the daydream fund challenge thread

choille wrote: »

I have had chicks before but naturally reared by their mothers. It'll be a learning curve I suppose.

I have a large stack of heavy saucers for crumbs & water - easy to pop in fresh ones & wash the muckies in the burn. It's too much doing stuff like that in the caravan - too icky.

Ideal. Yeah...its more time consuming than letting broodies do it...water evaperates under the heat lamp. But its fun, joyful.

choille wrote: »

I heard that the incubators don't make for strong chicks? Also they are no good for turkeys? Not that I will do tirkeys - I don't think.

I still think the BEST way is the easy way: to let the hen do it. But life isn't always allowing of that.

Last years clutch from the incubator are hale and hearty: none lost to ill health at all.

I think where things like this arise is its not natural rearing: and on a large scale it must be filthy. Ingestion of large amounts of faeces if not kept clean (i.e. as not possible on a large scale...for ease I use newspaper and shavings, and just wrap the shavings in the paper and replace twice a day.) must be un healthy: there would otherwise be one hell of a lot of coprophagia going on and that's never healthy IMO.

They aren't well socialised and they do learn hierachy among themselves, but not with as much ease, and differently, from being with their mother. Its like ANY animal really when we wean. Sometimes, it has to be done, and we've doe it for centuries...but things are easier often when we don't get too involved and let mother's do it.

Let's face it: the mass produced chickens survive from incubators and a rougher start than yours will have!

choille wrote: »

Yes - always best to let a hen do it but I don't think the Orpingtons are inclined to broodiness?

I have been trying to track some lavender orps but haven't managed to - buying in eggs would be a solution.
Do you think buying eggs that come by post is okay? Sorry for all the spearing. Just a Luddite at heart I guess.

I've never bought eggs by post. But hundreds do! Its worth a try i the outlay is not huge.

I've never reared turkeys, but guess commercially they are incubated and barn reared....thing Bernard Matthews style.thinking back to your turkey point.

Second warm day with lots of sun

First seed sowing direct (leaf beet) but also planted parsnips in toilet roll inners, germination pretty good so will have to thin.

Its the real start of filling the beds for the season, broad beans next, then early pots and peas.

Lots of signs of spring, small tortoiseshell and whites on the wing, aubretia beginning to flower, lovely!