There are of course a multitude of commercially available automatic waterers. Most of which in our experience using them are not only expensive, but also leave something to be desired. And then there are water trough float valves available, most of which are designed to be attached to a garden hose. This is the easiest solution. It also leaves much to be desired. We wanted permanent waterers with buried water lines. And we were going to figure out how to do it in a way that we liked and could afford.

The first thing we had to do was decide on our goals.

After studying the commercially available waterers we decided on a simple, easy to replicate style that uses ground heat rather than electricity to keep the water open in the winter. We decided to install a couple more elaborate insulated winter waterers where we overwinter animals. Then we just installed easier warm weather waterers in summer grazing areas. The summer waterers can simply have the water shut off and be drained and removed/covered during the winter.

The winter waterers are insulated with waterlines trenched below the frostline. In our climate this is sufficient. They lightly freeze over at night but can be dumped in the morning and stay open during the day while the animals are using them. In a colder climate or with fewer animals you would most likely wish to add a heat source to the base to ensure nothing important freezes.

So let’s build a waterer!

First, you’re going to need supplies. The hardest part to find is an appropriate float valve. We opted to use ¾” Apex xtraflow long tail trough valves, with a pipe thread to garden hose thread adapter. We have been happy with them. They will set you back about $70 a piece. While they are admittedly one of the most expensive components, they seem to be durable and reliable. Plus, your float valve is really the heart of your waterer. A quality one is a must.

These valves are installed in the bottom of 5 gallon buckets. We are using 5 gallon buckets as they are cheap, readily available, and easy to replace if damaged. They are also a good size. They allow multiple animals to get a good drink without having to wait for a small bowl to refill, but not so large as to be hard to handle to dump and clean.

For each waterer, you will need two 5 gallon buckets.

One to install your valve into. One you need to cut the bottom off to set into the ground. If you can find 5 gallon bucket dimensioned 3 gallon buckets to install your trough valve into even better. That will give you extra space between the two buckets for your plumbing fittings.

You will need a hose lead to connect the trough valve to your plumbing in the ground. This allows you the very important feature of being able to remove and dump the waterer to clean it. You will also need plastic 55 gallon barrels and waterproof insulation if you want to make insulated waterers.

Lastly you will need water lines.

If you are making winter waterers, what you use is dependent on what your water lines are and how you will be tying in. You will need to attach to your water lines either below the frostline or indoors somewhere. In our case, our waterlines are PVC.

For warm weather waterers, we opted to use ¾” mainline irrigation tubing as it is inexpensive, durable and easy to work with. Irrigation line can withstand being frozen with water in the lines. The only caveat is that you have drain them enough to depressurize them. You also need to leave valves open to give space for the freezing water to expand.

Once you have your needed materials, you can trench your water lines to the desired locations.

If you need the waterers to be functional in freezing weather, they need to be trenched to the same depth as your houses waterlines. If they are just for summer use, a shallow trench is sufficient. We used a single bottom plow to dig a trench about 12” deep most of for our water lines. Then laid out the irrigation line and reburied the trench.

At the location of each waterer, you will need to dig a hole big enough to bury your 5 gallon bucket in the ground. Your waterline should come into the bottom of this hole. Fit the end of the irrigation tubing with a hose end fitting (and a shut off valve if desired) that you can screw your hose lead onto. Hook everything together and settle it all in the hole so the hose isn’t crimped. Voila, you have an affordable automatic waterer in your far pasture!

To make an insulated waterer, you need to do the same thing but on a bigger and deeper scale.

Please keep in mind that we live in a very mild climate. We only have a few weeks a year that the ground freezes and its not above freezing during the day. Its hardly worth even owning a heated bucket here. Therefore, “heating” waterers without electric is much easier for us than most people.

The principal on which these ground “heated” waterers work is that once you get down deep into the soil the temperature is stable, and this heat keeps your water from freezing. They also rely on your animals drinking water to keep the water moving as that also brings warm water from deeper in the ground. If you live in a colder climate or have few animals, you will need more insulation, much deeper insulation, and will probably do best with some added heat.

Please consider this and adapt according to your climate!

For an insulated waterer, you will need to dig a hole big enough to fit a 55 gallon barrel inside the ground instead of just a 5 gallon bucket. This hole needs to be deep into the ground, and the bottom of it needs to be below your frost line. It needs to be down to the depth of your water lines or further for it to work. So if you live somewhere cold, you may need to stack several barrels, use a piece of culvert, or some other tube instead of barrels.

