4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[peanut12]

Hi all, been away for a while but catching up now.

 

We're thinking about incubating a few eggs and I'm after some advice.

 

Does anyone recommend any particular breed? (I'm thinking from a sexing point of view)

 

also, does chick crumb contain any vaccinations or do they have to be done by a vet?

[Egluntyne]

Generally, home raised chicks tend not to be vaccinated, as the vaccines are only supplied in industrial quantities, making it unfeasible for the hobby breeder to carry out. it might be worth asking you vet about it.

 

The vaccines tend to be added to the drinking water at different stage of the hens early life.

[peanut12]

Thanks Egluntine - fountain of all knowledge

[feemcg]

From a sexing point of view an auto-sexing breed, such as the Cream Legbar, Rhodebar, Welbar..........or a sex-linked breed such as the Rhode island Red x light Sussex, same as Omlet's Gingernut........the chicks are quite distinct different colours at hatch (I have plenty of pics of the colour differences if you'd like to see)............so what would you do with the boys that hatch?

 

I don't vaccinate my chicks......most small scale breeders (or hobby hatchers ) don't, and I understand pure breeds are less susceptible to disease than hybrids.

[craftyhunnypie]

Most chick crumb contains a vaccine against cocciodiosis (spelling), but as my chicks have been pure breed this has been ample protection for them. My hybrid chicks, I bought at 2 days old & they were from a reputable breeder who vaccinates all his chicks against Mareks etc etc.

 

Go for it, hatching is very rewarding - especially if you can keep the boys too. I've got 4 boys now & love them to bits!

 

Emma.x

[peanut12]

I'm thinking about some duel purpose birds, so if we gets girlies we gets eggs and if gets boys we gets a roast (before they start making too much noise).

[feemcg]

But they crow from 10 weeks onwards and there wouldn't be any meat on them at that age.......just something to think about. I'm not trying to put you off.....I love hatching, but just so that you've looked at it from all angles

[Jules.]

I'm hoping to get 18 light sussex eggs this week.

The hatch is split between 3 people, & so I hope to get 2 girls to keep from my 6 eggs, & we will eat the boys that hatch.

[poachedegg]

I'm hoping to get 18 light sussex eggs this week.

The hatch is split between 3 people, & so I hope to get 2 girls to keep from my 6 eggs, & we will eat the boys that hatch.

Do you have all the equipment and where will house them when they can go outside - how exciting for you!?

[Madbird]

I've been thinking about this too... but I think I could only do it with auto sexing breeds... if I'd raised the boys, there is no way I could dispatch them for the table (am I a wuss?? )

 

Hope this is not an inappropriate question for the forum, but how do you dispatch male chicks humanely?

[Egluntyne]

You will find more about this on the practical poultry forum.

 

Have PM'd you too.

[Jules.]

I'm hoping to get 18 light sussex eggs this week.

The hatch is split between 3 people, & so I hope to get 2 girls to keep from my 6 eggs, & we will eat the boys that hatch.

Do you have all the equipment and where will house them when they can go outside - how exciting for you!?

 

My friend "B" has an incubator, & I'm borrowing it to do the hatch, & then the chicks will go back to him as

 

A I have 3 predator cats

B I have no where in the house to keep them, & no electricity supply to my shed.

 

This plan is now on hold as yesterday I spoke to the man who runs " Ashtons Green Poultry" near St Helens & he will only have light sussex eggs avaiable in mid-March. He also has cream legbar egggs & araucanas

[BeckyBoo]

I'll just echo what Egluntine said, mine have all waited a long while to crow but you can't guarantee it and you can't really eat them until they're about 26 weeks or else there will be nothing of them! Plus it is lot harder to do than you think, you don't just have to kill them but pluck them and gut them and that's an art in itself (I can't do it yet )

Practical Poultry is a very good place to pick up tips about utility birds, dispatching them and also which ones taste best.

Also remember that you have to have seperate accomodation for the chicks until they're maybe 16-18 weeks as any adult hens would kill them when they're tiny - that limits my hatches to about 5 chicks at a time as I only have an Eglu for them to go in and then there's the weather, it's a bit bloomin' nippy to be a day old chick at the minute! Broody hens are the best way to hatch I reckon, she does all the work for you!

 

That said I've done two hatches now and it is the best thing ever, and the only boy that I HAVE eaten tasted fantastic!

 

If you do go for it, obviously, we all expect LOTS of pictures of fluffy chicks

 

BeckyBoo

 

Edited to say it was Fee not Egluntine! Sorry

[bronze]

too cold for me to be doing any hatching at the moment. Its snowing!

[Egluntyne]

Practical Poultry is a very good place to pick up tips about utility birds, dispatching them and also which ones taste best.

Jules is coming on the Kill, Pluck, Gut and Bone course, Oop North, in April.

 

Info **here** for anyone who might be interested but hasn't noticed it in the Self Sufficient Life section.