Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[LindaB220]

@ Beekissed Ok so all 3 are reading 99, 100 and the wiggler is 99.4. Is that sufficient or should I dial it up a notch?

 

[Beekissed]

@ Beekissed Ok so all 3 are reading 99, 100 and the wiggler is 99.4. Is that sufficient or should I dial it up a notch?

I would think that was sufficient.

 

[Tomtommom]

Tomtom, I hope I have a baby as brilliant and healthy as Amelia. Seriously, congratulations. I wanted to say that I read somewhere about newborns and water... Basically, if you put newborn in water, they start trying to swim immediately and they know how to hold their breath. It's pretty interesting. I remember when I was baby, I was the youngest in the swim class and I was like a fish haha. But I was also advanced in motor skills like Amelia is. Get that girl a book and watch, she'll be reading to you before she's a year and a half. My partner and I are trying to have a baby now.

Bee, I might have missed it, but did you say if you'd be able to ship WR and BA hatching eggs my way? And how much they are a dozen? If you already answered and I missed it, then I apologize.

It's strange to have my little boy who was so slow to learn things (although his fine motor skills are AMAZING. He's been eating with a regular fork since he was 12 months old.. his brother is 6 and still can't figure out how to use utensils properly

) And now this little girl moving about like she is

I'm making the 6 year old read to us every day, now that school is out. He needs the practice and he is smitten with his little sis, so he doesn't mind reading to her.

Oh, I have the cutest onesies, since you're having a little one as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Unisex...id=1401493503&sr=8-10&keywords=gerber+onesies

Barn yard onesies!

 

[tntchix]

It's strange to have my little boy who was so slow to learn things (although his fine motor skills are AMAZING. He's been eating with a regular fork since he was 12 months old.. his brother is 6 and still can't figure out how to use utensils properly

) And now this little girl moving about like she is

I'm making the 6 year old read to us every day, now that school is out. He needs the practice and he is smitten with his little sis, so he doesn't mind reading to her.

Oh, I have the cutest onesies, since you're having a little one as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Unisex...id=1401493503&sr=8-10&keywords=gerber+onesies

Barn yard onesies!

Tomtommom, I noticed my boy internalized most of his learning. He knew he just wanted to climb EVERYWHERE. He didn't speak until he was really almost 3. My daughter was verbal so quickly it spooked me a bit.She would sit contentedly for hours, but not him. They really are all different and we love them all the same.

 

[Zombified]

Awwww oh those onesies are so adorable! Hahaha my partner is going to laugh at me. He was raised on a farm, but he was raised MEGA oldschool. When my little duckling hatched with the messed up leg, he said, "Break it(the leg, assuming that breaking it would make it heal, and then all I would do is set it the way it was supposed to be set), or kill it." Of course, Heph died anyway. =/ I do understand this mentality, and considering he knows next to nothing about ducks, I don't fault him for thinking this way, but ducks are usually stellar and healing themselves, if given the chance. Heph wasn't strong enough, but I gave her a chance.

He thought the fermented feed was what killed Zeus(oh yeah, Zeus died... ): ) but I know it didn't. Zeus was lonely after Heph died, and I didn't have the time to devote to a loner duckling. When I had Pyrrhos, I didn't have a job, so she was literally with me everywhere I went. Never alone unless at night to sleep in her brooder. With Zeus, I just couldn't do that. I have a job now, and so does my partner. I feel absolutely awful, but I couldn't do it. It sucks even more because he died the night I called somebody to buy a companion for him. I even managed to find someone who has Welsh Harlequins! Siiigh. ):

Well, anyways, we're moving soon, so maybe I'm not meant to have ducklings right now.


EDIT;
Oh, Bee, I meant to say next spring, haha. And actually, yeah, I wouldn't mind some crosses, especially if they're free or low-cost, lol. If you ever want Welsh Harlequins, I'll be buying ducklings pretty soon after we move, so when they start laying nice, fertilized eggs, I will definitely send you some. Right now, I only have two hens, so it would take me a bit to have a dozen, too, haha.

