5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[itsbob]

For those of you who remember, I had to cull my aggressive roo, Zeus, a few days ago, and got two new guys that same day. Well, realized the quarantine I had them in wasn't really quarantine, since I had one in a separate pen INSIDE the run, and one in another pen up against the run. Stupid newbie mistake. So, since they already were exposed to my girls, I figured there's no point keeping them separated. I put both boys in the run with the girls today. Took the EE about 10 minutes to assert his dominance over one of the pullets. A few minutes later was pullet number 2. I'm so excited...once Zeus' sperm is out of their systems, I will be able to hatch their eggs with the new guy's genes...woohoo!!! Reminder photos of my new guys... The EE: Chocolate Orpington Bantam: Even though I put both of them with the girls, my plan is to separate my Choc. Orp. once the chicks I have incubating get big enough, and those will be his flock. I'm converting my goat shed into a second coop, and the goats are going to a new shed. That way he has his own space with his own girls. So it looks like after this hatch...since the Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in the city closest to me do NOT sell fertile eggs...my next will be Easter Egger/Barred Rock crosses and Easter Egger/Commercial Black crosses. Then, once the chicks I have in the bator now have grown to egg laying age, I'll hatch some of those...with the Choc. Orp as the daddy... Then, after those... I've got the incubating fever BAD, don't I???

Where didnyou get the EE Rooster? I want one and will drive to get it!

 

[Nonyah Biz]

so my light blue eggs are now too dark to candle

i want to see lol so now its the sit back and wait game...and fyi im very impatient

..hatch hatch hatch hatch

 

[roostereggs]

my silkies get their fros spiked from the rain.....my white rooster looks like he walked in chocolate!

 

[Whoops]

Eight more days!

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

just opened 10 of my clears......they were clears! the only growing they ever did was growing smellier!

I didn't open one of the clears bc I thought I may have saw something.....






so, now we have 15 eggs in the bator.....hopefully the 14 which may be growing well turn out!

Good luck! Sorry i haven't been online much lately, spending the holidays in canada and there's been no power or wifi! Then we heard there's 60+ degree temps back home in Connecticut!

 

[JLaw]

Where didnyou get the EE Rooster? I want one and will drive to get it!

I have like 9 ee roos I'm giving away here soon in ny.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Oh yes...I'm not having the nightmares like you, but I'm so afraid I did something wrong, since this is my first hatch as well. I had issues with humidity in the beginning, and the air cells are still smaller than they should be (I started my eggs 12/12 at 1:30 p.m.) at this stage. I'm also paranoid that they'll start to hatch while I'm sleeping and one will need help, but I'll be oblivious and it will die.

Oh yes...I'm not having the nightmares like you, but I'm so afraid I did something wrong, since this is my first hatch as well. I had issues with humidity in the beginning, and the air cells are still smaller than they should be (I started my eggs 12/12 at 1:30 p.m.) at this stage. I'm also paranoid that they'll start to hatch while I'm sleeping and one will need help, but I'll be oblivious and it will die.




I am just a paranoid about being asleep when they hatch and they die because I wasnt paying attention! EEK!

If it makes you feel better, you can always think that perhaps if they needed help they wouldn't have thrived and lived a full life... just a fall back if it does happen. I'm sure it happens in the wild, right?

Don't worry they make a lot of noise and have enough food to last you sleeping.... I hope.

If they were to die, I'd feel so guilty I'd swear I'd never incubate again. Then I'd come to my senses...and just stay up for 72 hours straight so it wouldn't happen again!!

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Where didnyou get the EE Rooster? I want one and will drive to get it!

I got him from Mustard Seed Farm in Lousia, Virginia. It's like 10 minutes from my house. I met the owner at our local feed store (Southern States) a little over a month ago. She's an awesome woman, and she LOVES her chickens!!

 

[roostereggs]

Day 17 candling. The last time I candled all 32 of them was day 14 and everyone looked good with detectable movement in most. Tonite I found two that were not filling up the eggs, missing veins, seemed to be loose/floppy when I moved them, and there was floaty debris inside. I finished candling the others and tucked them back in, then tried again to look for movement. Nothin'.

I put them into ziplocks and cracked the shells. They were so tiny! One was 2 inches long, and the other 1.5 inches long. They had cute little beaks and big bulgy dark eyes. Compared to the sizes I saw candling tonite, I think they died days ago. One was a RIR x production red and the other was a RIR x mystery, both from my own flock.

Which is just crazy! I have culled 3 of 12 eggs from my own flock...and NONE of the 21 that DMRippy shipped me from across the country in Tennessee!

My 13yo dd didn't want to see them, then changed her mind and took a quick peek.

Of the 30/33 I have left, most were active movers. It is so cool to see how much space they have taken up in the shells...about 2/3 of the eggs are shadows with cute beaks and feets at the top. The one with the egg cell on the center/side of the egg...I figured out what was wrong. It is in an egg that is shaped the same on top AND bottom, so it has been upside down (I couldn't tell until tonite), and I don't think it will make it. It is moving, but is WAY smaller than the others. I almost culled it just so it wouldn't go thru the hard work of hatching and still not make it, but decided to let nature take it's course. Not for me to decide! I named that one Milagro...because I have said since day 1 it will be a miracle if it survives!

My favorites are my two green eggs...RIR x EEs...already named Birdbrain and Green Bean (I candle them nightly so I can talk to them).

If my family had any doubts before...they don't now. I am the cray-cray chicken lady!

 

[Nicky-the-witch]

Not sure if this is my final count yet - Nell has not abandoned the nest and the final 3 eggs. I cannot believe how well she did with 12 shipped eggs and a day with temps over 44C (112F)!!
My super broody Nell with her new chickies!!!