You need to insulate the inside of this barrel to below the frost line. You do not want the frozen ground radiating cold into your waterer. Then you will install the same 5 gallon bucket waterer we made above through the top of the barrel. It is a good idea to insulate the portion of the 5 gallon buckets sticking above the side of the 55 gallon barrel. We did this by cutting the bottom off a large plant pot that would fit over our 5 gallon bucket and sandwiched insulation between the two.

If you wish to use heat inside your waterer, it is easy to do. There is plenty of space inside your hole for a heat source. Even if you are going to try this without heat, it is a good idea to install something like a heavy duty extension cord before you bury everything. This makes it easy to add heat later if you change your mind. Lastly, we highly recommend installing a shut off valve between the waterer and your water line, particularly if this is directly attached to all the plumbing in your house.

In closing, please note regarding the insulated watereers:

Because your waterlines are exposed down in the hole. It is essential that these waterers are on and being used in the winter. If you turn them off and dump the water out without insulating the hole your pipes will freeze.

We hope that gives you some ideas on how to simplify your life without breaking the bank! If you’d like to read more about how we get things done on our farm, please sign up for our newsletter!

Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post How To Build A DIY Automatic Waterer first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

Feed costs are one of the biggest expenses livestock producers have. How you feed your animals is likely the biggest factor in whether they are profitable or not. Thus, it makes sense to do everything you can to minimize your feed costs. On our farm, almost exclusively feeding locally sourced feed is the most logical, economical choice.

As an added bonus, we are supporting our local farmers by putting money directly into their hands and our local community instead of into the pockets of big corporations. Your local grain farmers need and appreciate community support just as much as the boutique micro green farmers at the farmers markets.

Today we are going to give you our take on feeding locally sourced whole grains to our animals.

But first let’s address the issue of feeding whole grains. There are a lot of myths floating around on the internet about feeding animals. Many of which most people have completely bought into. It has gotten to the point that if you mention online that you feed whole grains instead of pelleted complete feeds, you’re told your feed choices are the cause of all your problems. You may be accused of ‘neglecting’ or ‘abusing’ your animals. People will tear you to shreds for even mentioning feeding whole corn to chickens. So, you might be questioning whether it’s safe to feed whole grains to your animals.

The answer is yes! Whole grains are safe to feed and are typically well utilized. Did you know that pelleted feed like so commonly seen didn’t really become a thing until after World War II? It wasn’t until the 50’s when they really started to perfect making complete feeds. Not that long ago we started making this feed animals now ‘can’t live without’. Prior to pelleted feeds, animals were mainly fed whole food diets. The point being, no matter how much big ag wants you to believe that you have to feed your animals their approved brand of pelleted feed, you don’t.

Don’t get me wrong, pelleted feed certainly has its advantages.

It’s convenient and very much simplifies things particularly in confined operations like keeping chickens that do not get to free range. But it also has its disadvantages, and is definitely not required for healthy animals.

Studies have proven time and again that animals can utilize whole grains very effectively, and that they can even be safer to feed because they don’t carry as much risk of acidosis as pelleted feeds. Livestock like sheep are capable of performing well on a variety of different whole feed diets. Thus, when feeding livestock you should utilize whatever feeds are most readily available and economical—typically feeds from local farmers.

If you have a pasture based operation where your animals are getting the majority of their diet from the food they forage, you can likely very easily utilize locally sourced whole feeds. You will likely see little to no performance change. However, to derive benefit you need to understand what feed value it has and why you’re feeding it.

As a general rule, energy and protein are the two nutrients most likely to be lacking in livestock’s diet.

Lucky for us the gold standards for energy and protein are the most commonly grown grains. They are very easily sourced and cheap. Read on to see how we utilize whole grains to reduce our feed bill.

Our flock is pasture based. The sheep get almost everything they need from pasture, and a trace mineral salt. They don’t need a complete feed, they are herbivores designed to thrive off of forage only. The grass in our pastures provides almost everything sheep need for the majority of the year. We’ve done forage tests and know this to be true.

The exception being when we ask them for high production. During late gestation and early lactation, nutritional needs are very high, particularly if they have triplets. While our flock can raise lambs on a forage only diet, they will hold condition better and make more milk with some supplementation. And we want that, because that is better for them and better for us.

Energy and protein are often lacking in their diets because they cannot consume enough grass to meet their higher needs during gestation and lactation. This can easily be remedied by feeding them a mixture of whole corn (energy) and raw soybeans (protein). We source them from a local farmer, at a significant cost saving to us over bagged feed. Our lambs can also effectively utilize the same whole grains as long as their rumens are functioning.

If you are feeding omnivores like chickens instead of herbivores, you need to utilize whole feed diets a little more carefully to make sure their nutritional needs are being met.

