March 2017! Hatch with us!

[HenLeia]

Hey. My showgirl, Adore, has gone broody now too. Can I give her some of my silkie's eggs that are due in a week or will that confuse her not sitting for 3 weeks? I can give her some other eggs if that's the case.

I'd give her the silkie eggs, a good first run for her?

I also don't think chickens keep count, but I probably am wrong

 

[WVduckchick]

I floated all the eggs since I'm horrible candling. Three peeped as soon as I picked them up, but all floated.

Floating only proves that the air cell is big enough to support the weight of the egg. They need to MOVE or JIGGLE in the water to prove they are alive. But even if they don't move, it doesn't mean they are dead! They could be resting. Also sinking doesn't mean they are dead, it could be that the air cell is just too small to float the egg.

MOVEMENT = LIFE. That's really about the only thing definite that you can get from the float test.

Here are the earlier 2, do the light spots in their heads mean they are boys?

Depends on the breeds involved.

ETA -- my bad, I forgot those are CCL's - yep, boys

 

[HenLeia]

@WVduckchick

I thought I was confused before!

seriously, I don't know who to blame for this messed up hatch - low humidity (good for SFH not for CCL?), forgot lockdown (me

), my incubator dropping the temp

, or my roo is not doing his job

. I guess I'll have to keep calm and set more eggs

. The learning continues...

 

[WVduckchick]

@WVduckchick

I thought I was confused before!

seriously, I don't know who to blame for this messed up hatch - low humidity (good for SFH not for CCL?), forgot lockdown (me

), my incubator dropping the temp

, or my roo is not doing his job

. I guess I'll have to keep calm and set more eggs

. The learning continues...

Unfortunately, its a lot of trial and error. What works for some people doesn't work for everyone. You have to fine tune what works for you. But then, fine tune it by season AND by breed

Definitely frustrating. The things that should stay constant though, are a good stable incubator, and accurate meters (and those should be verified periodically). I swear, I've gained the most valuable knowledge by candling often and watching development and air cells. Adjustments can be made along the way if anything looks out of line.

It does get better, and easier over time! Keep trying.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

So cute! I love pics of mama hens with their chicks.

She looks like a sweetheart

 

[dawn secord]

Hey WV- still learning here. I had two sizzle chicks hatch that look exactly like this - dark gray with yellow spots on top of their heads. Both feathered out to be white - one flat feathered, one frizzled, both boys. If you have a silkie roo and a cochin hen - then if you have gray chicks with spots on their heads, is that indicative that they will be boys?

 

[WVduckchick]

Hey WV- still learning here. I had two sizzle chicks hatch that look exactly like this - dark gray with yellow spots on top of their heads. Both feathered out to be white - one flat feathered, one frizzled, both boys. If you have a silkie roo and a cochin hen - then if you have gray chicks with spots on their heads, is that indicative that they will be boys?

Head dots "usually" come from the barring gene, so if the cochin hen was barred, then yes, the head dot would indicate male. Hens can only pass the barred gene to their sons. So your boys could be single barred, just not showing it because of the white. Was the hen barred?

 

[dawn secord]

The hen is a rescue - I'm her third home. Have no idea what she is - here is a picture - I was told she is a bantam frizzled cochin - or at least that is what my friend who had her was told from the original owner. Poor little thing. Love her to pieces. Right now she is a horrific molt and half bald.

 

[Mylied]

I'd give her the silkie eggs, a good first run for her?

I also don't think chickens keep count, but I probably am wrong

Turns out she was just joshing me. Now she's up and walking around like normal. But I'll know better for next time.

 

[WVduckchick]

The hen is a rescue - I'm her third home. Have no idea what she is - here is a picture - I was told she is a bantam frizzled cochin - or at least that is what my friend who had her was told from the original owner. Poor little thing. Love her to pieces. Right now she is a horrific molt and half bald
.

But she's white! So she could be barred. Look closely at an individual feather and see if you can tell any tiny difference along the feather. I've never tried, and don't know if its possible to see barring on a white bird or not, but I guess its worth a shot! Does she have any colored feathers at all? Those would be the ones to check.

This was my favorite little barred bantam cochin Katherine. #&$*-ing hawk got her.