4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[Lesalynn]

Hey there, Cochins, long-time no speak, lol. Ever have any luck with your hatches?? I've hatched out 13 Silkies, one Sizzle, and 7 bantams since then, I think. Not sure yet what I'm gonna try hatching for the NYD hatch-along. Probably more Silkies, lol. You gonna try the cochins again?

 

[Blarneyeggs]

That is when your puppy looks at you playful, crouches down, then runs at you full force and bumps into you, oh the fun. I learned pretty quickly that it wasn't bad play, I just turn sideways a little like a linebacker and wait for the hit. It's funny. As she gets bigger, the more I have to remind myself that she is still a baby. I have to remind the BF all the time, she is bigger then our adult inside dogs. AWWWWW I just had a huge hawk in the yard. Zoe got to see it on lead when I spooked it out of the tree and it flew away, She followed until after numerous good girls......I said BAD DOG

I meant to say, bad bird, get it. She stopped looking at it

I'm on the outlook for it and have her in the spot were we saw it. Maybe it won't come back.

Very cool. I am always amazed at how 'on' our Bella (LGD) is when we walk the permimeter. And watching the sky...so awesome! I can't believe I waited so long to get a Great Pyr.

And here is what I used to have coming straight at me:

 

[Lesalynn]

I LOVE this pic.

Looks like turkey tracks, lol. Of course I never get to track turkeys in the snow.

 

[cochins1088]

I LOVE this pic.

That is a really cool picture! I love going out to the back 40 acres of our land and looking at all of the different animal prints in the snow. And then of course I follow them until they disappear or leave our land. We leave those acers strictly for wildlife, no farming and no hunting, so there are plenty of animals that live there.

 

[cochins1088]

Hey there, Cochins, long-time no speak, lol. Ever have any luck with your hatches?? I've hatched out 13 Silkies, one Sizzle, and 7 bantams since then, I think. Not sure yet what I'm gonna try hatching for the NYD hatch-along. Probably more Silkies, lol. You gonna try the cochins again?

Wow, I typed a response 3 times for you, and everytime they disappeared before I clicked submit, what my luck...

Anyways, I didn't have any luck. Still just the 3 sliver laced bantams from last time, I'll have to order more eggs in the spring to start this breeding project. After them, I put the incubator away but I'm taking it right back out for the NYD hatch along, haha. I believe I'm getting some silkies, silkie mixes, and random crosses from the neighbors but I have back up plans in the case that theirs decide to quite laying before the hatchalong like mine have. Last time I got a couple of nice pure silkies from them and the eggs are cheap, I just needed something for the hatch along. I'm also getting a genesis 1588 hova bator incubator, but I'm not sure I'll get it in time for the hatch along. I'm looking, but everyone has an estimated delivery after December 11th, bummer... Either way, can't wait to get hatching again!

Glad that you're having some luck! I have one sizzle that is a bit more unique, most of the silkie/frizzle cochin crosses I see end up with frizzle feathers but my little guy has frizzled silkie fluff and I just love it!

 

[cochins1088]

Just looked at ebay and found some buff barred cochin bantam eggs and the auction ends in an hour. Definately going to try to get them for the NYD hatch along as well as the eggs from the neighbors.

 

[Comeonbroodyhen]

So what is the point of the hatch a long ? And people are talking about winning prizes ? What's that all about? I might hatch some barred rock eggs because there the only chickens that are laying now. But I'm not sure about hatching eggs just before the Canadian winter. My only problem would be where to put them? And if they would freeze to death?

 

[cluck-cluck]

Thats COOL!! my adult boys like to get a few cheap bags of cotton balls and dip them in water and stick on friends cars and cover them! its pretty cool for winter weddings!

That's such a fun idea! Never heard of that one!

I also live in Minnesota and our chickens never go out in the winter, they hate the snow. Our coops are a bunch of those dog kennel panels set up around the barn to make a 6ft by 28 ft area, we let the chickens out every so often when our dogs are locked up, but in the winter, they'll simply go up to the edge where cement meets snow and just stare at it for hours, they wouldn't dare step in the stuff so me and my sister went out and each grabbed a chicken and put them into the snow a couple of feet from the barn, they freaked! They acted like they were walking on hot coals! They are all cochins so they are winter hardy and have tons of feathers covering their feet, but walking it snow just ins't going to happen. I'm tempted to try making a pair of booties for their feet to see if that would make a difference, hahaha.

I LOVE this pic.

I had to say I love that pic too, how cute!

So what is the point of the hatch a long ? And people are talking about winning prizes ? What's that all about? I might hatch some barred rock eggs because there the only chickens that are laying now. But I'm not sure about hatching eggs just before the Canadian winter. My only problem would be where to put them? And if they would freeze to death?

The point is really only to be silly and have fun This one is kind of big and they do have nice prizes, but the real reason is to have fun. If you can, they should be laying by spring which is the "practical" excuse, LOL

Speaking of winter, here in Southern California, when it starts to rain, we have terrible accidents on the roads. It sounds like Californians can't drive (well, many can't, LOL) but the real reason is that oil, rubber and other fine debris build up on our roads and when it rains for the first few times after a long summer of no rain, those things become as slippery as ice and people don't realize it. And they drive too fast... So I guess we all have driving hazards in winter!

 

[Comeonbroodyhen]

Ok then I'm in !!! but what are some of the prizes ?

 

[Razadia]

Ok then I'm in !!!

but what are some of the prizes ?

Here's the contest page that has all the info on the contests and prizes. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/4th-annual-byc-nyd-hatch-along-contests

It looks like Jim updated the page since the last time I looked at it.