Ordered some Buckeye cross hatching eggs.

[Robbie]

I ordered 4 dozen Buckeye x production red hatching eggs from True North Farm in BC today. http://truenorthfarm.ca/ (these are not posted on their website yet except as a tiny note on the ordering page). I was considering trying their sussex/welsummer crosses, but they are single combed. Frostbite has been a problem for me this year, so I'm in the process of eliminating all single combed chickens from my coop. It will take me a few years to do that but it's part of the plan. I do have some single combed breeds. I'll be getting Anconas from Coonhound if his hens cooperate.
I have purebred Buckeyes on order too, (from Alberta)they will be kept pure and bred to standard as best as I can. If I'm lucky I'll be able to acquire some exceptional American stock as well. Buckeyes bred to SOP and production quality Dark Cornish are the only breeds I plan to keep pure.

I won't be able to sleep for 3 weeks- all these eggs will be incubated at one go, the Buckeyes, the Buckeye crosses and the Anconas. Generator on standby........ Backup incubator ready.

I will have to dub the Anconas I plan to get, their combs and wattles won't stand a chance if these humid winters keep on happening. I'm a bit reluctant to do that, but I believe it's better to dub than to have the hens suffer from repeated frost bite. I cannot control the humidity in my coop, the outside air is just too humid and it's actually less humid in the coop than it is outside some mornings. I suppose that it might be because the lakes aren't freezing like they used to.
The buff rocks and barred Hollands I've ordered will hopefully have smaller single combs than the Anconas, I should probably dub those too since my single combed red sex link crosses have frostbite as well.
All these single combed breeds will be crossed with either Buckeyes or Dark Cornish. The pea comb is incompletely dominant but the F1 crosses will have combs that resemble pea combs.

I'm excited about these Buckeye crosses from True North Farm. They breed for egg laying production qualities,they have their own line of production reds ( RIR 's) so the cross will look very much like a Buckeye but should lay more eggs. These will keep me in eggs until I get my own breeding plans up and running. I know I could have started my own chicks using Buckeye x red sex link, but this will save me a year of messing around and I know that these will have had parents selected for egg laying ability including the Buckeye parent. My Buckeye rooster is very much an unknown and I don't know yet if he will breed hens that lay those long skinny eggs, something I want to eliminate from my stock as well.

[thegawd]

good luck on your eggs there Robbie! it sounds like you could use a lot more ventilation in your coops. iv never seen frostbite on a hen, not even on the dummies that slept in the ceder all winter long last year in -40 with the wind blowing directly on them...

[Robbie]

Gawd ventilation doesn't help, the outside humidity is still too high. There's frost on all the trees. But it's true, I knew that this old barn would give me problems.

[ross]

Air movement needed , if you have hydro to barn can you add a fan to remove stale air & bring in fresh even tho still humid . As Al has seen in my barn loft wood floor , tin walls & roof . When no fan walls inside frosted up , with fan added & running on low no more frost inside . I could winter chickens up there after fan but not before . Luck

[BobG]

The crosses from Tru North will be much Lighter in colour than true buckeyes . But as you stated it will save you time

[ross]

PS .. That's why you will see in spring when late frost comes farmers with expensive crops can't replant but have Helicopters flying low over fields , hovering to move frosty air . Just trying to help , needs & types of Ventalation are so misunderstood by most folks . Being in the Heating , Ventalation business before retiring really helped me to understand & hope I can pass what I learned not just from book but ACTUAL experience on to others . Luck

[Jaye]

This has been a bad year for humidity for me too. Never had a problem last year, but this year two of my single comb hens (they have larger combs) got a touch of frost bite on two of their points. The hens with the smaller combs have not been affected.
I like Ross's suggestion - will try that myself too.
I found that adding some heat to the coop seemed to dry the air out a bit more, and it looks like they are both healed up. I plan to put some vetRX on them today. Didn't want to apply before they healed up, because I think oil of oregano (one of the vetRX ingredients) might sting. I've heard that some have had success with Vaseline as well. Worth a try?

Ross, where do you suggest locating the fan? Up high or lower to the floor?

[ross]

High as possible to pull fresh air INTO coop/ barn thru at least 1 vent 12" off floor , 8/16 Louvre type both on least wind side & not under roosts . You don't want drafts . Pic sorta shows but all designs different . Luck
Word of caution make sure fan is certified for dusty areas because of spark fire . Got mine at TSC for barns . Mine is 12" with baffles on outside for 24/32 loft 10' peak ( hip roof ) .

[Ontario Chick]

Robbie, we will all be needing pictures of the incubator, the eggs in the incubator the chicks pipping, the chicks in the brooder, you will probably need a new camera

[Robbie]

Thanks Ross very good advice- so if I understand correctly, as long as the air is moving, even if the humidity is high it will prevent frostbite?
I open up the barn during the day but at night it's closed.
I remember that design you posted from PSO and was planning to use it in my mobile coop/ pens. I'm hoping these will be adequate for year round because I know the old barn is a problem.
I did remove a window in the barn where the coop is but there's no really good air flow. I might be able to set up a fan in the window hole. I can probably get one of those industrial fans cheap from a local electrician. Unfortunately the window hole is in the direction of the prevailing wind.

Ross What size fan should I be looking for? How many cubic feet per min. ?

BobG I don't know what to expect from these crosses, I actually do hope they might be a lighter colour- I don't want to confuse them with the purebreds.

Gawd not even small black spots of frostbite? That's what mine have.

Jaye I don't want to put vaseline on the combs, the hens take their daily dust bath and that would make a real mess- but I will put oregano oil on if it looks like there's infection.
I do have a crazy idea I want to try, I will explain once I try it and if it works.

Ontario chick the incubator pictures have already been posted! Empty though. I will post lots of pics. Starting with the eggs!