The requirements of omnivores are somewhat more complex, and you need to have at least a basic understanding of their nutritional requirements. If you do not feel comfortable with designing a diet for omnivores it is probably best to supplement with a complete feed. Alternatively, utilize one of the available feed supplements. They are designed to be fed along side whole grains to make complete poultry/hog diets. This ensures your animals are getting what they need while you learn.

Keep in mind that transitioning your animals doesn’t have to happen immediately or all at once. You can experiment a small amount as you are able and move forward when you feel comfortable with your increased knowledge and how your animals are performing. If you can find a local mentor with experience utilizing whatever feeds are available locally, even better.

As a side note, since we mentioned feeding soybeans above, we would also like to clarify that ruminants like sheep can effectively utilize raw soybeans. You just need to keep in mind they are high in fats so can easily be overfed. Monogastrics like chickens CANNOT eat raw soybeans. For non-ruminants, soybeans need to be cooked/heat treated. You can likely get soybean meal which is safe to feed them from local feed mills.

Lastly, we want to mention the main downside we see to buying feed locally.

Availability. Most of the grain farmers harvest and take everything directly to the grain mill which means that feed is often only available seasonally. You have to get it from the farmer at harvest. Thus, it requires some planning ahead and the ability to store extra feed somewhere dry.

Storage can be as simple as trash cans with lids, or as complicated as a grain bin. Whatever fits your needs and budget. Our preference is to feed our animals seasonally to make logistics easier. We purchase wheat in July when it is harvested and use that to feed our poultry and any sheep who need some extra groceries in the summer or fall. Then in the fall we purchase enough corn to get through the winter and spring.

We hope this has given you some ideas of how you might lower the feed costs on your farm while simultaneously supporting your fellow farmers!

If you would like to read more articles about how we do things on our farm, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.

Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post Slashing Your Feed Bill With Locally Sourced Feed first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

Before we get started, you should know that goose eggs have a reputation for being difficult to hatch.

Don’t give up if your first hatch fails. Over time you will improve your technique and learn exactly what the eggs need to be successful in your particular environment. With the right techniques, you can be successful. If you have hatched chicken eggs in the past, then you have a good handle on the basics of successfully hatching eggs. With a few adjustments you should have no trouble hatching goose eggs. If you are completely new to hatching eggs, don’t worry. We will go over exactly what you need to do to be successful.

Also, it is important to note that geese are a long term commitment. Unlike chickens who are laying eggs when they are 4-6 months old, geese only lay eggs in the spring. This year’s goslings won’t come into production until next year. Then next spring when they are ‘teenagers’, they will not be as productive as they will be in future years. Mature geese will have about 15% higher fertility, and eggs with about 20% higher hatch-ability than 1 year old geese. However, geese pay you back for patiently waiting. A goose can lay eggs and produce goslings for 10 years or more.

Also, geese will often go broody, so as they get older, you may be fortunate enough to have your geese raise some goslings for you. Older, experienced geese that have had goslings in the past will often be more than willing to (and capable of) taking and raising goslings that you hatched. Geese are typically very protective and competent parents, so if you have a good goose/gander pair, they can significantly reduce your gosling rearing workload.

To get goslings, we of course need fertile eggs…

It is important to select the right breed to meet your needs. Geese don’t lay very many eggs in a year, and all geese tend to have low fertility as compared to ducks or chickens. So, it is a good idea to look at both the average number of eggs laid, and the average fertility of a goose breed to make sure it suits your needs before purchasing geese.

Geese only lay 20-30 eggs a year with a fertility level that ranges from 50-80%. This means we need to do everything we can to maximize their fertility. One thing that you can do that can be helpful, particularly for large heavy breeds, is to provide swimming water that is at least 18” deep. Waterfowl normally mate in the water. Because geese are so large and heavy, they can have difficulty mating on dry land. Thus, if you are experiencing fertility issues providing them access to a swimming pool can help.

Also, it has been our experience that early and mid-season eggs tend to be more fertile than late season eggs. The first few eggs laid are also often not fertile. So let the geese lay eggs for a week or two, and then start collecting eggs to put in your incubator.

We would like to note here, that if you are positive you have both male and female geese and get poor fertility the first year your geese are laying eggs, don’t despair. It is not uncommon for first year geese to have fertility rates of 50% or less. As 2 year-olds, the ganders ought to be much more competent, and your fertility rates should be closer to the breed average.

Next we need to talk about incubators

Aside from good quality fertile eggs, the incubator is the most important thing that you need for a successful hatch. A quick internet search will reveal that there are dozens of options and a huge price range. However, keep in mind, you are looking for an incubator for GOOSE eggs.

