Final count is 13 successfully hatched. It looks like two were malpositioned and got stuck trying to hatch overnight.
Overall, I’m pleased with the hatch rate. All the chicks that hatched are vigorous, and most of them have already found their food.
Three hatched so far, with 6 more currently pipped.
Two out of my Wheaten Olive Egger. She lays dark brown, lightly speckled eggs and has a small crest. Interestingly, they both have light down, even though I’d have expected the wild-type of their Speckled Sussex sire to be dominant over...
It's lockdown day here!
15 of my 22 eggs are going into lockdown. I had several clears and a few early quitters. Everything left either showed definite movement tonight or has a shell that's too dark/thick for me to be sure. Fingers crossed for a good hatch rate!
Final follow-up on my little mystery chick. She did end up being a Wheaten Olive Egger, with a very small crest. She does not, however, lay olive colored eggs. She laid the dark brown eggs shown here in the incubator with eggs from my homebred Easter Eggers:
That would probably be a...
Who else is hatching for mid-March chicks? I just set 22 eggs today of Easter Eggers, covered by a Speckled Sussex rooster. Most of the hens (except for the one laying dark brown) are split for mottling. I’m hoping to get some mottled Easter Eggers from this group. 🤞
Oh, I hadn't even thought of that! I had ordered a Wheaten Marans, and unfortunately she died of shipping stress the first night. It would be fantastic if I ended up getting some dark egg genes into the flock anyway!
Almost 4 weeks old update:
I’m still completely puzzled. She’s going to keep me in suspense for quite a while, it seems!
Her feather pattern reminds me of a darker version of wheaten pullets. She isn’t red like typical red/gold sex link pullets. I generally expect free chicks to be...
Yes, that does look like the lot code for this mill. I’ve not seen any other Purina plant put it in that location, but there it is!
This batch would have been made January 16, 2025. That’s getting a bit old, but it is fine to feed as long as it has been kept cool, dry, and away from pests.
No, it won’t be on the tag. It will be on the tape that is used to sew the bag closed. It should be a line of letters and numbers (exact format will depend on which mill location made your feed).
That is the bag code, not the lot code. The lot code, which tells you when the feed (rather than the bag it is in) was made, will be printed on the strip of tape along the bottom of the bag.
She's darker than Faverolles usually are and clean legged with no beard. Her chick down has/had a stripe down her back, which I've never seen on a Faverolles.
Anything is possible, but I doubt that's what she is. Right now I'm wondering if she might be a Golden Buff? Her color isn't quite...
Updated photos (12 days old):
She is the one looking at the camera in the first photo (with a Salmon Faverolles pullet) and in front in the second photo (with a Splash Ameraucana pullet and a Barred Rock pullet).