just a question,,, how many is in a clutch of chicks?? Ive seen 12 or more,, but only 5 or 6 survive. So, whats the "best" survival rate for the number in a clutch? Whats the much you had hatch, and how amny made it to maturatity?

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), August 17, 2002

Answers

The most I've ever had successfully hatch was 23 by a Barred Rock hen. She hid the nest in the hay loft and I was really surprised when I pulled down a bale of hay. Chicks come tumbling out followed by one rather angry hen. She raised all of them but I lost one to a mean rooster at about 2 wks old. They were all healthy too. Not all of them were her eggs though since a few of the chicks grew into Cochins.:) Now ducks are another matter-30+ hatched succesful and now I'm overloaded with ducks. Two more ducklings hatched out on Weds and there's still two more duck nests and one chicken nest to hatch!! I feed Purina (non medicated/no animal byproducts) Meat Builder to all my poultry so I don't know if that helps with their fertility but it sure makes for healthy poultry.

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), August 17, 2002.

WOW Kathy, that's really amazing. I'll have to try that brand! MFA is really messing up my feed lately.

-- Patty (SycamoreHollow@aol.com), August 17, 2002.

If you want to increase fertility in any animal try Purina's Animax. It's not cheap but you don't use much. I raised Chinchillas,Degus,Mice & Hamsters for the pet shops when I lived in WI and added Animax to their food. It smells like licorice and does it 'up' their production. I had degus successfully raising 12 young per litter when 7 was high normal. All of my Chinchillas had twins and those mice & hamsters had litters that were almost double the average-it was really unbelievable. Not only did they have big litters but the mothers stayed in good shape & produced plenty of milk to feed their broods. I've used it with my goats(quads),sheep (triplets) & poultry. I had geese hatch out on Feb 4 during a blizzard- I didn't think the eggs would even be fertile considering the weather but they hatched 5 goslings & raised them to adulthood. I fed both the adults and the young the animax along with the meat builder, I figured goslings hatched in a WI winter needed all the help they could get.:) The Animax has a bunch of vitamins & minerals in it but no hormones,antibiotics or growth hormones.

-- Kathy Aldride (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), August 18, 2002.

Kathy ,I wonder if Calf Mana is the same as Purinas Animax ? It too smells like licorice . If it does what you say it does , I could imagine what it'll do if I ate eggs from chickens that were being fed Animax and drank goat milk from goats eating it . I bet it would make it easier cutting and splitting the winters wood supply . Maybe I too could be awake and posting before the roosters crow and have all the animals feed before dawn..

-- SM Steve (Unreal@home.com), August 18, 2002.

Steve, they're not the same but both do have anise in the mix so that's why they smell alike. I tell you some days I think I should sprinkle some on my oatmeal- maybe it would perk me up but I don't want that fertility issue. :) I got started with it when my Purina dealer gave me a 5# sample to try-they loved me since I bought all my livestock feed and exotic feeds from them. I tried it and was impressed with the results. I think it runs about $14.00 a 50# bag but the supplement amount per animal are pretty small-it's on the bag but from memory it's about 1 cup per day for poultry mixed with their ration.

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), August 18, 2002.

I'd like to try it but our only Purina dealer here is Ace hardware and they only will carry a few products. The one in charge of ordering won't order anything I've asked for ( goat feeds ) .Even if I pay for it in advance. He claims every thing I ask for won't sell around here .The guy is thick headed , I'm offering to pay in advance so it should be obvious it will sell ????

-- SM Steve (unreal@home.com), August 18, 2002.

Do you ever get up towards KY? If so I'd be glad to pick you up a bag and meet you somewhere between your place & mine. I'm about a 1 1/2 hrs north of Crossville,TN.

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), August 18, 2002.

I use to go to the London KY. stock barn auctions on tuesdays , but I haven't been going lately because it's getting hard to sell goats around here.The demand has gone down for alot of livestock....I think your too to far from here ,I'm about 1-1/2 hours east of Crossville.But thanks , I'm alawys curious to see what people are like in person , who post here ..Do you go to the Crossville fleamarket on Saturdays ? It's a good place to sell poultry, at least it was .I haven't been there in a while. And have you gone to the rare and exotic animal sales they had in cookville some months back .They even had a camel for sale.

-- SM Steve (Unreal@home.com), August 18, 2002.

I've heard that the Crossville flea market is good but I haven't made it down there yet. I never heard about an Exotic sale in Crossville, is that the one that used to be held in Lebanon sponsored by the Lucky 11 farm? I almost made it to the big sale/expo in Knoxville this year, hopefully I will get there next time. I would like one or two of those mini jerseys but I've heard they're pretty expensive.

-- Kathy Aldridge (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), August 18, 2002.