My first successful incubator hatch

Hatching chickens in a incubator. 

    This is my first successful attempt at hatching chicken eggs in a incubator. In the above photo you can see the chicks starting to peck their way out of their eggs at day 20. (chickens take 21 days to hatch.)

    In my first attempt, I mistakenly tried to hatch turkey eggs, which I later learned that the broad breasted and hybrid turkeys require artificial insemination in order for the eggs to be fertile. The tom turkeys are simply too heavy to perform their required duties. In the end, I realized I should have tried to hatch chicken eggs first, just to get a little experience. 

    Prior to this, I was allowing hens to set on their eggs and hatch them out. The advantage to this is I do not have to keep a constant eye on a incubator's temperature and humidity. I don't have to worry about power outages or other problems. And afterward, the hens do a fair job of looking after the baby chicks by keeping them warm and feed. 

    The disadvantage is that some hens are inexperienced and would only hatch out one or two eggs out of a clutch of 12. In addition, by allowing the hens to do the work it also takes that particular hen out of production for several months. This means that if she was laying an egg a day, I might be out 200 eggs during that time. 

    My father told me that they use to keep a few Bantam chickens on the homestead for the sole purpose of hatching out eggs. The bantams eggs were too small to have much commercial value, but they made the best mothers and would hatch out just about anything, including goose eggs. In addition to that, the bantams being so small, were pretty much self-sufficient, and if allowed to free range would fend for themselves.

   Here to the right you see the wet, less than a day old chicks. It takes about a day for the chicks to dry out in the incubator before I can move them to the brooder. Baby chicks can survive for several days on their internal food stores. This is why baby chicks can be shipped across country with little ill effect. 

    In this first successful attempt, I was actually surprised that I got any of them to hatch. I had three power outages and on several occasions the temperature or humidity drop below what was recommended. 

    I also had to collect eggs for 10 to 12 days before I had enough eggs to put in the incubator. I put the eggs in an egg carton and in a room that stayed around 55 to 65° and turned them twice a day by hand. Too cold the eggs would've died, and too warm the eggs would've began to incubate.

    The best advice that I can give you is make sure you read all the instructions that comes with your incubator. Then go to your local extension office for any of your farming or homesteading information. They are a great resource for many topics and directly connected with your local agricultural university. And of course don't forget to look for additional information on the Internet.

Vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals 

Vitamins and minerals, everybody needs them including your poultry.But the question is do all poultry need vitamin and minerals at all times. Although the local extension office might disagree with me, my poultry only really needs it during the winter months. The reason for this is that I allow my poultry to free range whenever possible. Commercial growers use the vitamin minerals all the time because their poultry are confined and cannot get the vitamins and minerals any other way. 

    I have also found that there are huge price differences between vitamins and minerals with a poultry only label than those that are a general label for all livestock. Vitamin and minerals shown in the photo I actually got with the horse and cow supplies for almost $10 less. I have also found this to be true with other poultry supplies as well. Whenever the product is labeled poultry only it is usually 200% to 300% or more than if I just simply go a couple isles over and look for the same item in the horse and cow livestock supplies. Most of the time the labels will clearly state that it can also be used for poultry. Personally I think suppliers are praying on novice, greenhorn, city Slickers that don't know any better. I know that when I buy my oyster shell in a 50 pound bag that it is usually the same price as a 1 pound bag at Walmart or any other retailer. And as oyster shell will not go bad, even if I have only a small flock the 50 pounds will last the lifetime of the flock. I never by any poultry supplies at Walmart or similar retailers because what they sell is basically for people raising poultry as pets.Although their feed prices can be sometimes be competitive they can also be less likely to be non_GMO. But that is another can of worms altogether.

What do you feed poultry?

Well first, let's talk about what to store your feed in. I personally use trash cans with locking lids. They provide an inexpensive way to store poultry feed out of the weather and away from rodents. Your main concern is to keep the feed dry so it does not spoil or get moldy, either of which would not be good to feed your poultry. Your second concern is keeping rodents out of your feed, as not only would they consume the feed that you intended for your poultry, but would also pose a health threat to your poultry and to you. In addition to the health threat rodents would also attract predators such as cats, snakes, hawks and owls.

     It is a good idea to use a measuring cup so as you can adjust the amount of feed that you're giving them. You should treat your poultry as you would goldfish, never feeding more than they can eat within a 15 minute period. This eliminates waste and reduces the chances of wild animals getting into the feed that was intended for your livestock. 

