For those of you who are beginning your breeding program in the New Year, would you mind laying out your schedule for the newbies? (Or pointing to where in the thread you’ve already done so) As in,
1. if/when do you separate out breeding pairs/trios/flocks
I can't free range my birds, I just have too many and too many predators too. They are in breeding pens from the time the start laying usually. I hatch all year long for different reasons. In the winter it is mostly for my replacements in the spring and some to sell in the spring. the spring hatch has been for for chicks to sell but not going to do that as much unless I have orders for chicks.
2. if/when do you start feeding different/conditioning feed
I feed Tuckers 22% layer feed year round
3. ditto light schedule — do you use lights with your breeders/why
I don't have electricity YET in my main breeding pens. I do have it for just a few outside. Same as Scott I will add light in the mornings only. I only add it after they have molted and started laying again. I don't push them through molting.
4. when do you start collecting eggs
I collect eggs year round
5. how many days do you collect before setting the eggs
I collect eggs for a week
6. do you do a succession of hatches
I hatch every week. I set eggs on Saturday and put eggs in lockdown on Wednesday or Thursday. It makes hatching a bit easier to have a routine. I used to set eggs every three days.... pretty soon I had 400 chicks at one time.... NO MORE of that!
7. how many eggs per hatch
Depends on the time of year. Right now I set between 60-90 BUT some are not fertile and I am just checking for fertility again. USUALLY it ends up being about 30-45 chicks after duds are tossed. In the spring that will go up to maybe 120 eggs a week. I have set as many as 220 eggs at one time (WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?!?!
most of those were older eggs so I didnt get a great hatch) Last spring 180 was the norm per week.
And as the months go on, when you cull and what for, where and how you keep and feed the chicks, when do the breeders go back with the flock (if they do), etc.
I sell or cull older breeders in the spring and fall. I sell pullets all year when I have them. Chicks stay in the big shop till they can go outside.
Finally (just kidding, there’s never a “finally”) do you use recordkeeping forms, and do you mind sharing them?
I don't have time to do much record keeping. I toe punch all chicks by breed (started that last year) and will change the pattern some every year so I know HOW OLD the birds are in the pen. I band little chicks. With my marans I have a paper work I use to cull with. It has a outline of TYPE on one sheet and all the cull points for that breed. I should make some up for the other breeds too. Marans are a little more work and still need lots of work so for example last year I culled for certain things I wanted and things I wanted GONE. This year it will be different thing I want to remove or add. You have to pick battles. With marans I might let 2 DQ's slide if they are FIXABLE like clean legs or dark eyes. Some DQ's just don't stay like sprigs or wry tail or white feathers. I know wynette keeps a picture in her pens of the type that breed should have. I keep that paper work on the marans. I also keep track of the DARK egg chicks. They get a different toe punch.
Please also let us know if you’re in a northern/middle/southern climate, and any other relevant factors I’m sure to have forgotten.
Tennessee
