She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[RubyNala97]

The amber-colored, super-sticky substance is not normal.

I keep really good records of my eggs, from date of lay through storage and through incubation.

I've found that eggs over 10 days old, and especially those more than 14 days old, are generally some degree of sticky where fresh eggs from the same hens are not.  It's not always a death sentence for the chicks/poults, but it doesn't help their chances.  It does not seem to be moisture related as I've done controlled humidity storage, but it seems to be a change in the protein itself.  I think that this change leads to the increase in early deaths and the overall low success rate of old eggs, though I have hatched a 21 day old egg successfully.  That poult got a bath because it was stiffening up.

That's some excellent input. The eggs were shipped so I have no idea how old they were. Also this batch was made up of different color silkie eggs. Mostly buff and black. All the buff hatched and the ones that all died were black. Only one black one made it and I assisted during zip. I wonder if the black ones were older or if the breeder has issues with her black flock.

I have a pip!

In the one egg that I least expected! Had kinda counted that one out. Lol

I wish I was at your house today! Weren't you thinking of getting one of those cameras that Walnut has? Do it!

I have chirping eggs!!! But no external pips, that I can see from a tiny lift of the wing. so how long now? Lol I'm starting to feel desperate!

And congrats wvduckchick! Well jel!

You might have a chick under there already!

 

[WVduckchick]

That's some excellent input. The eggs were shipped so I have no idea how old they were. Also this batch was made up of different color silkie eggs. Mostly buff and black. All the buff hatched and the ones that all died were black. Only one black one made it and I assisted during zip. I wonder if the black ones were older or if the breeder has issues with her black flock.
I wish I was at your house today! Weren't you thinking of getting one of those cameras that Walnut has? Do it!
You might have a chick under there already!

Yea that's another issue with shipped eggs, or even buying eggs from someone local, if they don't label the day collected, you just don't know.

I wish you were at my house too, then maybe I wouldn't be so spastic! Lol I did get a camera, but ended up buying one of those full home security setups and used one camera inside while I was gone lol. Its all connected to all the other cameras. If I could figure out how to not password protect one single camera, I could post it, but I think it requires a software download to view remotely, so I didn't bother. But thanks for asking! I'll post plenty of pics.

 

[WVduckchick]

Also meant to add... I just got home from Rural King. They still have baby chicks for sale!

And even had a few banties, so if mine dont hatch, or I just get one or two, I can buy friends, if they don't sell out before I know if I need them or not!

 

[scflock]

Why have they decided to hide them all around the coop??

Because if all barnyard animals went to school, chickens would ride the short bus. Silkies even have their own school. Seriously, I'm not being a SA. I have a minimum of one nest box for every 2 hens, and they always want to lay in the same one or two boxes. I will also get eggs in the corners, and I do use a different bedding on the floor than in the boxes. I've always attributed it to a nest box being occupied, but I'm not sure that's what it is

Is anyone watching the National Geographic channel specials on the Titanic? I find it fascinating!

Didn't know that was on, but I love that kind of stuff

Hey SC whats that behind you

Just felt like you may have been short on those

where did that come from lol

You can't go MIA for a week, then come back and

the big dog.
I will forgive you, though, because the double tap is still funny

Does any one vaccinate their chicks if so what do you generally vaccinate for?

This is another interesting he sid/she said debate. If you ask this question on BYC, opinions will probably be split down the middle. The most common vaccination is Mareks, but I don't do it. I have older birds that have never been vaccinated, and I have never had a problem, so I don't want to introduce vaccinated birds into the flock and risk exposing those that were never vacinated. If you do a search on BYC for it, you will get a much more in depth debate for reasons to, or not to, vaccinate

Also meant to add... I just got home from Rural King. They still have baby chicks for sale!

And even had a few banties, so if mine dont hatch, or I just get one or two, I can buy friends, if they don't sell out before I know if I need them or not!

I wish we had RK down here. Happy Hatch Day!

 

[scflock]

Update on the tag team silkie hatch. Over the course of 8 days, I wound up with 15 chicks and 2 unhatched eggs. I have been getting a chick a day for the last week. My assumption is that those were the eggs that were laid after the broodies first set. I had hens swapping positions as the chicks made their ways out. There were a couple of days that I would come home to 3 hens on the nest. I know this will drive Amy nuts, but I just let them be. I did have to remove a couple of chicks myself, just because I was afraid they had been on the nest too long, but I still wound up with 15/17 in what was a staggered hatch. Tough to beat broodies

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Does any one vaccinate their chicks if so what do you generally vaccinate for?

Mareks is the most common, but there is a lot of debate about using it for smaller flocks. It's also at this time only sold in doses of 100 and it can not be kept or stored after opening. So if you have 25 birds you still are buying enough for 100 and having to throw away more than half. I have not and at this time will not be vaccinating. Like was stated most of the big ones that affect the chickens are non curable. Even with Mareks my understanding is the vaccine keeps them from getting sick, not from carrying and passing the disease and once the disease has been in the environment it stays.

I have a pip!

In the one egg that I least expected! Had kinda counted that one out. Lol

YAY!!!

I have chirping eggs!!! But no external pips, that I can see from a tiny lift of the wing. so how long now? Lol I'm starting to feel desperate!

And congrats wvduckchick! Well jel!

It can take a good 24 hours from internal to external pip and another 24 from pip to zip. (Or it can take a few hours for both phases.) But at least you know it as started!! Yay!!!

That's some excellent input. The eggs were shipped so I have no idea how old they were. Also this batch was made up of different color silkie eggs. Mostly buff and black. All the buff hatched and the ones that all died were black. Only one black one made it and I assisted during zip. I wonder if the black ones were older or if the breeder has issues with her black flock.
I wish I was at your house today! Weren't you thinking of getting one of those cameras that Walnut has? Do it!

You might have a chick under there already!

If all of one type died I would sooner think that it was egg quality/breeder quality than anything else.

Because if all barnyard animals went to school, chickens would ride the short bus. Silkies even have their own school. Seriously, I'm not being a SA. I have a minimum of one nest box for every 2 hens, and they always want to lay in the same one or two boxes. I will also get eggs in the corners, and I do use a different bedding on the floor than in the boxes. I've always attributed it to a nest box being occupied, but I'm not sure that's what it is
Didn't know that was on, but I love that kind of stuff

At first that's exactly what I assumed. Because they will only use one box that it was being preoccupied, but this last week none have been in the box, just hidden in the corners. And I am pretty sure it was the silkies that started it.

 

[cppeace]

Yep, broodys are awesome. Congrats on the fabulous fuzzballs

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Update on the tag team silkie hatch. Over the course of 8 days, I wound up with 15 chicks and 2 unhatched eggs. I have been getting a chick a day for the last week. My assumption is that those were the eggs that were laid after the broodies first set. I had hens swapping positions as the chicks made their ways out. There were a couple of days that I would come home to 3 hens on the nest. I know this will drive Amy nuts, but I just let them be. I did have to remove a couple of chicks myself, just because I was afraid they had been on the nest too long, but I still wound up with 15/17 in what was a staggered hatch. Tough to beat broodies

They are so dang adorable!! Looks like the ground was sprinkled with cotton balls....lol Congrats they are beautiful!

 

[scflock]

They are so dang adorable!! Looks like the ground was sprinkled with cotton balls....lol Congrats they are beautiful!

Thanks. They really are the least intelligent of all my birds, though

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks. They really are the least intelligent of all my birds, though

I've kinda gathered that...lol