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

[ronott1]

I was just looking at my NYD hatched chicks--They will be two weeks old tomorrow! I will need to take new pictures.

I have three boys for sure and three girls for sure. One is questionable.

I love Penedesenca crosses. You can tell gender very quickly with them.

You will see when I post pictures.

 

[JDchicks]

I was just looking at my NYD hatched chicks--They will be two weeks old tomorrow! I will need to take new pictures.

I have three boys for sure and three girls for sure. One is questionable.

I love Penedesenca crosses. You can tell gender very quickly with them.

You will see when I post pictures.

Can't wait to see.

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

my only new years chicky out of six eggs =/ atleast my Christmas chicks are the same size and breed so it's not lonely =)

 

[ronott1]

my only new years chicky out of six eggs =/ atleast my Christmas chicks are the same size and breed so it's not lonely =)

Cute!

 

[Gardeningmama]

Well, I took a few new pictures of my chicks, now 2 weeks old.......strange thing happened.....Leven began flapping and grew very tall, thrusted his head back and managed to squeek out a crow! I wish I would've had this on video! it was rather pathetic but very interesting! I had no idea he would begin crowing so soon! this is a bad thing......that means he will become rather loud and will bother my neighbors while in my garage! what do I do? its too cold to transition him to a coop soon......and my hen will not take him or any of his siblings.

Leven-Male
OE Japanese Bantam Cross

Squidgy-Male?
Sizzle white

Timothy-?
Sizzle partridge

Tokyo
Japanese Bantam

Wiggles
Japanese Bantam


All of my Japanese bantams squat when I take them out.....all three of them do....its weird....in the brooder they run around and fly attempt, but in my kitchen they just sit.....what are they doing? are they scared of hardwood? they are all healthy and happy!


Sadly I may have to get rid of some of my roosters.....I am very sad. I am going by the 2 hens per rooster rule.....I may come out with one too many roosters.
I don't want to give my own OE crosses away, for their parents are with me and they were my first chicks I ever hatched from my own chickens.

Awww...I know it's sad. That's what got me to stop hatching so much. I was over run with roos that I couldn't find homes for, and I don't process. After the Easter Hatch-A-Long..I'm done for the year. Your chicks are just beautiful...especially that Partridge Sizzle Silkie!!!

Got my guy to stand still long enough for a couple of pic's today.........
His tail has not grow in from his molt......................

The hen is an old 1/2 English....she just loves him..............

They are gorgeous!

So I am pretty sure that I am the only person who is STILL hatching from our New Years Day hatch.

Live Baby count is still at 3 , 1 that I am sure was rotten and now thrown away, 2 I am sure are clear and 3 more babies MOVING in their little shells. Oh why oh why won't they hatch?!?!?!?!?!

Seriously, I set the eggs under Mama! I know how many were there!!!

Does anyone know why my eggs are so staggered? Maybe one wan't warm enough to start developing? Is that possible?

Now I'm thinking that I need an incubator because Mama is busy taking care of the three little ones and not sitting on the eggs as much as before. However, she is inside the nice and warm house - maybe it is hot enough that they can be ok without her sitting all of the time. Is that possible?

This is so very crazy to me! I can handle the idea of 21 days give or take a day or two but REALLY?!?!?!

Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?

By the way, here are pictures of my little cuties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






Jasmine is black, Jelly is light cream body and head with striped feathers and a light colored beak, Bean (last pic) dark head and light body.

Mama is so wonderful that she lets me hold them whenever I want (under close supervision). She must know another mother!

Wowser! What dayish are the ones left on? Momma broody getting up that much can't be a good thing. I'm with Ron, you need a bator!

 

[chickengirl1193]

X2

No, Sex links are not sexable after the first generation. They will break back to the parent stock. Auto sexing breeds are sexable generation after generation.

All of those are imports. We did not develop auto sexing breeds in the United States.

Cream Legbars
Rhode Bars
 Are two that are here.

More are listed here but most are not available in the US. http://www.autosexing.co.uk/

They won't breed true.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sex-links/BRKMaking.html
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sex-links/BRKSexLink.html

Okay so even if they are no longer sexlinks, will they still be a healthy laying bird if they came from a good breeder flock? I'm pretty sure the roo is a barnyard mix. Im just looking for some good laying hens because I have my EEs and im going to hatch their eggs eventually but I also want to sell eggs so I just want cheap chickens that will lay well and there's nothing cheaper than free from my neighbor lol

 

[ronott1]

Okay so even if they are no longer sexlinks, will they still be a healthy laying bird if they came from a good breeder flock? I'm pretty sure the roo is a barnyard mix. Im just looking for some good laying hens because I have my EEs and im going to hatch their eggs eventually but I also want to sell eggs so I just want cheap chickens that will lay well and there's nothing cheaper than free from my neighbor lol

They will be like the parents and will lay like the did. They will not lay as much as a sex link cross. You could get one of the parent stock and breed back using the correct color to make a sexlink and make for from them. You could repeat the cycle for years making your own line of sex links if you like the results.

