my first fertile egg o' the season

 .. set the first 3 on the 11th --- looks like one's good

set the next 6 last night.....

for now they're in the same bator, as i get closer to lockdown (if they make it that far), i've got other bators for the different humidities...

all hens are coming into their second year, most of the boys are also -- i've got two 3rd year boys, but it looks like a few of the 2 year olds are doing the work.. they're laying this early because i've got lights on in the coop for heat for some of my younger silkies that they share their space with...

Quote:

Originally Posted by MinxFox 

Wow congrats on an early start! Any idea on what kind of peachicks you might hatch out?

thanks-- i'm kinda psyched! ..the hens that i'm pretty sure are the ones laying are an opal, an ibbs and one or two split ib's (pretty sure they're split to either white or pied) ... the most active boys are two ib split (white or pied), two bs ibbs , one white and purple silver pied ..iow, i'll probably hatch blues...

Quote:

Originally Posted by AugeredIn 

Wow! From my recollection previous attempts to stimulate egg laying were successful but did not result in fertile eggs until much closer to a normal season.

so far only one's definitely fertile ---time'll tell with the rest ... i wasn't trying to stimulate them and wasn't really expecting anything from them this season being that all the hens are only in their second year  .... last november (2011) i had older peas (they went to a friend who built a 1/4 acre enclosure for 'em) who started laying in november due to the lights that were on for these guys at the time -- none of those were fertile...

on top of the light issue, we've also had some very mild weather lately which may have also contributed --- as of today we're back to COLD, so they may stop???  no eggs today...

one of the first 3 is growing great and 5 of the next 6 are fertile  two days with no eggs, then another 2 today.... i expect a few tomorrow...

one of some of the boys struttin their stuff a few day ago...

and two shots of eggs at different ages...

put 4 more in the bator last night .... woke up to another egg this morning (currently sweating in the house) -- don't know if it was laid last night or this morning --i'm out there with a flashlight after it gets dark scouting for eggs... the temps for the coming week are below freezing, so i'll be too in my search for eggs....