Weird Management Questions

[defenderinfaith]

Okay so I'm still rather new at this even though we've had birds for 3 years now.
We currently have 58 birds [only 1 adult rooster atm]
- 8 Cochin (babies)
- 2 Silver Leghorns (babies)
- 11 White Leghorns (3 adults 8 teens)
- 2 Rhode Island Reds (adults 1 hen 1 rooster)
- 2 Rhode Island Whites (teens)
- 3 Black Sex Link
- 4 Bantams...we think..... (babies)
- 1 Gold Sex link (adult)
- 1 Asian Black (adult)
- 8 Americanas (teens)
- 1 Partridge Rock (adult)
- 3 Sussex Speckled (teens)
- 2 Buff Orpingtons (teens)
- 6 Barred Rocks (teen -3suspected roosters to be)
- 1 New Hampshire Red (adult)
- 1 1/2 Rhode Island Red ...1/2...um light brown egg layer mama
- 2 Swedish Blue Ducks (adults)
----------------------
so questions are

1) we've tried 72 eggs in the incubator in the past 3 months. the second batch we were hands off, temp/humidity strictly monitored, 5 of 17 eggs hatched, 1 has survived, our chickens we found that were eating locoweed and red pig weed, the 12 eggs that didn't hatch showed almost complete growth but they were all dead. is this a feed/food issue or should we be worried about a genetic issue with rooster/hens? they were all raised together.

2) should we separate the Cochin when they are adults to brood or leave them with the rest of the flock?

3) is there a name for halfling offspring or are they just "chickens" lol just wondering

4)do certain rooster only go after certain hens or do they go for whatever female they can reach? (we're currently 1 roo for 10 hens)

5) I know chickens aren't "got to catch them all" but are their any breeds that don't work well together or are they just -whatever man- ?

6) with this many birds should i be putting out any extra calcium (we do a 10 pound bag every few weeks, they are all free range and we toss out oyster shell)

last question

7) any clue out of our adult birds that lays speckled eggs? we get one a day but i'm never sure who lays it. pretty sure thats the mama of our only surviver from our hatch. (we got cochins because we're told they are broody and soo hoping they are)

Thank you everyone!

 

[feedman77]

1 could be nutrition issue. But more likely humidity issue in incubator. What humidity during incubation?

2. I have had a couple of cochin just left them with the flock.

3. Just chickens.

4. The rooster may have favorites but will try to mate them all.

5. I have several varieties of chickens all in the same enclosure. There will be squabbles but most have their own groups and get along fine.

6. Free choice oyster shell is fine.

7. ???

 

[lazy gardener]

Okay so I'm still rather new at this even though we've had birds for 3 years now.
We currently have 58 birds [only 1 adult rooster atm]
- 8 Cochin (babies)
- 2 Silver Leghorns (babies)
- 11 White Leghorns (3 adults 8 teens)
- 2 Rhode Island Reds (adults 1 hen 1 rooster)
- 2 Rhode Island Whites (teens)
- 3 Black Sex Link
- 4 Bantams...we think..... (babies)
- 1 Gold Sex link (adult)
- 1 Asian Black (adult)
- 8 Americanas (teens)
- 1 Partridge Rock (adult)
- 3 Sussex Speckled (teens)
- 2 Buff Orpingtons (teens)
- 6 Barred Rocks (teen -3suspected roosters to be)
- 1 New Hampshire Red (adult)
- 1 1/2 Rhode Island Red ...1/2...um light brown egg layer mama
- 2 Swedish Blue Ducks (adults)
----------------------
so questions are

1) we've tried 72 eggs in the incubator in the past 3 months. the second batch we were hands off, temp/humidity strictly monitored, 5 of 17 eggs hatched, 1 has survived, our chickens we found that were eating locoweed and red pig weed, the 12 eggs that didn't hatch showed almost complete growth but they were all dead. is this a feed/food issue or should we be worried about a genetic issue with rooster/hens? they were all raised together.

2) should we separate the Cochin when they are adults to brood or leave them with the rest of the flock?

3) is there a name for halfling offspring or are they just "chickens" lol just wondering

4)do certain rooster only go after certain hens or do they go for whatever female they can reach? (we're currently 1 roo for 10 hens)

5) I know chickens aren't "got to catch them all" but are their any breeds that don't work well together or are they just -whatever man- ?

6) with this many birds should i be putting out any extra calcium (we do a 10 pound bag every few weeks, they are all free range and we toss out oyster shell)

last question

7) any clue out of our adult birds that lays speckled eggs? we get one a day but i'm never sure who lays it. pretty sure thats the mama of our only surviver from our hatch. (we got cochins because we're told they are broody and soo hoping they are)

Thank you everyone!

