Smart Door Power Options

[bronze]

Indiscriminate and thoughtless breeding- be it chooks, dogs, cats, bunnies or the people who appear on the Jeremy Kyle

 

 

[Lesley]

I learnt how to look after hens as I went along, and it has worked out all right. And I daresay that some people have successful hatching experience with this method too, provided they obtain their incubator/broody hen before the eggs and do a little reading before they start.

 

As long as they have done some reading before they start. It is apparent from some questions that some people think it is just a question of getting your hands on an incubator without thinking through to a conclusion, in much the same way that it is (mostly) easy to become pregnant........ without considering the next 18 years (or more)

 

Even hatching on a budget costs a fair bit of money - and time is another consideration.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

... Reading up what looking after chooks involves, and making a quick but wise and adequate decision, is fine... that's not irresponsible, when one is aware of what is involved, whether it fits with one's lifestyle and circumstances, and is prepared to deal with things as they happen.

 

That perfectly describes the process I went through before getting my girls. I only researched for a few weeks (but was online just about 24 hrs a day so it was probably equivalent to 6 months for a normal person ).

[Snowy]

... Reading up what looking after chooks involves, and making a quick but wise and adequate decision, is fine... that's not irresponsible, when one is aware of what is involved, whether it fits with one's lifestyle and circumstances, and is prepared to deal with things as they happen.

 

That perfectly describes the process I went through before getting my girls. I only researched for a few weeks (but was online just about 24 hrs a day so it was probably equivalent to 6 months for a normal person ).

 

Me too ANH - I know I am very impulsive and once I decide what I want, I usually get it quickly. BUT I also like to know what I'm dong, so will research it almost obsessively, to the exclusion of everything else before going ahead.

 

Clare makes a good point, I do worry at some posts where it seems as though not even the basic information has been researched. But no one should feel they cannot ask questions - despite the best research, as someone said, there are always unanticipated events and the forum is a great source of advice and support

[surferdog]

I think as has already been said the key is RESPONSIBILITY. So even if you have rushed in to something you are then responsible for it. You owe it to the creature you have brought into your home to give it the best care possible (I don't mean pampering just basic rights - cleanliness, feeding, exercise, company, etc).

 

This doesn't mean turfing it out as soon as you get bored or it's no longer cute and fluffy. Believe me there's many a day I think how much easier chicken keeping would have been if we hadn't picked Hyacinth but she's my responsibility. Anyway DD loves her to bits even though she's (Hyacinth not DD).

[my fat hen]

This topic is very close to my heart; we have lots of animals at home and all of them bar the horse and chickens were rescued - the list includes one horse, two dogs, three ferrets, two pigeons, one cat and two chickens.

 

It costs a lot to feed and look after them all, and some people might think it is selfish to have so many animals, but we don't have holidays, we only have one car and I forgo a lot of luxuries that other people take for granted.

 

The annoying thing is that all my rescues were animals that had been abandoned and/or mistreated and I am left to pick up the pieces, emotionally and financially - one dog had been particularly badly abused and it took ages to get his trust.

 

The worst thing that I had was a rabbit which was dumped near my house and it had been living in a small bird cage which deformed his legs. He had a year of happiness with us until he sadly died.

 

I think as long as people are prepared to give time, love and money (not necessarily loads depending on the pet) then they will do okay, it is the heartless people who just don't care that shouldn't have animals.

 

Keeping them because it looks cool or fashionable is completely the wrong reason, and I think you have to look at people's motives for having them.

 

I have reached my limits (I think!) as to how many I can sensibly look after - especially if you have any illness to contend with amongst them, and all my animals are with me for life. I hate it when people decide they are just sick of them and get rid.

 

So glad that there are places like this forum for people to see both sides, positive and negative (not many negatives in my opinion!) of keeping chickens.

[Gallina]

My nextdoor neighbours bought twelve purebreed eggs on eBay, and on Saturday I went in to see the beaks begin to come through, which was an amazing sight.

 

They now have ten healthy chicks and two dud eggs.

 

They have told me that I can now borrow their incubator and candling torch if I want to hatch some of my own.