 

[Beekissed]

My KC is eating the FF just fine...really loves it, in fact, and haunts the feeder as much as the meat chicks did!

I'm trying to narrow my poultry down to heritage WRs, a few minor breeds for broodies, and the KC ducks, if I can get a breeder for this one I have. I'd like to keep the duck line and WR line pure so I can sell eggs or hatchlings over time, if the Lord wills it.

But thanks for the offer...those Welsh Harlequins are very pretty ducks!

 

[Zombified]

For now, and for at least a year after we move, I'm only going to sell eggs for eating and ducklings. Once I get my duck line situated(I wanna breed heritage Welsh Harlequins that are up to the SOP, but also lay and process like they're supposed to), THEN I'll start working on doing the same for chickens. If I try to work on all my lines at the same time, I'll end up messing something up or getting too stressed. It's easier for me to have ONE semi-major goal in mind, versus two or three. Other than Welsh Harlequin ducks, I'd like to keep and breed Ancona and Saxony ducks. But my main focus will be the Welshies.

Bee, I forgot to ask, how are your WRs with other species? And I think you were making a joke about the White Lightning, but it zoomed over my head. Is that a chicken breed, or...? Excuse my ignorance. x:

 

[Beekissed]

Naw...that's what I've been calling him...he's my WR rooster. He's so white and fine feathered that he sparkles in the sunlight, so I call him White Lightning sometimes.

The WRs are one of the more calm, sociable breeds that I've owned...they don't put up with nonsense but they usually don't go out of their way to be bullies. I cull bullies and I've never had to cull a WR hen for that.

 

[Zombified]

Aaahhh, okay! Cause I googled it, and there's apparently a spice called white lightning that's used in chicken chili. Actually sounds devine and I wouldn't mind you sending me some of that! Haha.

So basically, these are BA/WR crosses that you may send along with WRs? That actually sounds like it would make an amazing cross. Who knows, Bee, you may end up sparking me to experiment on creating a whole new chicken breed now, hehe. (Not likely. While that sounds fun, it also sounds like a ton of work and record-keeping, and I'm gonna be struggling with that with my Welshies, lol.) I hope one of my ducks goes broody by then, because I'd much rather let a hen take care of hatching. But I still plan on purchasing an incubator and I'm still going to take down notes from this last nest of yours, seeing as it's your most successful as of yet.

 

[luv2ride]

I'm not a bit familiar with hatching in a typical incubator but I'm sure someone will chime in on the dry hatch. I've heard that shipped eggs have a much worse hatch rate...so your particular breed of choice is an exception to that? That would be an interesting study as to just why!

I do a dry hatch but don't measure any humidity and just let the first chick provide humidity for the next and so on...seemed to work great in that last nest.

Candled the rest of the eggs and removed all clears....leaving 10 eggs and they all have good movement in them, so the hatch was not ruined just yet. All air cells look great and on target, all chick movement is good and no blood rings were found. Will check this bunch again on the 18th day to put air cells in the proper place and then no more turning...can't wait to see if any hatch! Looks to be 7 WR eggs, 2 BA and one NH left in the clutch.

That little NH egg is of particular interest to me because it comes from my little 6 yr old dynamo hen, Little Red, who has been the best little layer all these years, has good feathering, good foraging, and good hardiness....not to mention she has a great personality and inspects all chores, supervises all construction and generally makes her presence known in a quiet, sweet way. She's a great bird and it sure would be nice to have a hen out of her genetics, even if it's a mixed breed bird...I can't think of anything better than superior Rock genes crossed with this special little bird. Sure hope it makes it and that it's a pullet.

Hi there! It's me again..lol. I've been off of here for a while (I have a lawn care/landscape business so I've been busy busy busy), and finally checked back in and I see you are hatching some more sweeties! Please keep me in mind if you decide to sell any of them or any at all from future hatches, etc. I would so love to have some of your famous feathered friends, mixes and all. I need to send you some pics of my mixes. I have a blast seeing what combos God gives me from my bunch