1) we've tried 72 eggs in the incubator in the past 3 months. the second batch we were hands off, temp/humidity strictly monitored, 5 of 17 eggs hatched, 1 has survived, our chickens we found that were eating locoweed and red pig weed, the 12 eggs that didn't hatch showed almost complete growth but they were all dead. is this a feed/food issue or should we be worried about a genetic issue with rooster/hens? they were all raised together.

I can't advise you regarding the plants that they are eating. but, what I will suggest is that if you haven't already done so, read all of "hatching eggs 101" in the learning center before trying to incubate again. Be sure your flock has the best nutrition available before collecting eggs again. Perhaps put them on free choice Multi flock (around 20% protein.) They will also benefit from fermented feed. If they don't have green vegetation available, perhaps you might look into sprouting grains for them. I'd see to it that they have oyster shell available all the time. I think your hatching issues are most likely related to technique.

2) should we separate the Cochin when they are adults to brood or leave them with the rest of the flock?

Leave them with the flock until they get broody. Then give them a broody area close to the flock where they won't get harassed by other flock members.

3) is there a name for halfling offspring or are they just "chickens" lol just wondering

Generally, mixed birds are called back yard mixes. If you have a dark colored roo covering a barred hen, you will get black sex link chicks. You can read more about sex links in the sex linked information thread.

4)do certain rooster only go after certain hens or do they go for whatever female they can reach? (we're currently 1 roo for 10 hens)

A roo will breed any hen, though they do have favorites, and that preference is most often related to hen fertility/production.

5) I know chickens aren't "got to catch them all" but are their any breeds that don't work well together or are they just -whatever man- ?

Some breeds are more aggressive, while some tend to be very docile. IMO, birds with lots of extra head feathers are apt to be picked on.

6) with this many birds should i be putting out any extra calcium (we do a 10 pound bag every few weeks, they are all free range and we toss out oyster shell)

last question

See to it that they have calcium out all the time. You can also give them recycled egg shells.

7) any clue out of our adult birds that lays speckled eggs? we get one a day but i'm never sure who lays it. pretty sure thats the mama of our only surviver from our hatch. (we got cochins because we're told they are broody and soo hoping they are)

Clueless!

 

[defenderinfaith]

from set to lock down humidity was 40-50%, temp was 100F
lockdown to hatch humidity was 75% and temp still at 100F

currently trying to locate all plants that they have access to, learning about that thanks for the link id forgotten about that

 

[defenderinfaith]

Chicken Math
.
Empty coop + TSC chick days = 26
- 2 untrained dogs/owl/coyote kills = 12
- 7 extra rooster culls = 14
+ 2 hatched chicks = 7
+ TSC chick days = 24
- 1 new untrained dog kills = 11
+ TSC chick days = 41
+ 5 hatched chicks = 46
- 4 unknown deaths = 42
+ 6 F*** incubators get bantams TSC chick days = 48
+ TSC chick days = 56
+ "coworker needs to rehome birds" = 60
.
and 2 ducks

 

[aart]

Okay so I'm still rather new at this even though we've had birds for 3 years now.
We currently have 58 birds [only 1 adult rooster atm]

I'm guessing there's your problem....too many females for the male to cover.
Isolate the male with 10-12 females and you should get all fertile eggs.

Then you can address you're incubation issues...
....first thing, did you check your thermometers against a known accurate thermometer?
I use a medical (human oral) thermometer.

Chicken Math
.
Empty coop + TSC chick days = 26
- 2 untrained dogs/owl/coyote kills = 12
- 7 extra rooster culls = 14
+ 2 hatched chicks = 7
+ TSC chick days = 24
- 1 new untrained dog kills = 11
+ TSC chick days = 41
+ 5 hatched chicks = 46
- 4 unknown deaths = 42
+ 6 F*** incubators get bantams TSC chick days = 48
+ TSC chick days = 56
+ "coworker needs to rehome birds" = 60
.
and 2 ducks

This does not 'add' up.

 

[defenderinfaith]

1 adult rooster and we have 9 adult hens (the rest are babies and looks like at least 3 of them will be roos when they finish growing)

not sure how it doesnt add up we had 56 until the coworker said that he need to rehome birds and husband came home with 4....also i realixed it might come across weird with the - 2 untrained dog / owl/ coyote kills, i didnt mean they killed i meant i had 2 untrained dogs