The graph shows the temperature in the chicken coop, the temperature of the air in the vent pipe coming from the biomeiler, and the temperature of the outdoor air. The electrical energy usage would be shown for any days when the electric heater was used, but it was not needed this month. All month long, […]
May Experimental Results Read More »
Moving the hens to their outdoor quarters is one of the spring tasks that always seems to be delayed. This spring, the coop temperatures have been kept reasonably cool by the biomeiler and the outdoor temperatures have been kept unseasonably cool by fate. So, the hens have stayed indoors too long, as usual, and the
Chickens Relocated Read More »
The Cornish Cross chicks are growing at such an amazing rate that the surprise chick looks like a songbird when it perches above the fray. We had a second fatality. That was disappointing, but not too bad. We still have all 50 chicks that we ordered, plus the surprise chick. As soon as the
Broiler 22-Day Update Read More »
The chicks are growing rapidly. They are in that remarkable stage of growth in which it is possible to see daily changes. It is our great fortune to have had only one chick fatality, to date. In the past, we have had very few fatalities after the chicks have reached this point. So, we are
Chick 12-Day Update Read More »
This year we are raising the Cornish Cross breed as our meat birds. We had planned to raise Big Red broilers, again, but, when attempting to order them, we discovered there were none available. So, despite a strong disinclination for this breed, we placed an order and will hope for good results. On Tuesday afternoon,
Chicks Have Arrived Read More »
Our order of meat bird chicks will arrive shortly. Proper preparation is vital to the success of raising chicks so I spent some time getting the brooder table and equipment in good working order. I washed the waterer and prepared the special welcoming beverage we give to the chicks when they arrive. It consists mostly
Chick Preparations Read More »
Today was egg washing day. Melissa had some sitting out to dry before they were packed and the sunlight was hitting them just right to bring out the blue color in some of them. Disappointingly, blue chicken eggs only look blue in the proper light conditions. In the coop, I can seldom see any difference
In order to reduce feed costs we supplement commercially-made pellets with fermented whole grains. Here, in Fairbanks, it is hard to find commercial chicken food for less than $0.58 per pound. So, we buy whatever grains or seeds can be found for a better price and mix them together in a tote bin. Usually, it
One of the Pearl White Leghorn hens died. A quick examination revealed an egg stuck in her vent. For lack of any other evidence, I have ruled the cause of death to be “complications from becoming egg-bound.” That hen had particularly messy feathers on her backside for a couple of weeks before she died.
Normally, we don’t retire all our hens at once. Typically, we keep a hen for two years and replace about half of the flock with new birds each year. The advantage of that practice is that there are always young birds laying eggs in greater numbers while the older birds lay fewer eggs of better