Most incubators are designed for chicken eggs, and they will not work well for the significantly larger goose eggs. Also, if you are planning to hatch in the incubator, most incubators do not have a high enough ceiling for goslings to be able to stand up. This is also an important consideration.

Ideally you want a forced air incubator with an auto turner that will turn goose eggs. It is best if the eggs can lay on their sides rather than being held upright. One of the main keys to successfully incubating eggs is having an incubator that will maintain a constant temperature without fluctuations. While they are more expensive, forced air incubators typically keep a more uniform temperature than still air incubators. Additionally, a good egg turner is important. Eggs do best if they are turned several times during the day. An auto turner makes this task easy.

If you are curious about what incubator we use for goose eggs, we use an Incuview Incubator.

Please note, we are by no means endorsing this incubator, but its what we have and it works well for us. The Incuvview is relatively inexpensive, successfully turns goose eggs and has a large capacity. Large capacity is important for goose eggs because they are so large. Many incubators that will hold a dozen chicken eggs might only hold 3 goose eggs. The main con we find to this incubator is that it is obviously built out of the cheapest materials they could find, and it breaks easily.

Because goslings cannot stand up in this incubator, and we have had moisture damage the control module during hatch, we no longer hatch eggs inside our incubator. Instead have a separate homemade hatcher. We would recommend that you use a similar system for hatching goose eggs.

Having a separate hatcher allows us to continue to add eggs to our incubator every week. This is important to be able to do. Geese only lay about 3 eggs a week, and only lay eggs for a few months. If you put a batch of eggs in, then wait 30 days for them to hatch, then put more in you might only end up with a few goslings by the time the geese have stopped laying. Using a separate hatcher allows us to hatch a small batch of goslings weekly.

Once you have your incubator set up, you can move on to the hatching process!

First, you will need to collect fresh eggs. You should collect the eggs every day and bring them into the house. Do not wash them. Do not refrigerate them. Store them between 50 degrees and room temperature. Lay them on their sides in a container and flip them over end to end 2-4 times a day. They can be stored up to a week before putting them in the incubator. Eggs kept longer than 7 days will have poor hatch rates.

When you are collecting eggs, you should weigh the eggs, particularly for first year geese. Sometimes first year geese do not produce eggs large enough to successfully hatch. Only eggs that weigh between 140g and 200g should be kept for incubation.

Eggs smaller than 140g are just not big enough to produce a viable gosling. In our experience, smaller eggs may develop, but they typically fail to hatch, and if they do hatch the goslings die within the first week. Don’t waste valuable incubator space on those eggs.

Now when you collect the goose eggs, you shouldn’t empty the nest of eggs. If you do, your geese will likely be upset by you removing the eggs and may relocate their nest elsewhere. The best way to avoid this problem is to either put ceramic eggs in your goose’s nest or to clearly mark the first week’s eggs using a permanent marker and leave them in the nest.

Once you have a week’s worth of eggs stored up

Write the date on one side of them with a permanent marker and place them on the auto turner in your incubator. Make sure that the temperature is staying steady at 99.5 degrees. It is a good idea to verify that the incubator thermostat is accurate prior to setting eggs. You can do this by using a calibrated thermometer. Set it inside a small dish of water in the incubator for several hours and then check the temperature.

In our climate we have found that dry incubating works best, and we don’t overly worry about humidity levels. We would recommend that you do the same unless you live in a very dry climate. It is not humidity level that matters, but rather the size of the air cell in the egg. You should be using the air cell to guide whether you have suitable humidity levels, not the number on a hygrometer. A large enough air cell is critical to a successful hatch, and many people end up accidentally drowning goslings/ chicks by trying to keep the humidity ‘correct’. We will show you how to do this below.

Also, if you are new to hatching eggs, this is an excellent time to read up on incubating and hatching chicken eggs. There is tons of information on hatching chicken eggs available and most of it is applicable to goose eggs as well. A thorough understanding of the chicken egg hatching process will make hatching goose eggs easier.

With chicken eggs, you typically set the eggs and then wait. You don’t open the incubator or disturb the eggs for a week.

Hathcing goose eggs deviates a bit from chicken eggs

With goose eggs, you do two extra things that chicken eggs don’t require to help the eggs hatch. Firstly, in addition to the auto turner, you need to hand turn your eggs. Though the eggs are on an auto turner, they appreciate being hand turned a couple times a day. Auto turners do not turn the eggs as thoroughly as you can manually. Also, sometimes because the auto turners are designed for chicken eggs they don’t turn goose eggs very well. Thus, it is best if you hand turn the eggs morning and night.

When you are hand turning the eggs, there is a right and a wrong way to do it. DO NOT roll them side to side. Carefully flip them over end to end, and then back the other way next time. If you roll or continuously flip the eggs the same time it will twist up the membrane inside. Research has shown that the best hatch rates are obtained if the eggs are flipped end over end 180 degrees at least 4x a day.

Secondly, Goose eggs require misting and cooling. After you have hand turned the eggs, spray them with room temperature water, and leave the lid off of the incubator for 10 minutes or so. This misting and cooling mimics the goose getting off the nest to eat/drink/bathe. The misting and cooling helps keep the goslings from getting too large in the egg. Goslings that are too large, and eggs that have too much moisture will result in a failed hatch.

On day 7 candle the eggs

Once your eggs have been in the incubator for a week, you will be able to see which eggs are developing and which eggs are infertile. To do this, you will use a dark room and a bright flashlight. Shine the bright light through the eggs from the large end. Eggs that are developing should have veins clearly visible. Eggs that are still clear looking, or those with a dark ring around them should be removed from the incubator. Do not leave dead eggs in the incubator as they could ruin your entire hatch.

You should also be able to see the air cell in the egg.

Note the size. It should get larger every week. By the time your eggs are ready to hatch, the air cell should be close to half the egg. Some people like to mark where the air cell is every time they candle the eggs to keep track. If you air cell is enlarging too rapidly, and it is getting close to half the egg long before hatch day increase the humidity in your incubator to 55% or more to slow down the water loss.

Day 7 is also when you would put your second week’s worth of collected eggs into the incubator. Be sure to put the date on them so that you do not confuse them with the older eggs. Continue to hand turn, mist and cool all of the eggs.

On day 14 repeat the process from day 7. Candle all of the eggs. If any from week 1 or week 2 are dead, remove them. Then repeat the process again at day 21. Keep in mind when you candle, that if your air cell is not enlarging every week, you need to lower the humidity. By day 21, you likely won’t be able to see a whole lot in the oldest eggs if they are developing properly. However, what you should see is the large air cell at one end of the egg.

Day 21 is the time to move the first eggs from the incubator to your hatcher.

If you have eggs of several ages in your incubator it is essential to move the groups to a separate hatcher to hatch them. There are several reasons for this. Hatching is a messy process, and if you try to hatch and incubate eggs together, it will contaminate your younger eggs with bacteria. The two groups of eggs require vastly different humidity levels, and raising humidity for hatch will result in the younger eggs not losing enough moisture. And lastly, as eggs near hatch they should no longer be getting turned, but the eggs in earlier development stages still require frequent turning.

Goose eggs hatch between day 28 and 35. Some of the larger breeds take longer to hatch than breeds with smaller eggs. We find that our Embdens hatch at about day 30. On day 21 we move the eggs to our hatcher. There we hand turn them 2x a day and continue to mist and cool the eggs. Between day 25 and 28 you stop turning the eggs add water to the bottom of the hatcher to increase the humidity for hatch.

We typically do this on day 27-28 since we know our eggs will hatch on day 30.

Ceasing to turn the eggs on day 25 should not be a problem, however, unless you are positive that your air cell is the correct size for hatch by day 25, do not increase the humidity that early. The humidity does not have to be high until the eggs have pipped, so if your air cell is still small, avoid raising the humidity until the last minute. The eggs can lose a lot of water during the last week of incubation.

On day 25-28 when you stop turning the eggs and raise the humidity, the eggs go on ‘lock down’. Do not open the incubator or disturb the eggs. You will likely see the eggs rocking back and forth as the goslings work on getting themselves into position to hatch.

And then you wait.

Goose eggs can take a long time to hatch. After you see the eggs rocking about, you might hear the goslings chirping. If you do, this means that they have managed to internally ‘pip’–they pecked a hole through the membrane into that all important air cell. During the next 24 hours, they should externally pip and crack a hole into the shell that they can breathe through. Then they rest.

At this point a lot of people panic and try to help the goslings. Don’t. Unlike chicken eggs that will often go from pip to hatched in a few hours, goose eggs can take a few days. We have found that most often our geese take a 24 hour break from the time they externally pip to the time they actually start to hatch. Then it can take them another day to escape the shell. This means that the entire hatching process takes up to 3 days, and this is normal.

Don’t be tempted to open the incubator to help a gosling hatch.

You need to be patient. They can do it themselves. If they are not ready to come out of the egg and you help, you can easily kill them. Also, by opening the hatcher and causing the humidity to fall, you risk harming the other unhatched goslings. Wait until they have all hatched and dried off before opening the hatcher.

Once they have all hatched and dried off then you can move them to a brooder.

We hope at this point you have managed to successfully hatch some goslings. If you failed, don’t give up. Analyze what went wrong and try again. Goose eggs are some of the most difficult eggs to artificially hatch, but we have successfully done it, and so can you.

If you would like to read more articles like this, please sign up for our newsletter!

Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post Tips To Help You Successfully Hatch Goose Eggs first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

Why not heat lamps?

First and foremost. Heat lamps can be very dangerous. Even if you are careful when using one, they are a huge fire hazard. The bulbs get extremely hot and can ignite things that touch them on fire. This can be dust that accumulated on them, or some shavings or a feather that blew up into them. Alternatively, they could get knocked down. The reality is that countless fires have been caused by heat lamps.

Additionally, because heat lamps are so hot something as simple as a drop of cold water from your ducklings splashing about can cause them to shatter spraying glass everywhere. Or a chick could fly up into the lamp and get badly burned.

Heat lamps also provide light 24 hours a day which isn’t ideal. Essentially all animals are born with a natural circadian rhythm. Having light on around the clock can disrupt this natural rhythm, and can affect development. This is why they warn you against using white light heat lamps and most heat lamps are red.

Lastly, heat lamps require that you have a reasonably warm room. In very cold areas, they often do not have the ability to create enough heat to keep the temperatures high enough for just hatched chicks. If the temperatures get too cold during the night the chicks can pile on each other and crush one another to death. This often means you have to raise chicks in your house, and nobody wants that. Though cute little things, they are loud, messy and stinky.

So what if you could avoid all these pitfalls?

You can. There are alternatives out there. You might have seen one of the most common alternatives, a brooder plate, next to the heat lamps at the feed store. There are more and more brooder plates that you see being used. They work well and chicks like them. Most importantly they are safe. They do not reach the high temperatures that heat lamps do.

Unfortunately, they are often small, and can be shockingly expensive. This can make it prohibitively expensive if you wish to raise a large number of chicks or choose to raise larger birds like ducklings or goslings. Also, just like heat lamps, brooder plates often do not produce enough heat to be used in a cold room.

A cheaper alternative to a brooder plate that many people use is a heat mat for small animals. This is inexpensive, simple, and provides a warm surface for chicks to lay on. Just like brooder plates, they are safe, but also like brooder plates, it can be difficult to keep the chicks warm enough in a cool room.

We felt that neither heat lamps, brooder plates or heat mats met our needs.

We want to be able to raise our poultry outside in an unheated greenhouse while it is still frosting at night. Heat lamps, brooder plates, and heat mats would not allow us to do this. So, we decided that we needed to think outside of the box. Incidentally, the solution we came up with was something we endearingly call the ‘Mother Box’.

The problem with heat lamps, brooder plates, and heat mats is that there is nothing to trap the heat. The heat rises up and dissipates into the cold air of the room making it difficult to maintain the 90 degree temperatures in the brooder that chicks require. Our solution was to take some hints from a mother bird.

If you have ever watched chicks with their mother, you probably noticed that they run out to do chick things, and when they get cold, they will run back under her to warm up. Using this technique, birds can successfully raise chicks at very cold temperature. So to emulate this we created a well-insulated Mother Box.

This simple, cheap solution works remarkably well for us.

To build our Mother Box prototypes, we used cardboard boxes, but a plastic tote that is easy to wash would be better. We simply took a box that was about 12 x 12 x 8, cut a door hole in the side of it about 5” wide and 4” tall. Then we thoroughly wrapped the box with two layers of silver bubble wrap insulation, and set it on a heat mat. We found a box of this size would hold 15-20 chicks comfortably.

The big question was of course: What would the chicks think of the Mother Box?

We introduced the Mother Box to a mixed batch of recently hatched chicks and goslings. At first we had to shove them under the box, but once they realized it was warm inside, they were popping in and out to alternately eat and then warm up.

The first night as the light started to fade and the temperatures started to fall we found almost every single one of them contentedly sprawled out under the box, and we also helped a few stragglers find their way. We checked on them several times that night as the temperatures fell. Every time they were still contentedly sleeping. The next morning chicks were popping in and out eating breakfast in the chilly morning air. Success!

This worked so well that we created a Mother Box 2.0 for the transition to the coop. Mother Box 2.0 is much larger, and unheated. It relies only upon the body heat of the partially feathered chicks.

As the chicks grew we added a second box so that they still all had ample space to get inside.

When our batch of Mother Box test chicks outgrew their brooder space, we apprehensively moved the partially feathered chicks to our coop. It was early spring so nighttime temperatures were still low, and we did not have any easy way to get electricity to the coop for a heat source.

For this transition, we created Mother Box 2.0. This time we used a box about 2 feet long, 18” wide and 1 foot tall. We made it exactly the same way minus the heat source. It was large enough for all of the chicks to fit inside together. And it worked. They quickly figured out the new box and come night fall they were all happily sleeping under it.

We found that this method worked for us to raise chicks, ducklings and goslings in temperatures down close to freezing. We have also found that the chicks raised this way required less heat for a shorter amount of time than those raised under heat lamps.

Some things to keep in mind

Just like with a heat lamp, it is important to check chick behavior to determine if they are warm enough. Don’t just rely on a thermometer, and what the internet tells you the temperature should be. If they are warm and content, they will be laying spaced out and not trying to pile on top of each other. Also keep in mind that this method will likely work better with a larger amount of chicks than just 2 or 3. For this heat method to work, you are relying partially on trapping the body heat the chicks are making. Understandably, 15 chicks will make a lot more body heat than 3 and will be better able to keep warm.

On the same line of thinking, we think it is important to size your Mother Box appropriately. It needs to be big enough that all the chicks will fit comfortably. It also needs to be big enough that they have space to do some growing, but not so big that enough heat cannot be retained. This is why we started with one 12 x 12 box, and then added a second one as the chicks outgrew the first box.

Lastly, if you are planning to use this method to brood chicks in a cold environment, make sure to check on them repeatedly to ensure that they are warm enough. Also equally importantly, make sure everyone makes it into the box to sleep. The first few nights we had to help a few stragglers find their way home.

We hope that you have a successful chick hatching and rearing season, and we hope that this has given you some new ideas to try if you are unsatisfied with other methods you have tried.

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Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post The Perfect Alternative Heat Source For Brooding Chicks first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

Did you know that prior to World War II, and the advent of total mixed rations, eating chicken was a delicacy reserved for special occasions? Before we had our modern-day hybrid broilers, and factory farms to grow them, chicken was a very expensive meat to grow. This is because chickens require large quantities of grains and protein to lay eggs or grow well. Grain is a high input commodity that requires a lot of land to grow and is not easy for small farms to produce in the quantities needed to support a large flock of chickens.

Almost every person who gets into homesteading gets chickens. They are usually the first animal added and we assume they are the best, most efficient bird to raise. We base this assumption on them being raised commercially. Then we come to realize we cannot come close to producing meat or eggs for the low price found at the grocery store. No matter how you try to do it. Without access to the economies of scale of a commercial production systems chickens cannot be raised inexpensively.

Historical homesteading provides some insight

The self-sufficient small farms of yesteryear are much more closely aligned with most homesteads than modern agriculture. For this reason homesteaders should look at what animals were economical on self-sufficient farms in the past.

Historically, animals that thrived on a forage based diet were the most common animals on self-sufficient homesteads. These animals were less expensive to grow than chickens. Chickens were kept for eggs, and their meat was a delicacy. This also holds true for most self sufficient homesteads today. A homestead faces the same difficulties producing and harvesting grains practically as the farms did historically. The reality is that for most self-sufficient small farms, chickens are about the most expensive meat source you can grow.

Many of the small farms that America was built on used to have a flock of geese. The geese were a valuable asset to the farms. They were used as guard animals, to weed crops, they were also used as a source of meat, eggs, and down for clothing and pillows. Unlike grain hungry chickens, if you have ample pasture, geese can be raised very inexpensively.

Geese are herbivores like cows or sheep.

Geese are unique among domestic poultry in that they are grazing herbivores whose diet mainly consists of grass. In fact, they would prefer it to most any other food. This is why geese love golf courses and parks. They are there to eat the tender new shoots of grass. Given the opportunity, goslings will be grazing within days of hatching. On good quality pasture, geese can live and grow with no or very little grain. So, despite their large size, they are remarkably economical to grow and keep.

Minimal care and housing–a huge plus!

Geese have very minimal housing requirements. Being waterfowl, they are almost completely impervious to cold and wet conditions. We find that our geese are perfectly happy to be out day and night regardless of the weather. They are unbothered by wind, torrential rain or snow. They do not require a coop or any kind of elaborate shelter. A simple wind break is likely sufficient in all but the coldest parts of the country.

Geese are also not as vulnerable to predators as smaller poultry. While predators like foxes or raccoons can and will eat a goose, they are not preferred. Because geese are so large, alert, highly flock oriented and can be aggressive, unless predators are desperate, they will prey on easier targets. Our geese live inside an electric fence with our sheep. They graze the same pastures and share the same 3 sided shelters. Thus far, this has proven sufficient predator protection for our geese.

We chose Embden geese for their production abilities

While there are a variety of heritage breeds, and even some auto-sexing breeds of geese out there, on our farm, we have chosen to raise Embden geese. We decided that if we were going to be raising an animal mainly for meat it would make sense to raise production birds. Embden geese were bred for production. Equally importantly, they are also one of the less expensive breeds to acquire.

Embdens were mainly bred for meat production. They grow rapidly and have a nice carcass. The second reason we chose Embden geese was for their egg production. Most geese are not great egg layers. However, the Embdens have decent egg production and much better fertility than other breeds. After all, these are both important traits for good meat production. We have found that our geese will lay an egg every other day throughout the spring months giving us more than enough to eat and hatch.

Well-fed Embden geese will weigh 15-16 lbs at 16 weeks, which is the standard processing age. They have a feed conversion efficiency of 5. While this is significantly worse than Cornish cross chickens (1.8), it is much better than most heritage breed chickens (7-10). Plus, you have to remember that much of the feed the goose is consuming is free grass. Geese are extremely hardy and self sufficient, so they do not require nearly as much housing, heat, and care as chicks.

No, you don’t need a pond

A misconception many people have about keeping waterfowl such as ducks and geese is that they require a pond. Geese would of course like a pond, but they do not require one to stay healthy. They are also less obsessed with water than ducks. At minimum, they will need a water source that will allow them to be able to dip their heads and eyes under water. We provide our geese with 15 gal rubber tubs that we fill half way and dump out daily. Their swimming water can be something as simple as that.

That being said, if you can provide them a swimming pool (like a 300 gal stock tank) that they can bathe in, they would be thrilled. Giving them access to an area of water a couple feet deep will likely help with fertility as well. Geese naturally mate in water, and some large geese have difficulty doing so on land.

What does goose taste like?

This is a very valid question. Most people haven’t tasted geese and have no idea what it is like. For those of you who have never tasted goose, it tastes like the very flavorful dark meat of chicken. It has a very mild, pleasant flavor. If you have eaten duck, it is not nearly as strongly flavored as duck. We have found that goose makes a good substitute for chicken in most dishes, and pairs well with chicken seasonings. It will not be difficult to adapt your menu to using home grown goose rather than chicken.

And we of course should address the issue of geese being aggressive and terrifying to have around.

In our opinion, geese get more of a bad rap than they deserve. Anyone who has kept roosters knows that they can also be quite aggressive and prone to attacking humans. Yet we do not warn people away from keeping chickens because of rooster aggression. The same holds true for geese. In fact, I am less worried about being harmed by one of my geese than any of the roosters that have lived here.

Yes, geese are big, and they can be intimidating. And of course they can be aggressive. Canada geese are a perfect example of this and may be a large part of the reason people are so biased against keeping geese.

Fortunately, most domestic geese are not as foul tempered as Canada geese.

Raised and managed properly, geese can be a peaceful part of your farm. Raise your goslings with other goslings, so that they know they are geese, and do not handle them more than necessary. That way they will recognize you as their human because you come to feed them and move them to new pasture. However, they will not be overly friendly and will still retain their natural fear of humans, which will help to keep the adult geese respectful.

Most geese are bullies that are all bluff. They do not actually want to fight you. This means that if you can show your dominance to them when they challenge you, the majority of the time they will back down. Typically asserting dominance is as simple as spreading your arms and walking purposefully towards them when they challenge you. This action ought to force them to move away from you. If you do have a gander that does not back down, the simple solution is to cull him. There are plenty of domestic geese out there that are not overly aggressive. As with any animals on your farm, you should select for the traits you desire in your flock.

While we have found our geese to be peaceful for the majority of the year, domestic geese tend to be highly protective of their young, particularly during the spring breeding season. This is a good thing in the sense that you want them to protect their vulnerable goslings if you allow them to hatch their own eggs. We find our ganders start to get protective sometime in January. Once they are done nesting the switch flips, and they go back to their normal old laid-back selves.

Create nesting areas in quiet places away from high traffic areas

This is the best way to deal with these breeding season hormones. Section off a peaceful area for them where they can be undisturbed. That way they do not feel the need to be protective of a high traffic area. It will result in lower stress for both them and you.

We hope that this encourages you to think outside of the narrow range of foods that factory farming provides. Geese can be a wonderful addition to a homestead. Despite our initial hesitation (because of the bad rap geese get), we have found geese and particularly goslings to be one of the most enjoyable animals to keep. Having an adorable group of goslings following you around or chattering to you (their surrogate mother) about their day’s adventures never gets old.

If you would like to read more about how our how we make our homestead work, please sign up for our newsletter!

Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post Incorporating Geese Into Your Homestead first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.