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Author Topic: getting ready for broodys  (Read 5210 times)

Victorian Farmer

  • Guest
Re: getting ready for broodys
« Reply #15 on: June 28, 2014, 10:33:32 am »
Well I've just hatched some these 4 days to arrive 38 eggs .and hatched to day 4 chicks so I paid 32 pound for the eggs so about 8 pound a chick .Big chickin in asda 4 pound not good farming?  You would go bust on this cari on.

gracy

  • Joined Jun 2014
Re: getting ready for broodys
« Reply #16 on: June 29, 2014, 08:19:36 am »
Hi in the hills
The chooks were always going to have access to water within their cells. It was the food that was going to be restricted to the dining area with regards to the 5 legal freadoms i think they are all covered if your worried about hunger i can easily addapt the design to have the food in the cells , concerns like this was the reason i wanted to discus the design with 'those who knew'. unless its raining the broodys will have access to the out doors when they are let out for their feed. and the dining area should hopefuly have enogh space for them to streach their legs, do their buisnes if its tipping it down. I am following all the minimum space requirements with the exception of giving them a nest box each (still cant beleive it is 1 nest/7 birds !).

Its all verry well saying use an incy but i have looked i cant find one designed for batery power. Im trying to make the best of a bad lot.

Victorian farmer your last pot was a little confusing are you saying 38 hatched but only 4 survived or that 38 were set and only 4 hatched also were you using broodys?

Suzzieque what is your succes rate with the broodys, I apreciate you are letting them brood when they want.....

I am not trying to turn the birds into hatching macheens they will only raise 2 cluches a year. I just want to time those clutches to egg availability.

(the only other option for the sasso btw was live chicks which once delivery was taken into account would cost £2.60 a chick!)

suziequeue

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Llanidloes; Powys
Re: getting ready for broodys
« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2014, 08:55:19 am »
The problem about having food and water too close by when the hen is broody is that it enables her to stay on the nest and not get up to find food or drink. Then what happens is that she either gets very constipated or she messes the nest and eggs which can be an infection risk so I agree with your plan about getting them off the next once a day to go and feed, do their business and have a leg stretch.

My only two concerns are:

1. It's doubtful that you will get four hens going broody all at the same time - as has already been referred to and

2. What will happen when once the chicks are hatched? Will all the Mums be in the same area? because if they are - they are likely to fight and the chicks could come off worse.

Also - I can sort of understand needing to wait 30 days from order for day old chicks as it sounds like they would incubate a clutch to order for you….. but how come that translates into 30 days waiting for eggs - when the eggs are not going to need to be incubated for three weeks prior?

Maybe an option would be to get them to send you nine Sasso eggs once you have a broody that's sitting tight. That way you can time the eggs to the broody. It's still not a failsafe option. In my experience it only seems to work half the time but then - we have had accommodation problems this year which won't be repeated next year…. and we made the mistake of letting a broody sit on one egg whilst we were getting the hatching eggs that we wanted so when thy arrived - she only accepted one egg to sit on from the imported clutch - hence an emergency trip to Wynnstay one Sunday morning to purchase an incy.

This thread reminds me of the Dutch polder model of political decision making - keep talking and the solutions might slowly emerge   :D :D
« Last Edit: June 29, 2014, 02:59:08 pm by suziequeue »
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in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: getting ready for broodys
« Reply #18 on: June 29, 2014, 09:39:11 am »
I think it depends on how essential it is to rear 2 clutches per year under each broody. I would much rather hatch under broodys than in our inccie but think you have to do it in a flexible manner.

We have pekins. They can only cover a few eggs per clutch but are brill broodys and mums however you still couldn't say with certainty that each of the broodys would sit 2 clutches per year. They may only go broody once in a year, not at all or just sit for a couple of days and change their minds.

Nothing wrong with hatching under broodys, understand you have no leccie but not sure that you will get the regimented sitting that I think you're talking about. There is quite a lot of 'unpredictability' ...... as long as that can be catered for financially and wouldn't cause a problem to you .....?

If you have a barn, is it not possible to make each broody a basic, rat proof, simple coop, with box and run. She could then have complete freedom to food, water, exercise, pooping away from her nest and safe place to rear her chicks away from other hens. (We have 3 mums at the moment and they will attack any hen that goes near their chicks .... we have to supervise their bit of free ranging as they really do 'fight' if another hen ventures near).

 

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