13th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-Along

[Iluveggers]

I ended up setting 38 (BC1, F2, Legbar). Since these are from my own birds, I expect a reasonably high hatch rate which means I better get more housing in place ASAP! There’s always something to build, it seems. I have 5 of my original birds (just now a year old), 6 from a September hatch, and 11 six-week olds of which 9(!) are female so I don’t have many going to freezer camp soon. I need boys out of that top set of BC1 eggs, and F2s being crazy diverse, I wanted to set as many of those as I could since I’ve only got one F1 girlie. My feed costs are gonna be Wish the soy-free options weren’t so expensive.View attachment 3039771

Those are really pretty! What is BC & F2?

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Those are really pretty! What is BC & F2?

Bc is Backcross f2 is the second generation of a bird from breeding two f1s

 

[yotetrapper]

Mine are going to be hatching 2 days early. Can I still join?

 

[pinewoodacres]

Those are really pretty! What is BC & F2?

BC = backcross
F2 = second filial

F1 = first filial, the first generation progeny of a cross (in my case, Welsummer x Cream Legbar)

You get the backcross from crossing one of the F1s with one of the parents (or a different individual of that breed). These are from crossing my remaining F1 cockerel with two unrelated Cream Legbar pullets. If I was to cross those babies with one of the parents/parent breeds again, that would be BC2.

The F2s result from breeding the F1s with each other. I have one cockerel and one pullet from my F1 generation and the eggs are hers and fertilized by him.

Hatching more Legbars helps me with future crossings so I can not have to use the same birds over and over, although that's acceptable if I have to. Plus my CL cockerel is more of a meanie than I'd prefer. But I loooove my F1 boy and want to use him as much as I can this year. Another reason I'm hoping for some boys out of those eggs.

Hope this helps. I'm nothing if not detail-oriented.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

You hatching eggs whitey?!??

Yes

 

[Josip]

They probably wont hatch any way. I got them in yesterday so they will be older and they all detatched air cells.

Same problem most of my eggs comes with bad air cells so i have them 48 hours to sit prior incubation.. lets hope for best

 

[Faraday40]

I'm in! We have eggs due April 15-16. I say "we" because it's a dual-purpose hatch. It's part of DS's 4-H project AND he's hatching the eggs for a BYC friend. Friend gets all the chicks from her eggs and DS gets the data for his project.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

So it looks like the official number for me is:
6 Welsh harlequin eggs - all developing at this point
6 Appenzellar spitzhauben
6 Seramas
5 English Orpington EE (Orp roo over CCl hen)
5 English Orpington
Total: 28 eggs

My prediction is that the seramas, spitz and EE will all be fertile. The orps.....not so much. They need butt trims and cleanings.

I also gave 15 Silver laced orpington hatching eggs from Carolina Rare chicks to @Faraday40 to hatch for me this week. She has a phenomenal hatch rate! Crossed fingers on this one!

 

[FiestyFeathersFarm]

I set some last week so I’m early, darn! My seramas are setting on some eggs so I snagged a few to put in the incubator lol

 

[Kurczaklover]

I'm in FL, I can ship you eggs. If you're interested send me a pm.

I am in the panhandle and have fertilized eggs if that helps.