4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Thank you..... I so need to find an animal photography course!!! or "nail" them to a stump!!

 

[Bettacreek]

I am putting in a new batch of eggs today. 12 pekin eggs, 1 turkey egg, 1 EE egg, then the rest are cornish cross and leghorrn. The weather is bad here. I left to go get 400lbs of feed (*gasp*), and when we were putting coats on, I sent G a message saying "the roads look good, I won't pick you up for your doctor's appt", to fifteen minutes later, only making it to the other side of the prison, messaging him saying "I'm picking you up" (but he snuck past me somehow), then half an hour after that, I sent him another text saying "I don't think you should take your car back to work, come home and switch them when you're done". It's crazy how quickly the roads are going to crap! Coming down the mountain, my car never made it out of 2nd gear!!!

ETA: In the driving snow, I had to track down a turkey hen. She finally started calling out to me, and I found her in a big patch of weeds. Here, she had been laying an egg, and there was another in there as well. I assume the older one is a goner, since it had ice on it and was probably out there for a few days in the freezing. But, at least I have a chance of having more than one turkey poult for this hatch.

 

[karimw]

I spent what little time I had yesterday lurking so I wouldn't be so far behind, but it took coming back to work to get caught up.

I hope everyone had a great Holiday, though I can tell some of you didn't. Sorry about the lost chick, sinking hatches and discouraging duck news.

Glad you didn't blow away Raz!

I was impatient and candled last night. I wish I hadn't, because then I would still think I had 4 eggs going. Now I am down to 2.

I guess I really hope either they both hatch, or neither do. Otherwise I will have to scramble to find a chick or two for company. There is a farm that sells Silkie chicks even now that is about an hour away. Hopefully she will have some young ones if I need them.

I feel like this

and this

and this

I've had a couple zero hatches and it is very discouraging. Don't worry though, there is always next time.

ETA: In the driving snow, I had to track down a turkey hen. She finally started calling out to me, and I found her in a big patch of weeds. Here, she had been laying an egg, and there was another in there as well. I assume the older one is a goner, since it had ice on it and was probably out there for a few days in the freezing. But, at least I have a chance of having more than one turkey poult for this hatch.

I've got a turkey hen that keeps wandering off in the drifts for no apparent reason

I hope she doesn't do it while I'm away from home and can't find her in the dark. The others are all staying in the coop, but I guess she must have cabin fever. She finally moved into the horse barn, so I guess I'll leave her there for now.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've been wondering how many NYD hatchalongers are outside US and Canada. Lets hear from ya'll.

 

[cmfarm]

We had a cold front blow in yesterday and it is so cold. It finally hit 36 and it is already 1. The high is suposed to hit 48 but i don't think it will get that warm. I hate the cold and can't wait until spring.

 

[Bettacreek]

Everyone will be locked up for the next three days because of this storm. I'm not a fan of the cold, wind, snow and all that stuff, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere besides good ol' Pennsylvania. The birds might be thinking differently right about now though!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm guessing your birds love the cold more than you do.

 

[Bettacreek]

I don't know. Nobody was very keen to leave the room today. Frozen water buckets aren't anymore fun for them than they are for me, lol. They do get warmed water and hot mash when it's cold though, so maybe they like that better than regular mash, lol.

 

[michaelf]

We have a chick , an Olive egger!

 

[coldupnorth]

Yesterday morning was -12*F and that was without the windchill here (windchills were in the -25 to -30s). Today is a bit nicer at 0* this morning. We still have the coldest month/s to go, but at least not every day is that cold. We are up to 10* right now so we are going in the right direction. We did lose one of my younger pullets yesterday morning to the cold

Feeding the chickens is a two part job now, my hands get too cold with gloves on to finish the hour long feeding/watering chore. My warm winter mittens do not work well for feeding because I can't get gates opened or closed with them on.