Trouble With Predators?

Watch for further information on high frequency instruments that will discourage Hawks or Owls from molesting your expensive gamebirds.

Did You Know?

Using small mirrors glued to the tops of fenceposts, or silver gazing balls on the roof of your bird barns or pens above the entrances will discourage predator birds from attempting to enter your pens?

They see their reflection rising up at them as they attempt to land, and decide to go hunt in a safer territory. We recommend this "no harm" way to control predator birds.

After all...since they DO control such things as snakes and rodents, they actually service the gamebird grower.

Incubation of eggs

Whether you are buying eggs or getting ready to incubate the one's you have collected from your own birds, the first thing you should ALWAYS do is clean and disinfect the incubator.

It is important to clean and disinfect everything you use for your chicks, eggs, and birds. We use Tek-Trol. We hatch our own stock, but...when we buy eggs, they come from good, reputable breeders that highly stress cleanliness and care. We feel that our own stock can be enriched and strengthend by "adding new blood" on occassion rather than closed breeding. That is why it is important to get to know other breeders who understand and use good care practices.

 Important: If you buy eggs, unwrap them and let them "rest" for twelve hours prior to placing them in the incubator so the embryos can orient themselves.

 Get your incubator stabilized at the proper temperature and humidity for hatching your batch of eggs a good twenty four hours prior to putting the eggs in the incubator. (Follow the recommended temperature setting for the brand of incubator you have, as forced air and still air incubators may vary.)

The incubator needs to be in a draft-free, stable temperatured environment. It should not be placed near a window where sunshine can affect the temperature of the outside of the incubator. We found some digital thermometers that display indoor air temp and humidity, and keep them placed in the bottom of the incubator where we can watch them through the front "peep window." This may not be necessary, but you can never have too many thermometers around to insure your incubator or brooder is working properly.

The hatching of baby chicks is exciting to young children....and pets. Be careful that neither has occasion to disturb, open, or bump the incubator while chicks are hatching. When all your chicks are hatched, and safely tucked into the brooder to grow, and you are finished with the incubator...clean, and disinfect the incubator (...clean and disinfect AGAIN...) before using it for another batch of eggs, or storing it until it will be used again.

Temp** 99.5 forced air, or 101.5 still air measured at the top of eggs.

Humidity** constant          Humidity~~ last three days of incubation