🍃August Hatch-a-Long🍃

[Vantic]

Think you should hatch if not now, do it for the Halloween Hatch-a-Long

Why are we skipping September already?

 

[FortCluck]

Why are we skipping September already?

They said they were just looking lol. Figured two months of looking would make them want to hatch some

 

[kelseyk]

Did a lot of candling today. Day 14 on the Wheaten Marans....and 0/7 have developed. Day 7 on the Gold Cuckoo Maran (light enough that I can see into pretty well)....and 0 are viable....lots of blood rings. Deathlayers....I have 3 out of 6 - 1 early quitter and 2 clears fl that these 3 make it all the way). My silverudds, I candled yesterday and have like 4-5 out of 13. (If these don't make it I will be paying extra for some from foxfirepavillions because I really want the green eggs).

But I guess, that clears out a lot of room for the 36 eggs I just bought.

 

[JJeffrey]

I decided I really must man up and join the August Hatch-A-Long, having chickened out and gone through my initial hatch late in June all by my lonesome self. That was with shipped eggs from Breezybird Farms (within Manitoba province and no air transport involved, by Canada Post Expresspost. I got outrageously lucky despite knowing very little of what I was doing. 66% hatch rate: 4 White Bresse out of 7 eggs and 5 Croad Langshan out of 7 eggs -- all those still surviving and growing at 4 weeks old now. Don't ask how I did it as I still don't know.

Right from jump I had wanted some Silkies, not to be forever rearing poor ignorant orphan chicks like my initial 22 (Browns and Buckeyes) from the local hatchery, wee mites with no momma hen to show them how to chicken and what to eat. I had no luck finding anything locally until I stumbled on an online classified in eBrandon local e-mart. Far Away Farms down south of Brandon had Silkie hatching eggs offered. It was a bit further than I really wanted to drive in my decrepit 1993 pickup truck, but needs must when the (chicken) devil drives! I drove down on a rainy Monday and was rewarded by meeting two terribly nice animal-rescue folk with a farm full of appealing animals of all sorts -- including a small Silkie flock that was laying eggs like no tomorrow. Bought a dozen at the fair asking price, and then was gifted with another dozen!

My Brinsea Maxi II Advance is supposed to take only 14 eggs, but I got them all into it by filling the inner circle and reconciling myself to hand-turning those. On day 7 I candled, and took out eleven eggs. Followup candling today (day 11) confirmed previous judgment that I had basically eight eggs developing -- not all of them from among those I would have picked if restricted to just 14! So at this moment I have 6 white Silkie eggs developing, along with 2 blacks (fingers crossed that I don't lose either of the blacks, as I fell in love with them at first sight to the black roo at Far Away).

Can't say whether I'll be able to provide photos when the time comes; what I've got for a camera, a cheap Vivitar, has atrocious image quality and doesn't do closeups at all well. I need to get set up for decent pix. There's no excuse -- I'm a former photographer, but I can't afford much by way of new equipment these days. We shall see.

Anyway, here I am on the August Hatch-A-Long. Expected hatch date for 8 Silkies, 3 August.

 

[Vantic]

I decided I really must man up and join the August Hatch-A-Long, having chickened out and gone through my initial hatch late in June all by my lonesome self. That was with shipped eggs from Breezybird Farms (within Manitoba province and no air transport involved, by Canada Post Expresspost. I got outrageously lucky despite knowing very little of what I was doing. 66% hatch rate: 4 White Bresse out of 7 eggs and 5 Croad Langshan out of 7 eggs -- all those still surviving and growing at 4 weeks old now. Don't ask how I did it as I still don't know.

Right from jump I had wanted some Silkies, not to be forever rearing poor ignorant orphan chicks like my initial 22 (Browns and Buckeyes) from the local hatchery, wee mites with no momma hen to show them how to chicken and what to eat. I had no luck finding anything locally until I stumbled on an online classified in eBrandon local e-mart. Far Away Farms down south of Brandon had Silkie hatching eggs offered. It was a bit further than I really wanted to drive in my decrepit 1993 pickup truck, but needs must when the (chicken) devil drives! I drove down on a rainy Monday and was rewarded by meeting two terribly nice animal-rescue folk with a farm full of appealing animals of all sorts -- including a small Silkie flock that was laying eggs like no tomorrow. Bought a dozen at the fair asking price, and then was gifted with another dozen!

My Brinsea Maxi II Advance is supposed to take only 14 eggs, but I got them all into it by filling the inner circle and reconciling myself to hand-turning those. On day 7 I candled, and took out eleven eggs. Followup candling today (day 11) confirmed previous judgment that I had basically eight eggs developing -- not all of them from among those I would have picked if restricted to just 14! So at this moment I have 6 white Silkie eggs developing, along with 2 blacks (fingers crossed that I don't lose either of the blacks, as I fell in love with them at first sight to the black roo at Far Away).

Can't say whether I'll be able to provide photos when the time comes; what I've got for a camera, a cheap Vivitar, has atrocious image quality and doesn't do closeups at all well. I need to get set up for decent pix. There's no excuse -- I'm a former photographer, but I can't afford much by way of new equipment these days. We shall see.

Anyway, here I am on the August Hatch-A-Long. Expected hatch date for 8 Silkies, 3 August.

Welcome to the party

 

[chickiebaby1]

What are skywalkers ? Hope the eggs hatch !

They are the eggs I got from Skywalker2136 on ebay. They are bielefelder eggs.

 

[Trisseh]

I ordered my quail eggs today. They should be here for Wednesday. Perfect timing as all my chicken eggs should be hatched out by then. I also caved and ordered a couple Norwegian jaerhon eggs because I had wanted one from the other hatchery that gave me the run around and wound up refusing to ship my chicks. At the last minute. Instead, I got eggs and no refund for the difference. that was the most expensive dozen eggs that I’ve purchased yet. Ugh. Oh well. So more quail coming, a couple jaerhon, and I might experiment with my own duck’s eggs because that little drake is extremely persistent and I’m curious to see if he’s fertile yet.

 

[Erba]

I checked my air cells today on my shipped eggs. Day 4. Have not turned them yet. Most are in the right spot but like set jello a bit wiggly. Two are definitely saddled. So my plan is to keep them uptight and turn from hand from now on, just tilt and turn them a bit in their egg flat.Thanking my lucky stars that none are completely detached. So besides my ICU babies, I've got 9 of my own Sussex eggs left on day 19, not sure who fathered them, but I've got 4 Sussex Roosters here. 2 are definitely going to freezer camp soon, but I thought I'd give it a go with the eggs before they go.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Any silkies set for August?

 

[FortCluck]

Any silkies set for August?View attachment 2262031

All mine must be pullets then