The 7th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long!

[ronott1]

I'm running out of space. My 4 weeks old are too big for the brooder and my 17 weeks old are getting so big that they have almost no space.
Can I add the 17 weeks old to the adult coop?

If you are very careful, you should be able to add the new ones. 17 weeks is usually a good age because they should be 3\4 the size of the big ones.

Also, some breeds are better at handling new members to the flock.

 

[dolfi]

If you are very careful, you should be able to add the new ones. 17 weeks is usually a good age because they should be 3\4 the size of the big ones.

Also, some breeds are better at handling new members to the flock.

What do I need to check for? I do have one that is the top pecking. The others just run with it. How do I know that it's not just establishing the pecking order or should I remove that one hen?

 

[chattery41]

Okay, I'm going to torture you all with the hardest decision you all will ever make...

What is your favorite chicken breed?
I think mine is either Cochins or Milles..

English Orpingtons is my new fave, especially the Silver Laced. I Love the way they look

 

[TJordan]

Well darn!  Just looked at the calendar and don't think I can set for Easter.

I'm picking up a dozen Blue Wheaten Ameraucana eggs thiss weekend, and will be starting them on Sunday evening, so count Monday as day 1.
I will top of the incubator with RIR and EE eggs from my RIR rooster over black Ameraucana hens.    
Hopefully soon we will have a separate pen for the Ameraucanas and they can be bred by their blue rooster.

But unless I get a second incubator, I just don't see how I can have eggs set to hatch just two weeks after this batch.  

Maybe I can find a cheap second one, and tell hubby it is a hatcher.  
I have an extra LG turner, so could go with a cheaper one...

Grab an old cheap cooler, some hardware cloth, a heat bulb and some water trays

become a do it yourself person.

I once hatched some abandoned eggs under a lamp with and a spray bottle.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: x2

Quote: Dolfi, I added a large area almost like a shelf that the littles can run away and get under to get away from the others, and move food close. As long as they have somewhere to run and hide that the big ones cant go in you should be ok. INSiDE and out.... sometimes the older ones can be cruel, esp if you have a roo and adding another. good luck!



EDIT TO ADD THESE DOLFI

FLOCK INTEGRATION
Flock Integration Series http://blog.mcmurrayhatchery.com/tags/flock-integration-series/
Integrating Pullets into the Chicken Flock http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/integrating-young-pullets/

 

[ToddQ]

Are you looking for specific breeds, or just any fertile eggs?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Dolfi I edit my post to add links for you

 

[Eps32]

So we're up to 14 chicks. And another pip. Hatch rate is going great for just setting 15 eggs.

 

[TJordan]

So we're up to 14 chicks. And another pip. Hatch rate is going great for just setting 15 eggs.

Awww are those black Australorp chicks??
Oh and I was chewed out by adding still damp chicks to my brooder.

be careful.

 

[GitaBooks]

Okay cool I've never heard it called paint its nice to have even an unofficial name for it. The family that hatched Jasmine said the only color her mother had ever produced chick wise was black and little Jasmine was pure white. Jasmine's mother was also pure white but since her last molt has gotten 1 half black feather, maybe more now idk. I think it's very cool to have gotten a chick that looks like her Mommy. Her Mom is also 3/4 years old now and still lays very well so I'm ecstatic she turned out to be a pullet. She is from the group I got from a family in Illinois originally 6 chicks that I got at week old, we lost three to Cocci at about 6 weeks(my first time dealing with Cocci). We lost one pure 50% English orp black cockeral, one black orp/ccl cockeral, and one black orp/ccl pullet. I was of course devastated, but got up for the first four nights in the middle of the night from five tapering to one time and fed the two sickest ones Ella and Jasmine a mix of some corid(a drop or two) electrolyte powder and raw egg yolk by syringe. Amazingly we didn't lose any more of them.
She's beautiful! Wish my Juliet(black orp 50% English/ccl) had made it. See above story.

It's true my Grandma's chihuahua is a completely different dog when she's with me. She is a little long-haired tricolor and she has beautiful big brown eyes. It's funny how much dogs respond and act differently just based on who they're around and who they respect.

Oh good luck with the silkie egg! Any idea on color the chick would be? We want pictures!

Yeah between the mud and a special talent a couple of our girls have- I swear they try to step in and track poop around on purpose. However the dirty eggs of course started maybe a day or two after we cleaned them and the shavings inside aren't dirty it just has to be when they walk in and step on them. Normally I would wash them and keep them for our use but right now we are being buried in eggs getting at least ten per day now but usually 14, and one day we got 17 which is the most we've gotten yet. We're still building a business and getting the word out about eggs for sale so we have had so many that on days with bad weather we've been hard boiling a bunch and feeding them back to the flock. Even most of our bantams and silkies are laying every other day. And a few of them lay almost every day.
It's okay no problem. I'm hoping to get some tonight if I do I'll post some. I need to trim around her eyes she's kind of flighty and I think it's BC she can't see the best, but I'm afraid I might poke her in the eye or something. I know it sounds ridiculous. She's pretty good if she sees you coming but I've seen her panic and run headlong into a tree. Don't worry she was okay but that's another reason I would like to trim around her eyes.
I would love some of them too! Where are you located?
Oh goodness idk I think I'm still figuring that out. Mist of the breed we own I have a special bond with one or two of the birds. We have an EE named Pebbles that I adore, a silkie named Ginger who takes off running for me any time she sees me, and tries to follow me back to the house. We also have three oegb that are super spoiled and sweet, and then we have the orps and oh my goodness how do I choose?! Lol I guess my jury is still out. We have only had a handful of breeds so hopefully in years to come I can pick several favorite breeds.

The silkie egg comes from my hen Princess, she is a partridge. I recently got rid of my two silkie roosters though, so I have no idea who the father is. However, the last two chicks I got from her were a black and a partridge (with blue and barring on him).
I sure hope they hatch soon! I can't wait! I'll certainly post pictures.

So we're up to 14 chicks. And another pip. Hatch rate is going great for just setting 15 eggs.

They are so cute!