incubator and eggs ... daily update

[lynda66]

lol ...... 21 days is a very long time when you're waiting innit

[MaureenHall]

That's a lovely cosy blanket you've got them on. You could start knitting little blankets for them cos it's gonna be cold outside those eggs. What about little cots for them all?

I'm being daft now aren't I

[lynda66]

lol, its my old dressing gown, the cats both plucked it, so i cut it up and they have bits in their sleeping places, so i had some spare for chicken blanky ....... i was thinking about jumpers for them in case its cold ...... so you're only as daft as me

[davefromthechipie]

Hey lynda66
Great to see your trying to hatch some chickens Id love to do it But not sure what id do with the cockerels i Can't keep them here >< and really dont like the idea of ringing young chickens heads So what will you do .. try sell them , kill , feed them till there edible then eat or keep them ?. Sorry about this kinda depressing question

All that said I did read years ago ( well think i did ) you can make sure its one sex or the other by changing them temp by 1 degree ,,,, or somthing like that

[lynda66]

i was thinking about the sex at certain temperatures the other day, think that needs a bit more research

i have a friend who is a butcher, and he's going to come and do the deed if there is any boys ..... i can't keep them unfortunately (neighbours won't be impressed) so the only way they can live is if the allotments come up sooner rather than later and i can get them down there, though that is one of the reasons i got meat/egg birds, i'm hoping once he's showed me how i will be able to do it for future chooks

that is also one of the reasons i'm getting ducks, then i can keep the boys

at least i know they will have had a nice life till they become lunch.

[davefromthechipie]

i was thinking about the sex at certain temperatures the other day, think that needs a bit more research

i have a friend who is a butcher, and he's going to come and do the deed if there is any boys ..... i can't keep them unfortunately (neighbours won't be impressed) so the only way they can live is if the allotments come up sooner rather than later and i can get them down there, though that is one of the reasons i got meat/egg birds, i'm hoping once he's showed me how i will be able to do it for future chooks

that is also one of the reasons i'm getting ducks, then i can keep the boys

at least i know they will have had a nice life till they become lunch.

Thanks for the reply lynda In the same boat as you with neighbours :/ also chooks will just kill each other so iv read . just wonder at what age do chooks start to Cock-a-doodle-doo ? and As a meat eater 'i would be more happy to eat a well kept /loved and happy animal then one 1 pound ..ill treated/caged one from the tescos :/

[lynda66]

mind you i've not got to that stage yet lol ....... i did think i may get one of these Poultry Dispatcher Hens Bantams Ducks Turkey on eBay, also, Poultry Hatching Incubation, Pet Supplies, Home Garden (end time 14-Oct-08 13:28:40 BST) for when my butcher isn't about ..... but i always think if you're going to keep animals if they are easy to kill, you should at least know how, in case you need to do it without any tools ....... i used to breed mice, and have no problem killing them if i needed to....... i'm soft really, but in this case there really is no choice if i'm hatching eggs.

at least with the metal thing, i'm certain to kill them first time ...... the thing that worries me most is half killing them..... i really don't want them to suffer.

apparently they start crowing around 3-4 months of age, but that isn't an exact science

[SarzWix]

I dunno if you know about Ascott Smallholding Supplies? They do loads of poultry equipment, they have the dispatcher that you've found on eBay, same price & shipping cost but shipping stays the same if you buy more stuff I've bought loads from them and their service is great!
Poultry Processing

[lynda66]

you do realise i'm gonna have to spend £2000 on stuff to kill chickens now don't you, it seems i need a machine to stun it, kill it, pluck it, remove its sinews and some wax (to make it shiny?) lol

it looks like a good site ...... and i still haven't found anywhere to buy food yet, so might be a good plan thanks

[Snadger]

Don't rely on the allotment for the chooks. We can have chooks but no cockerels or ducks!

The Ixworths are good meat birds and you should be able to do the dastardly deed as soon as the cockerels open there gobs to crow and still have a decent Sunday roast!

[ChrisB]

Hi Lynda

Following your daily reports with interest - 3 weeks is a long time when you're waiting for something to happen

Looking at your photos, I can't see any water in the incy, are you checking the humidity?

Re the sex of the chicken - it's genetically predetermined. They're not like tortoises where the hatching temperature can affect the end result. Wish it was that simple though, we wouldn't end up with so many cockerels.

Keep us all posted about how the next candling goes

[lynda66]

yes i have a pot for the water, i just take it out when i'm turning the eggs, cos you can guarantee i'll knock it flying, yes i have a humidity gauge too

pity about the temperature thing, though

[lynda66]

Don't rely on the allotment for the chooks. We can have chooks but no cockerels or ducks!

The Ixworths are good meat birds and you should be able to do the dastardly deed as soon as the cockerels open there gobs to crow and still have a decent Sunday roast!

all the other sites in our area you can have any poultry and rabbits, yeah the cocks may still be a problem, but where the proposed allotment site is going to be, there aren't any houses, so from a disturbance point of view it might not be a problem??

so crowing 6am sunday morning means oven ready by 9 lol

[lynda66]

i have just been in to turn them for the night, i'm a bit concerned, one of the eggs looks like it has leaked a tiny bit of egg white, at the pointy end, there is no obvious crack, so is this normal? (none of the others have it) or is it a duff one

i dunno whether to leave it or take it out now

[Flummery]

I dunno if you know about Ascott Smallholding Supplies? They do loads of poultry equipment, they have the dispatcher that you've found on eBay, same price & shipping cost but shipping stays the same if you buy more stuff I've bought loads from them and their service is great!
Poultry Processing

Hey welcome back Sarah! How you feeling kid?