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Post by organic girl on Mar 11, 2014 13:41:12 GMT 8
I decided not to breed at all this year. I'm very busy and don't want to do things half baked. A very persistent broody convinced me that maybe we had time for one hatch. She sat on a dozen eggs and hatched six. This was a good thing though, because it proves my theory that my favourite boy is most likely infertile. I'm now collecting eggs solely from his pen (10 so far) to put under another broody to double check. Have two very cute polish frizzles from this hatch - I could watch them for hours.
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Post by cannakid on Mar 11, 2014 19:47:29 GMT 8
better late than never , I have two roosters here with the same issues and no back up boy I am not planning on hatching any till July at the earliest . PS I could sit and watch them for hours too.
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Post by chooky on Mar 11, 2014 20:16:15 GMT 8
I think we can all agree that watching chicks is fun, especially chicks with mums.
I read on byp that the heat can affect a rooster's fertility. So may be try them out when it is cooler.
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Post by quambie on Mar 12, 2014 9:25:46 GMT 8
I got back from Perth to find that very few eggs have got collected for me while I was away hens sitting all over the place now down to just three sitting but for some reason this year I seem to have a Rat problem and smart ones at that they will not eat the bait i put down for them so have to find another way to get rid of them had a busted water pipe while I was gone got a huge bill for that trying to get a bit of help on that one the water board dose not like giving anything away but sh<>:"t happens I also found that I have three wild cats on the property now I got rid of this lot a few years ago now they want to live with me again I see a few late nights on the way Trev
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Post by organic girl on Mar 12, 2014 11:44:07 GMT 8
Put 9 eggs under another broody last night. Will candle then in a week or so and see what shows up.
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Post by chooky on Mar 12, 2014 14:06:12 GMT 8
We haven't had any eggs for around 2 months now. All the hens decided that this extreme hot weather is perfect time to be broody. Luckily for me they don't stay broody for long. the latest one lasted 2 weeks and then decided she had enough.
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Post by quambie on Mar 13, 2014 10:44:20 GMT 8
organic girl you seem to be doing well good one you and good luck with them it looks like we the small breeders are the only ones with eggs our local IGA placed an order for some and got sent 10 dozen they were told that was all that the could give as they /we have an egg shortage any one know about this and I am told that Duck eggs are up to $10 and $12 a dozen
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Post by organic girl on Mar 14, 2014 11:01:02 GMT 8
Quambie my polish are great layers, and even if I only get two a week from each one at this time of year that's still plenty. I heard that 500,000 chickens were destroyed in the eastern states due to a virus so we are relying on local producers who obviously can't keep up with demand. A few weeksa go in woolworths the egg shelves were empty with a sign saying "egg shortage". My neighbours buy my excess and are probably hoping my girls keep going.
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Post by quambie on Mar 14, 2014 14:26:41 GMT 8
way to go Thanks for the update I had no idea of that and I am cutting back on the amount of hens i keep as we are on the market so could be moving and i will not have the room for 15 pens of chooks I am still picking up a dozen a week out of the 18 hens i have left I do have another 18 young ones on the go but there all sold so I do not have so many to sell now as long as I stay free of what ever it was I have no worries thank goodness for good layers
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Post by cannakid on Mar 14, 2014 17:15:28 GMT 8
I have been selling eggs too with the shortage I am still getting a dozen a day.
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