[mias chooks]

not sure this is the right place to post this so if i am wrong could one of you smart people tell me!

I have two questions to ask, they have been on my mind for a while so i hope i can get some answers.

Firstly, i wuld like to ask about cockerels. I have 1 cockerel and 20 hens at the moment, but I have lots of eggs in the incubator. Would it be possible for me to keep two cockerels together if one of the eggs hatched male? are chickens are free range nd have many acres to wonder about, apart from when we first get them, then we keep thrm in the pen for a while 
the  hens and cockerels breeds ar in my siggy.

Secondly, I have a question about incubating eggs. I have 14 eggs in the incubator at the moment, they were all put in yesterday.Is it Ok to put more eggs in at differant times, so when one batch of eggs was on day 10 to put some more in the same incubator? the only falts i can find is that A.as the humidity is turned up for the last 3 days for the first batch of eggs, it would be to early for the next batch off eggs, I daon't suppose you could just not turn it up? B. when the chicks from the first eggs were hatching, they could start to play egg footie with the eggs that had a few days to go!

i really hope I don't sound like a TOTAL noob!

Mia

[mias chooks]

anybody ? 

[joyfull]

sorry, but I have never incubated eggs, only hatched under hens so can't help you there. As for more than one cockerel, sounds like you have plenty of room and enough hens to go around, but not sure about introducing them to each other - you may have to do it gradually and let them sort out whose the daddy  .
Any cockerels I get from the bantams recently hatched if I can't rehome them will be dispatched and will keep one from my other set of chicks (blue copper marans) assuming they aren't all boys (if they are then all will be going on a tour - first to iceland and then going onto warmer climes about 200 egrees to be exact  ) 

[chickenlady]

Dont know about cockerals think it depends on the breed some are more aggresive than others!
I am on my 3rd batch of eggs in my incy and the most i have put extra eggs in was 1 day later! if you stagger it you risk the younger eggs drowning from too much humidity in the last 3 days for the older eggs and if you dont increase humidity you will end up with chicks not hatching as the membranes dry out too quick and the shell not being soft enough to be broken out of!!

hope this helps

Debbie

[mias chooks]

right then, thanks for the advice, i will take it into consideration

[Foxy]

Hi Mia

In answer to your first question, introduce them as a group of growers, gradually at around 12-14 weeks old. I note you have brahmas, they are a nice docile breed.
I have a run next to the main flock so they can all see each other then, I gradually allow them all to mix. The main cockerel in that flock will always be the superior cock to the youngsters so should get on together. Problems arise when you take one cockerel out (once they mature) and try and put him back, then fighting can break out amongst his peers.

Second question, unless using a second incubator as a "hatcher" for the last 3 days, I dont put eggs sequentially in, the reason being that the having high humidity when hatching will drown the still incubating eggs, and, even if you didn't raise the humidity,with the older  eggs, the process of hatching itself will increase the humidity. Another scenario by not increasing humidity is the internally pipped chicks will die in shell by ending up "shrink wrapped". Hope this helps!

[Ice]

"Bumping" a thread isn't really necessary especially after such a short time.  Have a look at the site policies.
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=19481.msg438035#new

[woodside farm]

As regards cockerels, introduce them whilst they are young and usually they are fine (depending on breed) sometimes you are better of replacing your old cockerel with two or three younger ones (depends if you want the fertile eggs though).
As regards to incubating eggs, depends on how desperate you are for the eggs to hatch, as Foxy said you are better off with a seperate hatcher, but when you are incubating your own eggs I have put two lots in mine at different times and removed the dividers at 3 days before hatching and stopped the turntable on the day they are due to hatch, (remembering to turn the other eggs after 12 hours)  I never realy bothered too much with humidity just filled up when I put new eggs in and when they where due too hatch. I had quite good results.
But if you are buying eggs in I wouldn't risk it, without a seperate hatcher.
Hope this helps.
Michelle

[mias chooks]

Ice

I am very sorry and I have just read all the rules to make sure I don't make a mistake. I apologise for annoying you and anyone else.

Michelle

thank you very much for the information, I will make sure that if I get any cockerels i will put them in young


Foxy

yes that does help alot, thanks for the advice


Mia (mias chooks)

[Ice]

Just PM me a twenty pound note and we can forget all about it.

[joyfull]

It'll get lost with the strawberries and the cats 

[Ice]

It'll get lost with the strawberries and the cats 

I've sent them back, didn't fancy furry strawberries.

[mias chooks]

sorry , I've been spending all my money on chooks  no more left for bribing!

[Ice]

no more left for bribing!

You're banned.

[mias chooks]

oh no ! :blink: