Klerksdorp Hatchery And Incubators

05/11/2025

HOW TO IDENTIFY GOOD EGG-LAYERS IN YOUR COOP

◇GOOD LAYER

~Wider and longer body, perfect for frequent laying.
~Bright red comb and wattles — clear signs of health and fertility.
~Large gap between the pelvic bone and the breastbone, about three fingers fit.
~This spacing means the reproductive system is active and the hen is in peak production.

◇POOR LAYER

~Narrow, compact body shape.
~Small, pale comb and wattles — showing low hormonal activity.
~Small gap between the pelvic and breastbone — only one or two fingers fit.
~Usually lays few eggs or is past her productive period.

☆》Observing body structure and checking this simple measurement helps you spot which hens are still productive and which ones should be replaced.

2025 I Good VS Poor Layer

05/11/2025

Incubation Periods of Bird Eggs
The time it takes for bird eggs to hatch varies widely depending on the species.
Successful hatching requires consistent warmth, humidity, and in most cases, the regular turning of eggs.
Here are the typical incubation periods for some common and domestic bird species:

Chicken
Incubation: About 21 days
Notes: Requires stable temperature, humidity, and daily turning.

Turkey
Incubation: Around 28 days
Young: Called poults

Quail
Incubation: 16 to 23 days depending on the species
Japanese Quail: 17–18 days
Bobwhite Quail: About 23 days

Duck
Incubation: Generally 28 days
Exception: Muscovy ducks require about 35 days

Goose
Incubation: 28 to 35 days depending on breed
Smaller breeds: 28–30 days
Larger breeds: 32–35 days
Guinea Fowl
Incubation: 26 to 28 days
Notes: Comparable to turkeys in duration

Peafowl
Incubation: 28 to 30 days
Notes: The female typically carries out incubation alone

Ostrich
Incubation: 42 to 46 days
Notes: Both male and female share incubation duties

19/10/2025

"You're trying to make ends connect regardless of how our economy is, how high unemployment rate is, but you trying. You decide to focus on livestock farming and you know it can take so many years to have more livestock but you gave it a try anyway.

Sad thing start when it is seen that your livestock is multiplying and then BOOM things go bad and thieves decide to do you dirty by stealing all your livestock!

The pain of waking up in the morning and think that you still dreaming cause all your livestock is gone! No cows in your kraal! You go mad, wtf is happening?! The traumatic experience you face, you even go almost all places tryna search your cows hoping you'll find them and when you do you find them slaughtered and left like that:

💔🥹"

14/10/2025

Our Hen was sick, yesterday suffering from an airway obstruction, so it became an impromptu lesson in anatomy for the kids as I prepared her for dinner. This is undoubtedly one of the most incredible things to find, when opening up a hen in laying season: a fully formed egg waiting to be laid, and several yolks of various developmental sizes around the o***y. When you do homeschool, you learn real life.

11/10/2025

Hi Farmers

Here are four important questions to ask yourself about the role of a rooster in your layer chickens flock in South Africa:

1. Do you need a rooster for your hens to lay eggs?
- Hens will lay eggs whether or not you have a rooster present.
- The main role of a rooster is for fertilizing eggs, making chicks possible if you want to hatch your own.
- If your goal is only to collect eggs for eating, you do not need a rooster.

2. Does a rooster help hens lay more eggs or bigger eggs?
- The presence of a rooster does not boost egg production or egg size in hens.
- Egg laying is mainly affected by breed, nutrition (protein around 16-18%, calcium 3.5-4% in feed), and good management.
- Stress, poor diets, disease, or bad environment reduce laying far more than the presence or absence of a rooster.

3. Are there other reasons to keep a rooster with layer chickens?
- Roosters can help protect the flock from some predators, especially if your chickens range outdoors.
- They help maintain flock order, sometimes reducing fights between hens.
- Roosters can be noisy and may sometimes injure hens through over-mating (ideal ratio: 1 rooster per 10-12 hens).

4. What should you consider before adding a rooster to your flock?
- Local regulations may limit keeping roosters due to noise complaints.
- Having more than one rooster can cause fighting and stress in the flock.
- If you don’t want fertilized eggs, or if you only want eggs for consumption, a rooster is unnecessary.

08/10/2025

A lady approached an old street vendor and asked, "How much do you sell your eggs for?" The elderly man replied, "R2 an egg, madam." The lady responded, "I'll take 6 eggs for R8.00, or I'll leave." The old man, needing the sale, said, "Buy them at the price you want, Madam. This is a good start for me because I haven't sold a single egg today, and I need this to live."
She bought the eggs at her negotiated price and left, feeling as though she had won. She then got into her fancy car and went to a high-end restaurant with a friend. They ordered what they wanted, ate a little, and left much of the food untouched. When the bill came, totaling R250, the ladies gave R300 and told the restaurant owner to keep the change as a tip.
This story might seem normal to the restaurant owner, but it's a stark contrast to the interaction with the egg seller. It raises an important question: Why do we feel the need to assert our power when buying from those in need, yet show generosity to those who don't require it?
There’s a story of a father who used to buy goods from poor people at a higher price than they asked, even though he didn’t need the items. Sometimes, he paid more than the asking price. His children, puzzled by this, eventually asked him, "Why do you do this, Dad?" The father replied, "It’s charity wrapped in dignity."
Most people might not share this message, but for those who take the time to read it, this small attempt at "humanization" may be one step further in the right direction.



゚

01/10/2025

October:
please be kind to us and come with blessings ❤️

01/10/2025

When do you start introducing treats to chicks? And what treats do you suggest? Cheers

01/10/2025

Here are incubating durations of different birds

30/09/2025

Expected hatch of broilers on the 7th October. You can WhatsApp to place your order. 100chicks for R1300

New chicks in the block

02/09/2025

One girl from the farm sick pen was getting so impatient to start her new life that she seemed to be thinking about taking matters into her own wings.

13/08/2025

🐣 The Purpose of a Break Test – How to Tell if an Egg Was Fertile

Not all eggs in your incubator will hatch — but the big question is why?
The Break Test helps farmers find out.

🔍 What is a Break Test?
It’s when you carefully crack open unhatched eggs after the hatch to check for signs of development.

💡 Purpose:

To see if the egg was fertile (it started developing) or infertile (no development at all).

To pinpoint whether low hatch rates are caused by poor fertility or incubation problems.

🛠 How to Do It:

1. Wait until the hatch is complete.

2. Collect all unhatched eggs.

3. Crack them open gently into a tray.

4. Look for embryo development signs:

Fertile Egg – Development Visible

Early stage: Tiny red blood spot or a network of thin blood vessels on the yolk.

Mid stage: Small chick shape forming with eyes and body outline.

Late stage: Fully formed chick that died before hatching.

Infertile Egg – No Development

Clear egg white and yolk with no blood spots or veins.

📊 Why It’s Important:

Mostly infertile eggs? Problem is with breeder flock, rooster ratio, or egg collection.

Mostly fertile eggs that didn’t hatch? Problem is with incubation settings, temperature, humidity, or turning.

✅ Takeaway:
The Break Test is a farmer’s detective tool — helping you find the real cause of poor hatch rates so you can fix it and improve your results.