You could use Barred Rock for one of the parents and also keep some Cornish hens and make a line of meat crosses too.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

People think im a little off my rocker too! Im the crazy chicken lady and poor DH doesn't even like my chickens and his work buudies all refer to him as Chicken Man aw my poor boy, look what I have done to him lol.

Im the same way with my eggs, I make everyone look at them and display baskets of eggs on the counter. I have most of the egg colors I still need a white egg layer and a medium brown egg layer.

Not exactly the same situation but my wife isn't fond of the chickens, though she does appreciate the eggs. My friends call me chicken man.

I have found 2 breeder with eggs, and 1 of them also has chicks/juveniles. Because of their limited availability, I may just get the chicks. That way its guaranteed. Hate to pay a fortune for eggs that I mess up trying to hatch. Specially such a rare breed.

It's a toss up. You're right, at least the chicks are already chicks and cheaper. I think the earlier chicks get food and water makes a difference in their development. In that respect, eggs are better.

3 of 3 eggs that went into lockdown hatched today. All Heritage RIR.

Good job.

Did someone already say what day the Easter hatch starts? I have a 9 week old Marans, and I'm wondering if he might be fertile in time.

The cockerel may be fertile by then, especially going into spring the increasing day length will start him up sooner. That said, it isn't the best idea to use a very young rooster though. Very young males can have abnormal sperm resulting in low hatchability.

No, they will not. They need to get to 30 plus weeks to be laying, fertile and big enough eggs.

I read the results of a study--hatch rates go down for eggs below 45 to 50G

Right. It's especially not a good idea to hatch pullet eggs. Small size and thicker shells will cause problems for the embryos and chicks. Aside from the size, the first few eggs from a pullet usually won't develop properly because of certain molecules not transferring from the yolk to the embryo.
Commercial companies keep broiler breeders on short days till they're at least 20 weeks AND at least 4.5 lbs. before light stimulation. The goal is for them to be at least 24 weeks and of sufficient size before the first eggs are laid. That way the eggs are big enough, they don't have to cull many for incubation.

All of my Japanese bantams squat when I take them out.....all three of them do....its weird....in the brooder they run around and fly attempt, but in my kitchen they just sit.....what are they doing? are they scared of hardwood? they are all healthy and happy!


Sadly I may have to get rid of some of my roosters.....I am very sad. I am going by the 2 hens per rooster rule.....I may come out with one too many roosters.
I don't want to give my own OE crosses away, for their parents are with me and they were my first chicks I ever hatched from my own chickens.

My chicks are extremely skittish and run around like banshees in the brooder at the slightest disturbance. When I put them in a bucket to weigh a batch and put them back in the brooder, they just sit like they're in shock and act quite relaxed. Chickens are weird.

It's tough to decide who to part with. Emotions aside, I choose those that will best enhance the vigorousness of the flock.
I sometimes keep pairs together when I want to be sure who both parents are, sometimes even trios like you're considering. But most of the time I try to have no fewer than 5 hens per rooster. If I can ever get my trapnests built, I won't have to worry about it.

My laying hens are about 25 weeks right now. Three Barred Rock crosses, two Australorps, and a Marans.

ETA - I miscalculated - he's actually 10 weeks old now. So my estimation is he'll be 22 weeks by March 30.

The pullets eggs should be fine by then.

I was just looking at my NYD hatched chicks--They will be two weeks old tomorrow! I will need to take new pictures.

I have three boys for sure and three girls for sure. One is questionable.

I love Penedesenca crosses. You can tell gender very quickly with them.

You will see when I post pictures.

I start to detect boys at a couple weeks too, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. Sometime noticeable right out of the shell. The pullets combs don't grow till at least 16 weeks.
Aside from the comb, the boys legs are thicker and longer at about 3 weeks too.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Okay so even if they are no longer sexlinks, will they still be a healthy laying bird if they came from a good breeder flock? I'm pretty sure the roo is a barnyard mix. Im just looking for some good laying hens because I have my EEs and im going to hatch their eggs eventually but I also want to sell eggs so I just want cheap chickens that will lay well and there's nothing cheaper than free from my neighbor lol

Barnyard mixes are usually quite healthy due to the injection of diverse genes. They can be good layers, like the parentage.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Quote: Don't give up yet. They may hatch a lil late. Also, if you do decide that they are not going to hatch, check them for fertility so that you'll know whether you should adjust your incubating methods.

Quote: There is a slight possibility that this Cockerel MAY be fertile by then, looks like he will be at least 18 weeks old and well….I find that my BCMs boys are a bit more 'feisty' at a young age than my Orps. For your best chance at having him fertilize eggs, make sure he's the Alpha in his pen and that the Pullets he's with are 'accommodating'. I have a hen that will squat down for just about any of the boys, but other ones (Orps) that are ridiculous when it comes to breeding.

Got my guy to stand still long enough for a couple of pic's today.........
His tail has not grow in from his molt......................

The hen is an old 1/2 English....she just loves him..............

This boy is GORGEOUS!!