The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[ginbart]

I know I'm paranoid(probably a first hatch thing lol) but I have two eggs that have been at the same place for about two hours at what point should I help??

I know it's hard to walk away but I have found most of the time I help they don't make it. BUT like emvickrey said walk away from the bator. lol

I hope they make it for you.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I've had customers that had really good hatches and one actually had 100%. I on the other hand don't have very good luck with shipped eggs. I'm lucky to get 1 to hatch out of a dozen eggs. If I have broody's I just let them do it. They know what they're doing.

I'm still trying to get some broody's, lol... yup, shipped is either great or ugh... and I think the Memphis USPS hub is a rough one for anything to go thru...

 

[venymae]

Still waiting on my last few eggs to give me a sign. :/ In the meantime i decided to check the chixks for pasty butt and good thing i did because one of my gooey chicks was sealed shut! After a nice warm butt shower, rub and blowdry she was put in the brooder where she promptly pooed. She seems to be gettong pecked on her bottom so i seperated her for a bit. Never thought i would be rubbing a chicken butt...

 

[ronott1]

The embryo is genderless until Day 5 from what I've read...

The embryo is either male or female from the time it is created in the hen. I will post the information again:

Quote: The egg is either male or female. The rooster does not matter.

 

[coop410silkies]

I only have 8 full grown that we got last year and all were suppose to be RIR pullets but I noticed one looked a little different early on and sure enough he is MysterRoo since he was a mystery for a while lol.

Do your roosters fight a lot? I don't mind keeping more Roos if they are well behaved

Hmmm, that is a good question. They can and do fight, but usually they get things worked out. I have kept up to 11 roosters together in a rooster pen, and they all got along fine, but when I let them out they competed vigorously for new territory. So it depends somewhat on the circumstances. it also depends a little on the breed, and maybe on whether they were raised together. My white Silkie males squabble and fight endlessly, but they rarely draw blood or hurt each other. They have attacked people with serious intent. The black and blue Silkies don't fight with anybody. My Light Sussex occasionally squabble, but they adhere to and respect a well defined hierarchy. and it depends on the line they come from. And it depends on the mother, because disposition and behavior characteristics are inherited from the female. I think there must be a forum thread dedicated to this topic. Flocks with Roos are like the best of the Soaps: never a dull moment. And of course they are great eye candy.

 

[wornoutmomto3]

Still waiting on my last few eggs to give me a sign. :/ In the meantime i decided to check the chixks for pasty butt and good thing i did because one of my gooey chicks was sealed shut! After a nice warm butt shower, rub and blowdry she was put in the brooder where she promptly pooed. She seems to be gettong pecked on her bottom so i seperated her for a bit. Never thought i would be rubbing a chicken butt...

If anyone had ever told me, that one day I would be wiping poop from chicken butts I would have laughed them all the way home. Now, I regularly check chick bottoms for poop build up.

 

[Cynthia12]

Hmmm, that is a good question. They can and do fight, but usually they get things worked out. I have kept up to 11 roosters together in a rooster pen, and they all got along fine, but when I let them out they competed vigorously for new territory. So it depends somewhat on the circumstances. it also depends a little on the breed, and maybe on whether they were raised together. My white Silkie males squabble and fight endlessly, but they rarely draw blood or hurt each other. They have attacked people with serious intent. The black and blue Silkies don't fight with anybody. My Light Sussex occasionally squabble, but they adhere to and respect a well defined hierarchy. and it depends on the line they come from. And it depends on the mother, because disposition and behavior characteristics are inherited from the female. I think there must be a forum thread dedicated to this topic. Flocks with Roos are like the best of the Soaps: never a dull moment. And of course they are great eye candy.

This is quite interesting, thinking about keeping my first rooster. Are you saying there is no thread on this subject? You should start one!

 

[calientepocket]

Up to four little peeping fluff balls.
Have six more eggs that were still showing signs of life yesterday. I could hear peeps through two shells...how long should I wait for a pip from these guys?? I'm hoping to wake up to more!!

I read chicks can stay in the incubator up to 3 days after hatching. Does this sound right? I have eight chicks that are a bit older (5-10 days) and am a bit worried about the newbies going in with them. The last picture is the biggest of those older chicks for comparison. A Sicilian Buttercup

 

[bamadude]

I'm still trying to get some broody's, lol... yup, shipped is either great or ugh... and I think the Memphis USPS hub is a rough one for anything to go thru...

I totally agree about the Memphis hub.

 

[prizepete]

I know it's hard to walk away but I have found most of the time I help they don't make it. BUT like emvickrey said walk away from the bator. lol

I hope they make it for you.

Thanks... We ARE having lots of signs of life... One little baby managed to peep LOUDER than the TV. Ive really been spending too much time on the computer trying to keep myself occupied, Maybe I will work on the Chicken coop that has been In Progress For 3-4 years... lol!