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  1. jdgrell

    Poor Hatch Rate

    Hi, I have gone through 3 hatches with my new Hovabator 1602N. This incubator has a wafer thermostat and a fan. My hatch rates are like 10%. I tried higher humidity and lower rates. Tracked my egg weight on this last hatch to 13% loss which I think should be ok. Humidity variation...
  2. jdgrell

    Incubation Failure - any pointers for my next hatch?(graphic pictures)

    Hi, This was my first shot at incubation. Eggs had a tough time shipping (Florida to California) 21 shipped 4 broken. Started with 17, 5 yokers, 5 quitters, got 7 to lockdown, 2 hatched. One on day 21, it got stuck and needed assistance getting out of the shell. She had zipped most of...
  3. jdgrell

    How to autopsy an egg? Help!!

    I have 9 eggs that got to the lockdown and died. I candled them before they went to lockdown and I would say 5 or 6 were for sure alive. 2 of the 11 hatched. One hatched on day 21 and one on day 22. So I have been reading that you are supposed to open the duds and see what when wrong...
  4. jdgrell

    How long to keep unhatched eggs in the bator?

    I just hatched one chick this morning (22 days). There are no chirps or movement or pips from the other 9 eggs. How long do I continue to incubate the other 9 eggs? Is there a way to check them before I pull the plug on the process? I have heard people tapping on the egg or some such...
  5. jdgrell

    Shipped Eggs - Any advise

    Hi, My kids and I are refreshing our flock, our first flock has gone 3 years and are not producing eggs well. Don't worry my old girls will live a long and lazy life on our acreage . We have been reading the forums and have a basic plan of incubation. Please read below and provide us with...
  6. jdgrell

    Are there flowers chickens won't eat?

    My chickens love to eat flowers. They eat the whole plant down to base. When I plant flowers they eat them. Inpatients, pansies, geraniums, you name it, they eat it. Ordinarily this would not be a problem for me because I like chickens more than flowers. However, my wife greatly prefers...
  7. jdgrell

    Broody Hen and Pecking Order

    Hi, I have a question on broody hens. My Blue Wyandotte started brooding 3 weeks ago, we don't have a rooster so her efforts are in vain. We pull any eggs each day so she is sitting on an empty nest. She seems to be doing fine, but the other chickens are really picking on her. When...
  8. jdgrell

    Peregrine Falcon

    Hi, Came out of the house yesterday to a lot of squawking. My girls were all hiding under the bushes in our yard. My dominate hen was pitched a fit and came running full speed. Down swooped a Peregrine Falcon, missed her by a country mile. When it saw me, it roosted in a tree, then...
  9. jdgrell

    First Eggs...What now?

    My girls are 19 weeks old . My Red Comet started hunting around the yard on Sunday getting under things and looking hiding place. Sure enough the next day 2 eggs in the coop. (I am guessing she had some help because I thought they could only lay one egg a day?) So here is my question. The...
  10. jdgrell

    Chickens Starting to Wander

    I have 4 14wk old pullets. They have been free ranging in my back yard since I got them. They love foraging, and playing in this very safe environment. Until yesterday..... Yesterday my kids found the chickens had gotten on top of the fence, via some clever climbing. Now in California...
  11. jdgrell

    Chicken Rescue

    Hi All, I got 4 new chickens for my backyard flock a couple of weeks ago. I lost my last flock to a evil little dog. I had raised them from chicks and they were wonderful - beautiful, clean, great personalities. I decided to get started chickens this time, because I did not want to rear...
  12. jdgrell

    Racoons with attitude

    Just finished raising my new chickens in the garage. 7 wks old and fully feathered ready for the back yard. On their 1st night out I hear the neigbors dog barking. Look out the window and 4 HUGE racoons are on and around the coop. Now I built the coop well, but these guys looked like they...
  13. jdgrell

    My 6 week old Black Australorps are not so black???

    Hi all, About 6 weeks ago we got 2 Black Australorps females from our local feed store. Their feathers are now in and they are not all black. Their heads, hackles and the upper part of the breasts have black feathers laced with a good amount of brown. I would estimate that 25% of these...
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