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Author Topic: Farm Increase  (Read 12632 times)

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Farm Increase
« on: August 11, 2006, 01:08:25 am »
Well the Billy and Nanny goats have gotten together and I should have an early spring kidding.  I just set another incubator full of eggs for a winters worth of fryers.  I'm just hoping that some drunk doesn't wipe out the power pole again and kill all the eggs like last time.
I also got myself a trio of bantams for natural incubation in the future but they are still settling into their new home and not showing any tendencies, as of yet, to nest.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Farm Increase
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2006, 11:02:49 am »
One of the Buff Orpington hens has turned broody so I stashed a half dozen eggs under her.
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Offline randydrivesabus

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« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2006, 11:06:17 am »
that is the best way. good luck. all my broody hens have gone through their broody period and some are starting to molt.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Farm Increase
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2006, 11:34:34 pm »
After 5 days the hen got off the nest.  This has been my experience all summer.  Which is why I got the bantums from the Amhish, but every feathered creature I have is going into moult at the moment so I doubt I can bet another hen to get brood before spring now.  
I have come to the conclusion that after several generations of incubator raised birds they loose the nesting instinct.  So if the bantums work out I should be able to re-instill the broody nature.
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Offline Summerbee

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« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2006, 05:36:36 pm »
I never had much luck w/ broody hens.  They always squished their offspring.  Not one or two, more like half. :shock:  Now I let them sit on them and then on the 27th day take the eggs and put them in my incubator inside the house and raise them seperately until they are larger.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Farm Increase
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2006, 09:28:18 am »
The eggs started to hatch yesterday, one day early.  If my candling is getting better I expect a 50% hatch rate or 10 chicks.  Parents are Buff Orpington hens and Light Brahma Rooster.  The hatched chick has the buff coloring.
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Offline randydrivesabus

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« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2006, 05:14:28 pm »
is there a sex link in that cross?

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Farm Increase
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2006, 12:16:04 am »
Well I have both yellow chicks (Buff Orpingtons) and white chicks (Light Brahma).  If the Sex link exists then the hens would be yellow and bleep white since that is the parentage.  I had a couple other chicks hatch earlier and both were yellow and have turned out to be hens so I'm hopeful that a sex link exists.  I realize that I too few of a sample to be definitive. But it shre would be a kicker if it proves true.
I know that with pigeons one egg will be male color dominate and the other egg will be hen color nutural.
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Offline randydrivesabus

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« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2006, 06:45:58 am »
its been years since we've hatched out our own here but my favorite used to be the rhode island red/barred rock cross. if any chicks were to hatch out here these days they'd all be mutts since our only rooster is of unknown variety.

Offline Hi-Tech

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« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2006, 11:35:42 pm »
Chicken Question.....

I bought 23 chicks (white chickens) this spring (April 15) to raise for the freezer. Because of my Dads illness, I never got around to killing them. Now they are grown and would probably be too tough if I killed them now...

What do I do with 24 grown chickens?
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Farm Increase
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2006, 01:12:03 am »
Do you like eggs?  Hens should sart laying at about 24-28 weeks (6 months) of age which means October.  And no it's not too late to butcher them, in fact 5 months is just about right for fryers.  

If you like keep a few hens and a rooster for eggs and fry the rest.  Also, a stewing hen is a 2 year old egg layer that's been butchered.  My old hens are nearing 3 years of age.  Too old for fryers but still in the running for Chicken & Dumplings.
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Offline randydrivesabus

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Farm Increase
« Reply #11 on: September 07, 2006, 06:25:50 pm »
well old chickens are suited for the slow cook/braise/soup route.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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« Reply #12 on: September 14, 2006, 02:03:16 am »
The broody hen got back on the nest, I quickly gathered the days harvest of and stuffed it under her.  I've giving it another go.  
The surviving chicks from the brooder are one white (Brahma) and 2 brown (Buff Orpington)  I'm guessing the white one is a rooster and the 2 brown ones are hens.  If true this could mean that a Brahma Rooster crossed with Buff Orpington hens yields a sex linked offspring.  I'll need to run a bigger test of this later.
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Offline Horns Pure Honey

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Re: Farm Increase
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2006, 06:37:56 pm »
Use ducks, muscovy works the best, they lay more eggs than the average chicken, said to lay 364 days a year. They take better care of the eggs and will defend them in most cases. They also will watch over the chicks when they are born too. I have used indian runners and they work nice for being such a slender duck. Good luck! :-D
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Farm Increase
« Reply #14 on: November 16, 2006, 01:24:10 am »
I plan on getting Khaki Campbells.  I believe the record for one KC hen laying eggs is 378 eggs in 365 days.  There has been a lot of research on ducks as laying eggs.  One study in Vietnam showed that the best laying breeds of ducks are, in order: Khaki Campbell, Call, Indian runners, with muscovy coming around 5th or 6th although if you want a meat duck they are the best.
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Offline lively Bee's

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Re: Farm Increase
« Reply #15 on: December 15, 2006, 02:53:02 am »
We just added 40 chicks to be here on the 5th if feb.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Farm Increase
« Reply #16 on: December 21, 2006, 08:27:25 pm »
After two sets of eggs from the Buff Orpingtons I have a total of 3 white (all roosters) and 4 buff (all hens) so the sex link seems to hold.  I now plan on buying a dozen Light Brahmas and a dozen Buff Orpingtons and mating up one Light Brahma rooster with 3 Buff Orpington hens (as my current arrangement) and one Buff Orpington Rooster with 3 Light Brahma hens inorder to verify the sex link and also see if it works in reverse.
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Offline organicgrl37

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Re: Farm Increase
« Reply #17 on: December 22, 2006, 12:07:45 am »
It has been a while since I have been on a farm. But when I was alivestock manager I always counted on my khaki campbells and indian runner ducks for eggs. they were really great layers, and fun to have around in the garden for bug eaten to boot.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Farm Increase
« Reply #18 on: December 24, 2006, 09:30:00 am »
I keep hearing about the sexlink thing.  Our neighbour has "sexlink" chickens.  I thought it was just a breed, but it sounds like it is something completely different and I don't quite understand.  I would look it up on the net, but I would probably be sent some stupid porno site junk and I don't want to bring that on to my computer.  Great day.  Cindi
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Re: Farm Increase
« Reply #19 on: December 24, 2006, 01:17:09 pm »
I keep hearing about the sexlink thing.  Our neighbour has "sexlink" chickens. 

Seach for sexlink chicken and you will avoid most porno links.