 

What would Prudence say? I could make room for a couple more hens, the boys would go to the same farm that my neighbours use (where they lead a very free natural life in the woods, and most of them survive), and I am sure if I ended up with a few more gorgeous purebred girls someone would take them off me (if I could bear to let them go).

 

But what would Prudence say?

[Egluntyne]

Prudence would say go ahead as you have everything covered and know what you are doing.

 

If you hatched the chicks and then said "help...what do I do now" it would be a different matter.

[The Dogmother]

I agree Egluntine. Go for it Gallina - you've covered all of the options. The chickies will need their own accommodation for quite a while though before they can be integrated into your flock.

 

I currently have a broody pekin if you want to borrow her... Lavinia has hatched before and is a good mummy. It will be about 2 months + before they can run with the flock if they have a mummy, otherwise, about 3 months.

[Gallina]

I will talk to my neighbours tonight. Thanks for your advice.

 

I have an empty Eglu, and it looks so miserable. I will need to look on the forum to find out how old chicks have to be before they can climb into the Eglu. Given my penchant for fat hens with short legs, I will probably have to add a fortnight on to that. I imagine a ramp won't work if you want to shut the Eglu at night.

 

I know that my neighbours would help if necessary: they have always hatched all their own hens, and evidently know what to do. They have some bantam eggs under a broody that are due to hatch soon too.

[The Dogmother]

I put a little bit of slanted wood in front of the eglu door and the chicks didn't have any problems hopping in and out. There are some photos on the link below on pages 3 & 4 of that album, I think there may be one of the little ramp. You will also need some non-slip flooring to put inside the eglu so that they can stand up straight.

 

http://s90.photobucket.com/albums/k272/Claret_63/?start=40

[BeckyBoo]

Well our chicks went into the Eglu when they were 8 days old. I took out the roosting bars and just levelled up the floor with their bedding and they're in and out no problem at all!

 

Mrs B

[The Dogmother]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I used the rablu for hatching

[Gallina]

That sounds easy! And I could have a little ramp: it wouldn't be that hard to lean through the egg-port and pull it up and down as necessary (as I am fanatical about closing the door at night).

 

Do chicks put themselves to bed easily? I don't like crawling into the Eglu run.

[The Dogmother]

The little piece of wood that I used was flush with the eglu threshold so that it was possible to close the door at night.

 

Mine had a mummy so she tucked them in at night. It would probably be more difficult without a mother to take them in to bed - you might have to intervene.

[Lesley]

Our 5 little chicks have a ramp and the door would close if we needed it to. It's easy with a broody as she looks after them. I think that if you put them into the closed Eglu for a day, with the door closed, and then let them have access to the run then they would view the Eglu as safe and would happily go in to bed.

 

If you use an incubator and then a brooder you have to treat them differently if they are going to go outside when a few weeks old. You are better to use a Dull Emitter bulb over them (not an Infra Red) which emits heat and not light. That way they are used to daytime/nightime from day one and won't panic the first day out when the sky goes dark!

 

We borrowed Clare's Lavinia as a broody - she was brilliant!

[ubereglu]

Aw, Lavinia sounds like a lovely mummy! Gallina I'd say go for it. You have plenty of room, a house for them to live in, an offer of a broody hen, a place to get rid of unwanted cockerals to and you have enough room for them to live even once they've grown up.

[bronze]

Bumping

[Olly]

umm, was wondering why you'd bumped this, Bronze ... but I think I have worked out why!

[TAJ]

We haven't had chicks, just as we haven't had kittens (rescued adult cats), nor have we bred guinea pigs ...so I think DD believes she has the most boring mother in the world!

 

When you work full time it is really difficult to give young animals the full attention they need, but that still hasn't stoped us enjoying the adult animals we do have.

 

Tracy

[bronze]

umm, was wondering why you'd bumped this, Bronze ... but I think I have worked out why!

 

Which one?

[Christian]

[Sheilaz]

We haven't had chicks, just as we haven't had kittens (rescued adult cats), nor have we bred guinea pigs ...so I think DD believes she has the most boring mother in the world!.......

 

Thought this was such a good point. We may feel mean saying "No" but, as well as considering the animals, it's kind in the long run for children, learning about Prudence.

 

Thanks for bumping up the topic Bronze.