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Post by jeannine on Apr 9, 2007 0:55:11 GMT -5
Wow, there's a move for ya! Good idea on holding off for a bit, till you know for sure what's going happen in the near future. I've noticed with talking to others in 4-H that in some areas poultry are a big thing, here they aren't either. Here the popular animals are pigs, sheep and then goats, cattle numbers (kids showing them) have really diminished in the last few years I think perhaps due to the fact that it takes a whole lot more $$$ to feed them besides the initial cost of the animal. Well if you do end up moving across country I know of a few places where you could make pit stops (hahaha ) to pick up a few good birds! Jeannine
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Post by lavandulagirl on Apr 9, 2007 6:29:15 GMT -5
Oh my gosh - We'd look like the Clampetts! With the 2 dogs, the 2 cats, and a load of Jeannine's pullets in the back of the truck! ;D Maybe I'll strap my Mom on top in a rocking chair, too. Actually, if this move happens, the company is very good about flying us. When we moved out from WA 2 1/2 years ago, they even had to fly Hotrod, my son's veiled chameleon, on a separate airline, since they one we were on didn't take reptiles at all. Sadly, Hotrod is in lizard heaven now, so he won't be heading back with us.
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Post by ohiorganic on Apr 9, 2007 6:30:21 GMT -5
If the FFA is raising meat chickens, you will have eggs for a while. But anyone that I've seen raising them in lieu of layers soon finds out that there are problems with meat birds when one wants longevity and productiveness. They are prone to heart attacks and leg problems as they are designed to put on the pounds quickly and be put in the freezer. About the maximum life span you would get from a meat bird will be 18 months. But if you want to rescue a few, have eggs to eat, teach the children about raising birds and then have a yummy chicken stew come fall, then that's a good way to do it.. If you are raising meat birds (cornish rock cross hybriidsyou will get no eggs as most meat birds are male and killed at 6 to 8 weeks of age. You can get cornish rock cross pullets (and I do for cornish hens) and you can raise them on a very restricted diet until they are 6 or 7 months old and hope for some eggs but from what I have heard from a few folks that have raised such birds for breeding they lay about once or twice a week for about 4 months a year. A leghorn will lay daily for 10 to 11 months a year and a heavy breed such as a rock, wyandotte or orpington will lay about 4 to 6 times a week for about 9 to 10 months a year.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Apr 9, 2007 8:31:47 GMT -5
Ohiorganic, I used to buy straight run meat birds. Eat the males first before they did a flipover from ascities and then keep the females longer as they don't have as quick a weight gain. The few eggs that I would get were a bonus. And BTW, I raised all of them (males and females) on a restricted diet so that they would live longer and achieve a dressed weight of at least 8 or 10 lbs. One year I sold a 13.5 lb roaster to some boys at work for their hunting camp. It was so large they thought I had brought them a young turkey by mistake.
I don't know why people would bother to try to breed these birds? They are cheap to buy and they are crossbreeds?? In commercial facilities, they are artificially inseminated as their fertility rates are low. But I guess some people just feel that they have to try to beat the system.
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Post by downinmyback on May 10, 2007 0:23:39 GMT -5
How much would a second hand incubator cost and what size would be ok with my small flock.
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Post by lavandulagirl on May 10, 2007 5:08:27 GMT -5
Not sure exactly what someone would charge you for it, but if you're looking for one, check with 4H groups, HS ag depts, and homeschoolers in your area. Often groups like these buy them (or get them through grant programs), but don't have the time or the membership to use them. A friend of ours just recently bought one from the local HS, because the ag dept had no where to raise the chicks once they hatched.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on May 10, 2007 8:33:22 GMT -5
Down, a styrofoam incubator (Hovabator) WITH a Fan is all you would require to hatch a few chicks a year. There are other incubators that do a better job of hatching, but I've never felt the need to pay upwards of $350 to $1200 for a Sportsman or a Brinsea. Ask at the feedstore. Sometimes they sell them. Or you can buy online. eBay often has used (or even new) incubators for sale. But beware!! You have to know what the price new is before you go bidding. Also, you are paying shipping when buying from an online auction. Some places sell incubators with shipping included. And once in a while, you will see a deal in the newspaper. Somebody buys an incubator, doesn't get a good hatch the first time they try (there are many reasons why this can happen..usually operator inexperience or error) and decides that hatching is not for them. I've bought 2 brand new Hovabators over the years: one with an auto-turner and full view window, one without turner and small window. Also one used one for $25.00 that when it arrived needed about $50 worth of bleach and elbow grease to make it suitable for hatching. Here's a few places you can check prices: www.poultrysupplies.com/index_files/page0018.htmwww.poultrymansupply.com/incubators.html
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