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Post by bluelacedredhead on May 2, 2012 18:16:10 GMT -5
I but there will always be a next time. =o( Jo, are you hatching a high percentage of deformities? Are you still using a homemade incubator? |
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Post by mnjrutherford on May 3, 2012 7:52:21 GMT -5
Well, it isn't a high percentage, it's more that the last little guys are always weak. Mike insists on "helping" so instead of dying quickly in shell, they have to struggle. Ticks me off, but he isn't convinced that he's doing something bad. =o/
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Post by mnjrutherford on May 3, 2012 7:53:05 GMT -5
OH! It's a "Little Giant" still air incubator. Not the greatest, but does the trick for us.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on May 3, 2012 14:12:07 GMT -5
Rap his knuckles HARD when he helps because that's NOT helping. There is a time where they have to work at it and while they do so, the excess fluid in the shell is absorbed. He has to learn to let nature take it's course.... If you allow them to hatch naturally and dry properly before removing them from the Little Giant, and there remains a high incidence of weakness, then there is a humidity/air flow problem. If that's the case, then you can convert the Still Air unit to a Forced Air with the addition of a computer fan inexpensively. I'll find the instructions if and when you determine further action is required. Meanwhile...Mike.. Back Off!  |
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Post by mnjrutherford on May 3, 2012 14:53:11 GMT -5
LOL Yep, that's the look I gave him when he tried to start helping the last hatch. It worked... sorta. The last 6 eggs he had to peek into but the hatch was well over and he saw, they were dead or "bad" eggs. However, we had 25 eggs and we have 15 beautiful little "Easter Egger" babies. They are not pure so I don't want to call them Amerucauna.
Thanks for the advice too!
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Post by bluelacedredhead on May 4, 2012 6:41:17 GMT -5
Geez, what I meant to say but seemed to omit part of my sentence was, if you can get Mike to leave the hatch alone and there is still a large incidence of weak chicks, then further action will need to be taken  Good Luck hatching little Clucks! Congrats on your latest babies  |
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Post by mnjrutherford on May 4, 2012 7:41:02 GMT -5
Thank you Thank you! Hey! Mike wants to get one last hatch of Black Astralorps. He sprang this news on me last night. Don't suppose you have that fan info available? I'm sure I can get a fan just about anywhere. He's been wanting to convert the incubators to forced air so there won't be any problems getting him to line up with this bit of advice.... for a change.... ::rolls eyes::
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Post by bluelacedredhead on May 4, 2012 9:04:26 GMT -5
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Post by johno on May 6, 2012 11:02:15 GMT -5
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Post by flowerpower on May 7, 2012 5:52:54 GMT -5
John, they are toooo cute. |
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Post by mnjrutherford on May 7, 2012 7:33:25 GMT -5
I'm with Lynn! They are TOOOOOOOO cute! Smart of you to use a broody hen as well. I swear that Mike is going to pop a feather or two out of his butt one of these days the way he hoovers over our babies!!!! LOL
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Post by bluelacedredhead on May 7, 2012 7:34:00 GMT -5
She's got quite the clutch there Johno. How many new hatchlings did you end up with?
They are adorable.
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Post by johno on May 7, 2012 10:56:17 GMT -5
So far just the two. They were two days apart... Other hens have been 'making deposits' in the nest, so the eggs might not have all been started at the same time.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Jul 2, 2013 9:14:07 GMT -5
So, hatching has been a whole new ball game this year. Mike DID learn to leave the poor eggs to do or die on their own without prolonging suffering because he "helped" them hatch. MUCH better. MUCH less emotional stress particularly for Mike and the kids who, while not suffering horrendous trauma, still found the deaths emotionally defeating.
Also, I FINALLY discovered the answer to a LONG time question: How much food does a chicken need to eat each day? The average sized chicken needs approximately 132 grams daily to lay eggs. YES!!!! FINALLY A NUMBER I CAN WORK WITH!!!! That works to 1 pound of food daily for every 4 birds. However, keep in mind that if your birds, like mine, are allowed to forage, they will require a little less manufactured feed, so more in the neighborhood of 100 grams daily or 2 pounds for every 9 birds. (There are 454 grams in a pound or that is what it says on the butter wrappings at least.)
Egg production is still a mystery and we are having BIG problems (9 eggs a day from 70 birds? Are you kidding me?) BUT, again, we are walking the learning curve and getting better and more knowledgeable every day. Though, I will confess, there are days that a big city condo sounds pretty good.
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Post by davida on Jul 2, 2013 17:48:49 GMT -5
Egg production is still a mystery and we are having BIG problems (9 eggs a day from 70 birds? Are you kidding me?) BUT, again, we are walking the learning curve and getting better and more knowledgeable every day. Though, I will confess, there are days that a big city condo sounds pretty good. Jo, I am certainly not a chicken expert but here is what has worked for me. Get those ladies some major protein. I purchased cheap dog food in the highest available protein. I have not tried it but turkey starter is 24% protein (chick starter is 20% protein). I have feed them old meat, milk, cream and anything possible to get them protein. This has really helped when my ladies refused to lay. Molting will also reduce egg production in most breeds but all of them should not be molting at the same time. A friend said her grandmother told her to feed the molting chickens hot hot peppers and it worked for her to get them laying again while still molting. Lights on timers will also help but since it is summer, they should be getting enought. light. If the protein does not help, put them on lights that come on at 4AM and go off at 10PM. I purchased 25 hens a couple of years ago in May. They were laying 1 egg a day. Within a week of being under lights, the production was 22 eggs a day. Hope this helps, David ps Be careful, especially the boys, to wash their hands good with soap after handling the baby chickens. I have 60 new babies and someway contracted salmonella poisoning. Not fun for sure. I have been sicker in my life but never more miserable. |
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