Search results for query: *

  1. jdgrell

    How well do marans lay??

    My 5 Black Copper Marans stop laying in Nov and won't lay again until February. 4 months out of the year without a single egg. In spring they produce like crazy for about 4 months (4 eggs / week). They get broody in spring really wanting to hatch eggs. They slow down again during the heat...
  2. jdgrell

    Poor Hatch Rate

    Oh, forgot to add. The incubator was in a room that was kept at 75. My room heater was more accurate than the incubator. I also had an automatic egg turner in the bator.
  3. 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...
  4. jdgrell

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

    I am not understanding how the humidity would be too high? I have heard that too high humidity on day 1-18 would have a small air sack. These air sacks were fully formed and large. I would have guessed that the humidity was too low at lockdown. Thus the birds getting stuck in the egg...
  5. 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...
  6. 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...
  7. 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...
  8. jdgrell

    Intervention: Helping Your Chicks Hatch

    Ok, just hatched a new Welsummer, chick and family doing fine thanks to info in this post. As a first time hatcher I must say I did most everything wrong. I learned a great deal, but alas, I did many things wrong. Started with 17 eggs battled everything from poor shipping, broken...
  9. 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...
  10. 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...
  11. 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...
  12. jdgrell

    Peregrine Falcon

    It all happened pretty fast. I could have easily miss identified the bird. Thanks for the info! I am keeping a camera by the door if I see it again. I assume they are a real risk to my birds?
  13. 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...
  14. 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...
  15. jdgrell

    Post your FIRST EGG pics!

    Looked in the coop today, surprise! The girls had pulled down the barrier to the nest boxes (see bottem left of picture) , cleaned out all the bedding and deposited 2 eggs. They are only 19 weeks. I thought I had another month to get the box ready.
  16. 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...
  17. 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...
  18. jdgrell

    Racoons with attitude

    Thanks for all the great ideas! This sounds kind of weird, but I am actually getting into my Coon abatement program! 1) Defense - I am reinforcing the coop. 1/2 inch welded wire for all the openings. Putting keyed locks on all access points (had a couple sitting around). Augmenting...
  19. 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...
  20. jdgrell

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

    Thanks! Your are right. Looked up pictures of Black Sex Links and they are identical. They look good when they are grown!
Back
Top Bottom