NORTHERN NEW YORK POULTRY FANCIERS MARCH 2003
FIRST QUARTER NEWSLETTER

Notice of Upcoming Events:

1) Swap Meet at the Madrid Community Center will be Sunday, May 4th, 2003.
We are looking for members who are willing to donate food for the Food Concession for the May 4th Swap Meet. The 4-H Group will work the Food Concession if the Club will supply the food. The Club will purchase the meat, rolls, beverages and eating utensils. If any member would like to donate salads, a covered dish, desserts, chips, cup cakes, etc. please call Melvina Reid at 265-2269 by April 28th and let her know what you would like to bring.

2) September Poultry Show will be at the Waddington Arena on Sunday, Sept. 14th, 2003.
Anyone wanting to put a Special in for our Fall Show or for information on Specials and the Show, call Gary Wells at 322-8993 or Floyd Rood at 379-9498.

Highlights from Monthly Meetings:

December: The Christmas Party was a huge success. Meeting was held and nominations for Secretary and Treasurer were accepted and voted upon. Secretary is Tonya Rood, 379-9498 Treasurer is Tammy Cook. Club's Show was discussed: Gary will schedule the Waddington Arena for September 14th Gary will check on Judges and schedule someone.

January: The Waddington Arena has been scheduled for our Show and Jerry Yeaw has been obtained as the judge.

February: Gary Wells confirmed that the Madrid Community Center has been scheduled for the Swap Meet on May 4th. Secretary, Tammy Cook, will check to see if her 4-H Group will do the Food Concession for the Swap Meet and let us know at the next meeting.

March: Tammy Cook confirmed that the 4-H Group would work the Food Concession at the Swap Meet. The Club will donate the food and the Club will make a donation to the 4-H Group for working. Flyers on the Swap Meet will be distributed at the next meeting for members to post the announcement in the community.

Words of Wisdom - Melvina Reid President

A Little Bit On Incubation

If you have the directions to your incubator, review them to make sure you are setting at the right temperature. All incubators are not the same.
Before setting your eggs, run the incubator several hours to make sure it is working well. Check to see what the temperature is when the unit clicks on - again when it clicks off. If the "gap" is too wide - say you have set it for 102 degrees and it goes to 104 degrees and drops to 96 degrees - either you need a new thermostat or the unit needs to be in a place where the temperature is more uniform to start with.
Remember the temperature needs to be adjusted in still air incubators for the different size eggs. Some incubators will say to place the bulb of the thermometer at a level of the center of the eggs. Others "at the top of the egg". So a setting of bantam eggs would be different than a setting of duck eggs. Incubators with circulating air (a fan) are usually set at 100 degrees - still air types at 102 degrees.
One of the harder things to adjust in the small incubator is the moisture. The level of moisture through out the hatch is important. There should be water in the pan at all times. Less in the beginning, more towards the end. Too much moisture at the end could cause soaking wet chicks that dry off too slowly.
Ducks need a lot of moisture. Some people sprinkle warm water on the eggs as hatching approaches.
Another thing often neglected is the disinfection of the incubator. It should be cleaned before each hatch. A wiping out of the inside of the incubator and of its parts with Clorox is a popular method.
Most new incubators now have automatic turners. Many older ones do not. I turn my eggs three times a day - as my incubator instructs. Others have success with a morning and a night turning. One man told me he only turned his eggs once a day. Last year I read an article that stated that some people don't turn them at all and have success - different people - different ways.
As the chicks start to hatch - don't keep opening the incubator to take out a chick or two. Let them he until you feel the majority have come forth. Take these out. If the remaining eggs seem alive resume incubating.
If the power goes off- don't panic. Wrap the incubator in a blanket and hope for the best. We once went over three hours like this and still had a decent hatch.
An early hatch is okay - a late or straggling hatch indicates an uneven temperature or maybe weak stock.
I know some of you do things differently with good results, and so will not agree with the things I have said. Whatever works for you.

Getting Chicks Off To A Good Start

Whether you are hatching your own chicks or are sending away for some, have your brooder operating at least a day before their arrival.
The floor of the box or coop needs~to be very warm under the heat bulb, with a cooler, but still warm feeling to the outer edges. Set a thermometer in the brooder to check the heat. (In time you'll be able to tell just by your hand.) It should be 95 degrees at the warmest part. There should be no drafts.
As you put each chick down induce it to drink. I put a half teaspoon of sugar to a quart of warm water for shipped in chicks. This seems to help with the pasting up problem. I use lukewarm water for all chicks. When they are all under the light, sprinkle feed on paper towels on the floor, tap your finger by it. This attracts the chicks attention and they will start pecking at the feed.
I've had chicks come by mail with very cold feet. I wrap a towel around a heating pad and put it in the brooder box. This warms them up quickly.
You can tell by the way the chicks act, if they are comfortable. If they are noisy and milling around - they are hungry. If they are noisy and huddled together - they are cold. If they are hugging the outer walls, they are too hot.
Any starter grain is good, but the crumbled form is thought to be a bit too much for bantams to handle. I use dry mash at first and then change to the crumbler later on as it is less

In the old fashioned way - I still start chicks off with finely chopped hard boiled eggs. If you do this be sure to remove any egg they haven't eaten in a reasonable length of time as of course, it will spoil.
As the chicks begin to feather out, reduce the heat by 5 degrees a week. Add some fine grit to their feed and give them cool water.
One of the biggest threats to your growing chicks is too much heat. They may be of a size where they still need heat at night or on a cool day - but a warm, sunny day - with the brooder bulb left on in a small coop - may cause the loss of many birds. If not actually death, the discomfort of too much heat will slow feed intake and will cause poor feather growth and reduced vigor. The birds may not reach their full potential.
If your chicks are happy. If they have clean, cool water, good food and room to move around in and comfortable air, they will do well and grow into fine looking, healthy birds.

Reminder: With warmer days coming don't forget your breeders and laying flock. Open windows or doors on nice days and air out your coops. The birds need fresh air to be healthy just as we do. It also makes your coops more pleasant to work in when they are aired out.

Anyone who has plans of showing or selling birds needs to have them blood tested.
This service is free.

Who To Contact To Test Your Birds:
John M. Martin
New York State Dept of Agriculture & Markets
518-457-3458
[email protected]

FOR SALE:

*Anyone looking for Narragansett Turkey eggs call Floyd Rood. 315-379-9498.

*Eggs from show quality Old English Game Bantams. Several colors, $18.00 per dozen postpaid. Also trios for breeding in Black, Blue, and one trio of Silver Wheaton. Contact Gary Wells at 315-322-8993 or email at [email protected]

*For Sale: Chicks - Cochins: blues, blacks, birchins; White Japs, BB Reds, Millie Fleurs, Red Frizzles, Silkies of all colors.
Quail - Tuxedos, Button Quail of all colors, Pharoah Coturnix, White Coturnix, Bobwhites.
Pheasants - Black mutants and Red goldens. Chukar Partridge.
Meat rabbits. Rabbits of all kinds and sizes for show or pets. Contact Craig and Tammy Cook. 315-379-0611. address: 578 Fulton Rd.. Lisbon NY.

Membership
If anyone would like a copy of the Club's Membership List, which includes the address and phone numbers of our members, contact Tonya Rood, 379-9498 or email Tonya at [email protected] and a copy will be sent to you.

Reminder: Check your address label to see if your dues have expired. Please renew your dues.
Membership: $6.00 Individual, $8.00 Family, and $3.00 Junior Membership. Send dues to Tammy Cook, Treasurer, 578 Fulton Road, Lisbon, NY 13658.

Created on ... Mar 09, 2003