Well, the hatch DID go well! Yes, late hatches are typically due to low temps. As little as 1 degree off could make a day difference or more.
So, what ended up happening is that our first hatch (with this batch) was on Day 22 in the evening. Today is Day 23 and all but 3 of the pipped eggs...
Today is Day 21, and not a single pip (internal or otherwise), but all is NOT lost, and I'll tell you why. But first, a rant on natural humidity.
I live in SE Texas where water is apparently born. It is SO HUMID here, even in the winter, that even a "Dry Incubation" method is difficult to...
I've used small plastic snack bowls with wadded up/soaked paper towels. That way, you have needed moisture and if a newly hatched chick flops into it, it won't drown. I spray the paper with Unpasturized Apple Cider Vinegar/water to prevent other fungi or nasty bacteria from growing on the wet...
It would be good to know her age, the age of your other hens, whether any of them have gone through a molt before, whether you have seen any lice upon inspection, and whether you see any sign of redness/swelling that might indicate mites....
Good luck with the project, and great work on the coloring book. I like the "Let's make a Chick Hatching" cut-outs. :)
One trick I learned with the Hovabator is that if you do monitor humidity, and find it getting too low, but don't want to open the incubator: you can make a water tube out...
You said you "just moved", so that may have something to do with it. Anytime I have relocated a chicken, it takes time before it feels "at home". Also, it's molting season. So, your hens may be taking a break to molt, or even if they don't molt, they may just take a fall break. I have some...
I had a Fayoumis Roo (he has since died). He was wonderful with the hens, pretty much ignored people, and dominant to other male birds. The hens I have that have Fayoumis in them have a temperment akin to White Leghorns...self-sufficient yet flighty around peolpe. My current Roo (Skylark...
For the most part, yes. I don't have any "pet" chickens that like being held or touched and no real meat-bird to speak of, but I also don't have any sick or stressed out birds. Our climate is a true mosquito haven, and I can't help but believe that the average chicken would be absolutely...
Looks like a mix breed, possibly a year old. Honestly, it won't matter what breed/age he is. If he's agressive, he's going to be agressive. The only way to curb it is to be agressive back, and that seldom works in my experience. Eat him, and het a better Roo.
I've had mixed results with Roosters. My two absolute best for protecting the flock and calling them to food were 1) Egyptian Fayoumis and 2) White Leghorn. My favorite for having most of those same qualities, as well as being people-friendly was the Fayoumis offspring (EF x EasterEgger)...
I'm guessing a dog now, given our area. In the years I've lived here, I've never seen a fox (no one here has) and coyotes seem to me a bit more efficient at making off with their kill. Anyway, so far so good. He's healing nicely. Howlet, sometimes my posts don't "post" at various sites...has...
He's doing great, all things considered. His wounds are healing nicely and he's not limping around anymore. Our grass is so thick that I wouldn't be able to make out any tracks. For all I know, it could have been a neighboring dog or cat. We have some woods behind us, so racoon or opossum is...
I have a flock of 15 hens (and had some cockerels) on a 1/2 acre field. As I culled out the boys, I selected the quiestest one to remain as the Roo because, well, he was quiter than the others. I figured he be good enough as a Roo to warn the girls of predators and such but never expected him...
When our EF Roo died, we performed a necropsy and his skin and meat looked like any other chicken...just not much meat (they are a lean breed). All the crosses we have processed (EE, Aust., RIR, WLeg, BR, etc...) have had normal looking skin/meat. We still have EF genes in our flock for pest...
Yep. Just let me know which one you want and when you might be in the area to pick up.
It's going to be nearly a 4-hour drive for you though, one way. Yuck. If you know anyone who passes through Houston on occassion on the way to Austin, that might help. Or maybe you might want to make a...