was it just they got eggs and that was the end.

I gave them the thatching tips I have for the hatch a longs I host on BYC. They did not pay attention to them for the first hatch but did for the second hatch. They also took the incubator home at night, weekends and holidays. They were very happy with the second hatch.

Are you a parent helper in the class? If so, you can take the incubator home and make sure it is working correctly and is able to maintain a steady temperature in the room the incubator is in.

 

[COChix]

I gave them the thatching tips I have for the hatch a longs I host on BYC. They did not pay attention to them for the first hatch but did for the second hatch. They also took the incubator home at night, weekends and holidays. They were very happy with the second hatch.

Are you a parent helper in the class? If so, you can take the incubator home and make sure it is working correctly and is able to maintain a steady temperature in the room the incubator is in.

I am not a parent helper I class, the teachers have the bators already so they won't need to borrow. They want the eggs by the week of Feb 17th. I was contacted out of the blue, I guess the classes had eggs donated from some place in MS, so they did this last year as well.