Lay pellets or pellet feed is the most common poultry feed. This is usually a blend of grains and alfalfa or just straight alfalfa that is mashed and pressed into pellets. It is an adult feed that is high in protein and helps with the production of eggs. Although this may not be your poultry's favorite food it is one of their mainstays. 

I have found that if I feed this to them in the morning I have less problems with them eating it. Otherwise they act like a bunch of kids eating their ice cream before eating their broccoli. 

An alternative to lay pellets is a feed referred to as crumbles. This generally has a similar composition of ingredients but instead of being in the form of large pellets it is in the form of small crumbles. This is a feed that can be given to adult poultry as well as smaller poultry. It is not recommended by the Department of Agriculture for chicks as it does not contain antibiotics or growth hormones. Personally though I think we have enough antibiotics and growth hormones in our food supply as it is. Chick start also comes in this form which is not recommended to be fed to your adult poultry or any poultry that is laying eggs. You can get chick start without antibiotics or growth hormones, but I have found it to be expensive compared to just buying regular crumbles. Chick start is generally intended for baby chicks that are being raised in a brooder, where sanitation can be a problem. As I raise my chickens free range it would be impossible to use this type of feed without my laying hens getting into it as well.

    Chicken scratch is usually a mix of grains and cracked corn. I usually feed this to my chickens later in the day so it does not spoil their appetite for the lay pellets or crumbles. I will also sprinkle a small handful in areas around my gardens to encourage the chickens to thatch specific areas. As this product usually has a large quantity of corn in it, I can also use this to fatten up poultry that I intend to butcher. If I need an even larger fat content I can also purchase straight cracked corn. You can also purchase straight whole grains such as wheat and barley to create your own blends or to manage food costs.

You can also purchase products such as whole-wheat (livestock feed or food grade )for the purposes of sprouting the wheat in order to create a product referred to as fodder. Fodder is essentially sprouted grains which adds bulk and increases the nutrient content to the feed that you're giving them in addition to giving them greens. This can also reduce feed costs substantially as it increases the bulk of the food by at least 2 to 3 times its original volume. The grain is generally sprouted in flat tray containers for seven days and then fed to the livestock. With the rising cost of alfalfa hay, fodder has also become popular with larger livestock such as cattle and horses as well.
    One of the ways that I grow my own fodder is to simply use clear plastic storage containers with holes drilled at one edge for drainage. Place 1 cup of whole wheat or other grain in the storage container and then water and drain once daily. I do not sprout the wheat for much more than seven days as beyond that it tends to mold. When it is ready to harvest I also clip the wheatgrass for my own consumption and use it in salads or make wheatgrass juice using a special juicer for wheatgrass juicing. I can then feed the remaining product to my livestock, which is cool because nothing goes to waste. One of your other feed products that you need to keep in mind is called oyster shell. This is essentially oyster shell that has been crushed into small enough pieces that your poultry can then consume. It is generally fed your poultry to add calcium to their diet and is generally fed to them when you need to thicken the shells of the eggs that your poultry are laying.

Oyster shell can be purchased at your local feed supplier but whenever possible you should try to purchase your oyster shell in 40 or 50 pound bags. The reason for this is that many retailers will try to sell you a 1 to 5 pound bag for the same cost as the 50 pound bag. Oyster shell does not spoil and generally a 50 pound bag will last you several years for a small flock of 20 or 30 birds. I do not feed oyster shell to my poultry on a regular basis as feeding them too much will cause egg shells to become extremely thick and making eggs difficult to crack when cooking. I can also use egg shells as a substitute or supplement so long as I crush the egg shells before feeding them back to my poultry. The reason for this is that I do not want my poultry to recognize the egg shells as a food source. If they think that eggs are a food source they will begin to cannibalize their own eggs and once they start cannibalizing their own eggs it is near impossible to break them of the habit.
    Table scraps are also another source of food that can be used to supplement your poultry's diet, but you should use extreme care in how you handle and what you feed your poultry from your table. Like many pets and livestock, chocolate, onionsand apple seeds are food product that you should never feed them. Greens or vegetable trimmings, as well as breads, and other grains are safe to feed your livestock so long as it is not spoiled or moldy. Meat products should be avoided as it will cause chickens to lay eggs with blood spots and may taint the flavor of the eggs. Although my father told me that when the family was raising poultry commercially during the depression, they would quite often catch live carp and other bottom fish to feed to the poultry. As the poultry they were raising were for meat, blood spots in the eggs was not a problem and it was a cheap source of protein for the chickens. It is said that chickens are closely related to prehistoric raptors and after witnessing chickens eating another live animal, you never look at a chicken the same way ever again.
    Free-range chickens will quite often eat mice and other small animals if they can catch them, but it should not be of serious concern as it doesn't happen very often. I do recommend that you fence your chickens out of your food garden as many of the foods that we like such as tomatoes are also a favorite of theirs. I have had turkeys in my food garden as they have a preference for eating insects and weeds but as with any poultry you may have to keep an eye on them and discourage them from eating anything that you consider food . Poisonous or toxic weeds are generally not a concern as most are bad tasting and your poultry won't eat a sufficient quantity to be lethal. Some flowers and other ornamental plants may have to be protected with a short fence or cage, but for the most part they will do you a huge favor by thatching your yard and removing insect pests such as Grubbs and scorpions.
    If you have any additional questions be sure and contact your local extension office which is usually associated with the state agricultural University. And for more garden and livestock information check out the following link.http://nifa.usda.gov/Extension/

