[Stereo]

So far we have got by with a couple Brinsea Ocagon 20's although this year humidity has been a nightmare and hatch rates have been low. In 2015 I want to hatch something like 200 chicks in order to get 100 or so extra / replacement hens and choose the best for our hatching egg business. So I'm looking at the bigger cabinet style incys with humidity control etc.

One of the main reasons is that this year we have had so many batches that it's been a nightmare moving them all around and also it means you are looking after chicks all summer / autumn with the constant water changing etc. . I'm wondering about doing 200 in one go and have a full week of cockerel processing at 6 months. Or maybe 4 batches of 50 but close together. What sort of brooding space would I need for this? Once they are off heat I will run them in Salatin style chicken tractors which has worked really well this year. I currently do 10 a time in converted pallet crates so wondering what sort of construction is required for 200 chicks up to 5 weeks.

[bloomer]

wow,


i thought i was ambitious hoping to hatch maybe 40 birds next year...


can't help at all but good luck!!!

[Stereo]

I'm sure 200 is small beer for some....

[Steph Hen]

I've seen some plans and youtube vids of converted freezers made into incubators. Just a thought.
I went to have a look round a friends pheasant rearing farm a few months ago. He rears around 60,000 each season. I found myself thinking that if it he can do it with pheasants why not scale up my bird breeding a bit?
(Not to sixty thousand  but up from batches of 10-40).
I'll be interested to see what others suggest in this thread. These are my thoughts, sorry it's a bit rambling.

I had a look around a lovely set up a few years ago. For the brooder space, I think they were about the same size as mine; 6x3ft. On wire mesh. I was told that it's the brooder hood size rather than bulb strength that dictates number of chicks, so she had made big flat hood extensions for her heat lamps out of thin metal sheeting to allow more to fit under. More like electric hen style. She said crushing was a problem with large broods and that when they handled them, (eg. Catching to move into larger pen) they had to expect some casualties and deaths, just because they pile into the corners on top of each other. This would be unacceptable for me at the moment.

I think these were broods of something like 100 chicks. My largest brood has been about 40. This was a big but manageable size for me. I have a 42 egg incubator, but if I switch off the roller mechanism and block up gaps at the sides and remove separator bars I can fit in more. This allows me to start 54-60 hand turning. Candle around day4-5, remove clears, etc and continue with proper set up.
Could you cram in more into your incubators at first and try to end up with 40 good eggs? And hopefully around 35 chicks? Six batches to get your 200.

Someone on here said that they mix age groups, and I've done the same. Once they go outside, I provide two houses, but in one big pen. Smaller chicks inside an inner cage for a couple of days, then all together and after a wee while, all sleeping together. There are some scuffles but not had any damage done. So how about three pens each taking two age cohorts? I cull unwanted males as they become apparent to keep the numbers down. My big pen is something like 8 by 10m with a low wall and trees for entertainment.

[Stereo]

Yes, there is some scope for mixing ages. I do that anyway and all seems fine as long as not too extreme and maturing cockerels are removed in time. I raise all cockerels for meat. I know it costs me but I grew up on a dairy farm and saw many bull calves whacked as soon as they were born. That truck turning up to pick up the tarp covered remains in the yard..... Lying in bed and listening to the mums calling for their babies sticks with me. Silly maybe but that's my position on it. Once they start trying to kill or rape everything, I am happy to send them on their way.

A lot of it is the amount of the year taken up raising birds. I would rather do it in one mad effort and then relax rather than always having chicks of various ages on the go.

[WoodlandsDevon]

If it was me I'd go for the larger batch but only if you have suitable space. I had lots of different batches this year and it was a nightmare to brood them all. I have found my 6"x3" (approx.) mesh floor brooder the cleanest and most labour saving way  of rearing chicks, although not as natural. If i was doing 200 I would consider building a 6"x 2" mesh floor brooder with 2 layers, one on top of the other. Also I found a gravity fed drinker system very useful (a large 25ltr tank with small drinkers attached).
Hope this helps

[Steph Hen]

WoodlandsDevon, what mesh size and gauge do you use please?

[silkiechick]

I,ve got a stack of 4 eltex wire floored brooders with pull out trays best thing I ever bought,perfect for rearing larger batches of chicks.No more heat lamps suspended everywhere wires trailing & fire hazard.They have heat plates fitted with a thermostat so are economical too & I just turn them down a notch over 5 weeks give them a week off heat in there & then they come out

   

[Victorian Farmer]

As you no iv done up to a 1000 the most 1200 the way forward is a good shed I use 20ft by 20ft then the incubaters the polystyrine incubaters as hatchers I had 4 next the incubaters brinsea polehatch 40 and 150 egg  .Make sure that the eggs are not pullits .You will get more cock birds iff they are pullits.Next keep eggs for 2 weeks and load up  the incubaters and the hatchers whith the eggs .Candle remove the duds .I then bolt 2 pens together .The pannals are 7 foot long and 4 foot high .one heat lamp in each 1 50 lot of chicks in each one .I can bolt 6 at a time .I then repeat over and over .The first sale is march the 6 then the 12 so lots of 8 or 10 sext .The price £80 .Some times the lot is sold and you start again .Other way get 50 chicks 4 weeks old and bring them on .I sold my 150 500 incubater for £200 In march .I onley do 50s naw .But set up its fine .

[Stereo]

Drinkers are the biggest job with brooding so I need to get some of those nipple drinkers for next year.

[shygirl]

do you have a stable or similar for them?

[Stereo]

I've got a big 60 x 60 barn with 2 levels which is now all closed in and used as a workshop / office / store etc. so yes, I can find indoor space no problem.

[Victorian Farmer]

The condition and the fertility will be a must .Iv been to a big sale and bought eggs ,but things can go dawn hill .Iv been working on other projects for others .The 1400 spent on bees faild went to cold in august .No winter protein in the grain not top price .Chick crumbs to expensive not a lot of young about . The new valius black face sheep from switzerland over 100 grand naw in the highlands .Low prices at the sales .So next spring all go but its getting hard for the small holder .Sterio will be on breeding the new stock .

[Marches Farmer]

I set 48 L/F eggs at a time, in three batches - first goes in as soon as lambing ends and the last one will hatch in July so they'll be laying around Christmas.  If I have a poor hatch due to high humidity or I see chicks of a breed I want to try I'll buy in new chicks, quarantine them for a fortnight then add them to the nearest age batch.  Same goes for chicks from a broody hen.  I don't buy in birds older than a week as I consider the risk of buying in disease will be too great.  I also don't buy birds from a commercial hatchery that vaccinates.  The three batches are housed separately in case of disease outbreak over the Winter, so I wouldn't lose all the stock.

[Victorian Farmer]

That's sounds the best way after lambing july finish and eggs for christmas ....