Savingdogs-Saving the chickens

[savingdogs]

Well I visited my mom and her boyfriend today, which was nice. We did not do much, but it was nice to have company for a day. Her boyfriend is the sweetest man. He can't hear any better than me so we get along great, he and I can relate to one another pretty well. I'm really attached to the ol' guy, and I think he has made my mom much happier. It is neat to see old-age-love, it really it. And nice when you see it happen for your elderly mother, who, while she was always self sufficient, she was probably a bit lonely.

In any event, that is where I was all day. Afterwards, we went and did our feed store shopping. We checked out the chicks and hubby even asked, "Okay, what do you want?" and I RESISTED. We really don't need to be spending money on chicks. I did ask if they had any silkies because I've been hankering for more broodiness, and I was eyeballing the EEs, but we eventually ended up buying an INCUBATOR instead. It just seemed so much smarter and it was on sale for 20 dollars less than their normal price, so I snapped it up.

So my next project will be researching incubating over at BYC I suppose. I really haven't studied up on it so it is a side of chickendom that I need to master still. We have been thinking it over and realizing we need to cull some of the older chickens. They are passing age two and are not really laying. And I still suspect one or two of eating eggs from time to time, so those older Buff Orpingtons are going to be taking a visit to freezer camp soon. It is a good thing they all look so alike. My RIRs of the same age are still laying and are much more friendly so I think I'll keep them for awhile longer and probably eat their eggs since I don't want to hatch any of them. To me it makes the most sense to incubate EE eggs or BO eggs (which would be purebred, my roo is BO) of all the breeds I have.

But Hubby wants to start brooding ducks first, so I'm going to try them first (muscovy).

 

[framing fowl]

Oh, you're going to have so much fun with an incubator!!! Do you have a local market that you can sell the ducks to for meat? Around here at the specialty markets it goes for $15/lb. I haven't talked to anyone though to find out how they buy it or where they get it from.

 

[abifae]

Woot! A new adventure!!

 

[savingdogs]

Oh, you're going to have so much fun with an incubator!!! Do you have a local market that you can sell the ducks to for meat? Around here at the specialty markets it goes for $15/lb. I haven't talked to anyone though to find out how they buy it or where they get it from.

I've seen a range of prices for what muscovy go for, but we would like to increase our flock first and eat males before we actually sell muscovy. We are down to three! We lost three over the winter so we need to get a bigger flock than that. Mine were bred to be meat muscovy so I don't think a long lifespan is actually built into them, although I can hope, they are really cool.

I see that ducklings in the feed store are selling for around nine dollars apiece newborn, and I've had good luck selling on Craig's list, so I think I would just advertise them every Sunday if I had some to sell. I got 35 for a male cayuga last summer. I've seen ducks for as low as 20 dollars however. And some selling for 10 but they sounded like old layers.

 

[Javamama]

I wondered where you were yesterday Incubating is so much fun! We made one a couple years ago and I loved it.

 

[savingdogs]

This is like a basic model you can add features to. I'll have to hand turn them, but we could buy an automatic turner for them when we have some cash. I could also buy an insert to incubate smaller eggs. Hubby was going to make one. But honestly, EVERYTHING around here is made of recycled parts and homemade pieces, it is like the shanty style from Frontierville, the way our coops and barns and hutches are constructed. Having something actually MADE for its purpose is refreshing for me sometimes.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Congrats on the incubator. I'm on day 16 of my first hatch of the season. And so it begins!!

 

[savingdogs]

yes, I hear this can become addicting. I've been over reading at BYC. What an amazing resource that place is!

I think we are going back for the turner. We will have to rearrange things to make room for it as well. I have only one room the correct temperature, and the dogs stay in it. I cannot have them where the dogs could reach, ridgebacks are notorious for getting into stuff and they eat eggs just fine from a carton. So I'm going to need to make an incubator area.

 

[glenolam]

for the incubator!

My eggs go on lockdown tomorrow and *should* hatch on Wednesday...

I've been using the little giant incubator from TSC for about 4 or 5 years now and it's been great each time. The only thing I did do was buy a much better thermometer for it as the one that came with it was a POS.

There's not really that much into incubating, really. You put the eggs in when the temp has held at 99.5* or so, turn 'em twice a day and make sure the humidity stays right. Some people do get all into it but I feel like worry about it too much makes it much harder than it really should be. But then again, I'm just different overall!

 

[miss_thenorth]

for the incubator!

My eggs go on lockdown tomorrow and *should* hatch on Wednesday...

I've been using the little giant incubator from TSC for about 4 or 5 years now and it's been great each time. The only thing I did do was buy a much better thermometer for it as the one that came with it was a POS.

There's not really that much into incubating, really. You put the eggs in when the temp has held at 99.5* or so, turn 'em twice a day and make sure the humidity stays right. Some people do get all into it but I feel like worry about it too much makes it much harder than it really should be. But then again, I'm just different overall!

Hey!!! We're hatching together! I lockdown tomorrow too!! I agree about doing too much. I put in the eggs, make sure the temp is good, put in the hygrometer, and only adjust if the humidity goes to low. It has only happened once, two days ago I had to fill up the water trough. I don't candle, nothing. I just wait for lockdown, and then get ready for the hatch. What hatches hatches, what doesnt gets tossed (to see if it explodes )