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How to handle unexpected baby chicks

Unexpected baby chicks can sometimes present unexpected problems. And depending on how you are raising your chickens depends on how you handle the problem.

1. Option one is to remove the baby chicks from the mother and raise the baby chicks in a brooder.
2. Option two is to allow the mother hen to raise the baby chicks.

[Free range chickens]

Chickens that are being raised free range and allowed to roam can be the easiest to handle. But there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. Allowing the mother hen to raise the baby chicks may mean less work for you but the chicks will be exposed to possible predators and other hazards. This also means that if a hen hatches out 10 baby chicks by the time they're half grown you may only have two or three that will have survived. A lot depends on how experienced a mother hen is with raising chicks and her skills in handling large numbers of wandering baby chicks. A new mother hen may only successfully hatch out two or three her first time, but as she gains experiences she will hatch out more and rear larger numbers. It should also be noted that it depends on the breed of chicken as to whether they are good mothers are not. Bantam's have an awesome reputation for being the best mothers. As a matter of fact we use to use bantams to hatch out and raise our other breeds of poultry.
    Regular watering and feed dishes that you use for adult poultry can actually pose a hazard to young chicks. For this reason large open watering dishes should not be used as they pose a drowning hazard, and feed dishes also can become a trap. Use watering and feed dishes designed for baby chicks or feeders and waters that they can't get stuck in.
   Feeding the mother hen and her chicks may also pose a problem as the feed that you're giving her and her baby chicks may not be good for the rest of the flock, especially if the chick food contains antibiotics. Laying hens should never be fed any kind of antibiotic while they are laying eggs. Personally I do not feel that antibiotics is a necessary ingredient in chick food unless you're raising hundreds of baby chicks at a time. As a matter of fact I avoid using any kind of feeds that have antibiotics or GMO's added to them.
    One solution to feed is to feed the entire flock a crumbles mix that doesn't have any antibiotics. Most feed stores will carry this type of poultry feed . It has the same nutritional value as many of the other feeds that your using but comes in a form that is small enough even for baby chicks to eat. This allows the mother hen to feed her chicks what everybody else is eating in addition to the food that she finds on her own.

[Confined chicken run]

    If on the other hand if you are raising your chickens in a small confined chicken run, I would recommend removing the baby chicks and raising them in a brooder. This is because of the close quarters or confinement would make it difficult for the baby chicks or the mother hen to get away from other harassing members of the flock. Poultry that is confined is usually stressed to begin with and the mother hen and her chicks need to be able to be on their own until they are older. Confined runs also pose a hazard of fecal matter making it unhealthy for young chicks.
    There are a couple of other things that should be noted; if the mother hen hatched out her chicks in a nest box that is off the ground she will attempt to return her chicks there at night to roost. And if the nest box is too far off the ground the baby chicks will not be able to get back into the nest for the night and without their mother to keep them warm they may not make it through the night.
   The other thing is if you happen to be totally caught off guard and do not have a chance to get to the store for chick feed, you can use crumbled up hard-boiled eggs as an emergency. Believe it or not hard-boiled eggs crumbled up is a chickens favorite food. As a matter of fact on the old homestead they would boil and grind up eggs that were about to go bad and feed it back to the poultry to save on food costs.
(Note) you should never feed a whole egg or whole egg shell to a chicken as they will make the connection between egg and food and begin to cannibalize their own eggs. Always be sure to crumble or smash eggs and egg shells so they do not recognize what they are eating.

Poultry feed prices June - July

June - July poultry Feed Prices for Fallon, Nevada

June -July 2015 Poultry Feed Prices Fallon , Nevada

Kents Supply 
260 N. Maine St. 
Fallon, NV 89406

Hen Scratch 50# bag ..............................................$10.99  [21.9 cents  per pound]
Lay Pellets 50# bag 16% protein ...........................$14.19   [28.3 cents per pound]

Big R store

3325 Reno Hwy
Fallon, NV 89406

Hen scratch 40 pounds............................................ $10.99 [27.4 cents per pound]

lay pellets 16% protein 50 pounds  ......................... $16.99 [34 cents per pound]

[note] Big R now carries an assortment of non-GMO feeds and is in the process of changing some of its brands. As with human food non-GMO livestock feed is more expensive but may be healthier for your livestock and for you the consumer.

Wal Mart

2333 Reno Hwy
Fallon, NV 89406

Chicken (hen) scratch 40 pounds .............................$8.98 [22.5 cents per pound]

egg maker crumbles 15% protein 40 pounds........... $11.98 [30 cents per pound]

(egg maker crumbles are comparable to lay crumbles)

It should be noted that  Kents Supply seems to fluctuate with market prices whereas big R and Walmart tend keep their prices the same regardless of market fluctuations of up or down. It should also be noted that all feed stores use different brands and it may be that in some cases the wholesaler sets the price.

[It should be noted that the above list is composed of the feeds that I use most often and stores that I frequently visit. It is not representative of all the feeds available by these retailers or their prices. I also do not guarantee prices quoted above and prices and other information are subject to change. The list is for subjective reference purposes only and to get accurate prices and a list of available feeds you should contact or visit your feed store directly]

April poultry Feed Prices for Fallon, Nevada

April 2015 Poultry Feed Prices Fallon , Nevada

Kents Supply 
260 N. Maine St. 
Fallon, NV 89406

Hen Scratch 50# bag ..............................................$12.29 [24.5 cents per pound}
Lay Pellets 50# bag 16% protein ...........................$14.99 [30 cents per pound]

Big R store

3325 Reno Hwy
Fallon, NV 89406

Hen scratch 40 pounds............................................ $10.99 [27.4 cents per pound]

lay pellets 16% protein 50 pounds  ......................... $16.99 [34 cents per pound]

lay crumbles 16% protein 50 pounds .......................$16.99  [34 cents per pound]

Wal Mart

2333 Reno Hwy
Fallon, NV 89406

Chicken (hen) scratch 40 pounds .............................$8.98 [22.5 cents per pound]

egg maker crumbles 15% protein 40 pounds........... $11.98 [30 cents per pound]

(egg maker crumbles are comparable to lay crumbles)

    The above prices are as of April 22, 2015.

As I have noted over the years feed prices have stayed consistent with all retailers. It should be noted that Big R and Walmart both sell bags of feed in different weights such as 40 lb. This gives the delusion that the feed or food product is cheaper when in actuality it is not. It is a common practice used on all products sold in the US and should be especially watched for when the packaging says new or improved. 
    (Note) hen scratch is a combination of several grains such as corn wheat and barley. The percentage of corn or other grain can be changed in order to adjust profit margins and the prices reported here does not reflect what percent of which grain is used most. It should also be noted that in some products you may find more chaff than in others. It should also be noted that it may be cheaper to create your own hen scratch by buying the separate grains and mixing your own hen scratch.
    My father told me that when they were raising large flocks of 1000 birds or more on the homestead they would actually buy grain by the railcar load. Essentially buying direct from farmers cutting the middleman completely out. When they had to buy smaller quantities they would collaborate with other farmers to split the feed and the cost. 

[It should be noted that the above list is composed of the feeds that I use most often and stores that I frequently visit. It is not representative of all the feeds available by these retailers or their prices. I also do not guarantee prices quoted above and prices and other information are subject to change. The list is for subjective reference purposes only and to get accurate prices and a list of available feeds you should contact or visit your feed store directly]

Do you need a rooster to raise chickens?

Do you need a rooster to raise chickens?

 Although a rooster is not a necessity for chickens to lay eggs, the rooster does provide some protection for the hens especially if they are free range. I have raised chickens with and without roosters and I do find they are less prone to hawks and some other predators. Basically, the hens are less nervous and more relaxed if they know a rooster is looking out for them. The rooster will watch over his hens and warn them when danger is nearby and in some cases will try to physically protect his hens if the threat is not too overwhelming. It really depends on the personality of the rooster. I have seen some roosters cut and run with the rest of the hens, while others will stand their ground no matter what the foe may be. This is especially true of Bantam roosters who seem to have more fight in them than most. It should also be noted that Bantam hens make better mothers and if you want to hatch an egg put it under a Bantam hen.
    The rooster will also help them find food but sometimes this is more a ploy than an actual benefit to the hens. As the rooster will use a food call to get close enough to the hens in order to mate with them. This said the rooster remembers places where there is plentiful food and will lead a flock time and again to such a place in order to take advantage of it.
    If you raise your hens without a rooster invariably one of the hens will assume the role of rooster. This is nature's way of filling a gap and is part of the pecking order but I find that a real rooster does a better job than a hen pretending to be one. A hen pretending to be a rooster will also be more concerned with deciding who is boss and who gets the most food than protecting the flock. A rooster that finds food will make sure that all the hens know there is food nearby, whereas a hen pretending to be a rooster will simply try to keep the food to herself.

Chickens starting to set? Or how to know when a hen is ready to hatch eggs.

I have been finding marble size eggs in ckicken run. My father tells me that it is an indication that the hen that layed the egg is ready to start sitting on the eggs to hatch them.

A hen that is broody may also be a sign the hen is getting ready to set. Broody is when the hen is reluctant to leave the nest when you are collecting eggs. She may also peck at you if you try to reach under her and cluck at you strangely as if she did not want to be disturbed. This indicator varies from breed to breed, in some breeds are more broody than others.

A better chicken coop and chicken runs

A better chicken coop and chicken runs

The basic idea is to give the chickens fresh green feed without actually letting them run loose. Living here in the desert there is a long list of predators, including some that people might not expect. This is not to say that you cannot free range your chickens, it just means if you do you should expect to lose a few chickens from time to time. coyotes, dogs, cats, skunks, raccoon, weasels, hawks and eagles are just a few of the many predators I deal with on a regular basis. As a result poultry runs need to have netting on top to keep hawks and eagles from thinking your chickens are a buffet.

poultry eggs

    Poultry eggs come in a variety of sizes and colors. Quayle and Partridge eggs are generally the smallest, usually about thumbnail in size. Bantam eggs are generally half the size of a chicken. Turkey and goose eggs are generally 2 1/2 to 3 times the size of a chicken egg . Chicken eggs come in small, medium, large, extra-large and every once in a while ouch, a double yolker. The following is an example of some of those eggs.

     Just as in humans chickens from time to time will have twins (double yolk egg). My father told me stories of living on the homestead and how some of these eggs would hatch out. On occasion Siamese twins were the result but that rarely did they survive more than a few hours. Most eggs simply did not hatch at all and generally were collected for eating. Oddities and defective eggs will occur, including eggs that have no yoke. Usually these eggs are about the size of a golf ball or smaller. There is no need to be concerned unless the oddities occur on a regular basis. In which case consulting with your local cooperative extension office http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/ may be a good idea.

        Something else that should be kept in mind is that eggs are good indicator of how healthy your poultry flock is. When I collect or eat eggs I make note of the condition and coloration. If eggs are being broken on the nest it is possible that the chickens are not getting enough calcium. A supplement to their diet can be oyster shell, which I buy in the large 50 pound bags. Oyster shell will keep for years and is cheaper in the larger bags (1lb bags can cost as much as a 50lb bag). You may also feed them the egg shells from the eggs that you eat. But it is extremely important that you crush the egg shells so they do not recognize the egg shells as eggs. This is to prevent the hens from cannibalizing their own eggs. If you start to get eggs that are difficult to break when cooking, it is possible that your hens are getting too much calcium. If you find blood spots in your eggs it is possible your hens are eating meat or something else. Also make sure that you're laying hens are not eating the baby chicken feed, as this usually has antibiotics in it and would make the eggs not safe to eat. Light-colored yokes are an indicator that the chicken is not getting enough greens or insect proteins. This is also why store-bought eggs are a very light yellow in color and free range chicken eggs are usually orange and have a better taste.