4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[Mahonri]

This thread was busy EVEN ON CHRISTMAS!

It's 60 degrees and partly cloudy out there right now.

I have another broody and no fertile eggs... but I have too many chicks right now anyway.

I can't wait till I can tell which ones are the boys so I can start the thinning process.

For Christmas I got 10 W/BW Ameraucana chicks. They come from a cross between a pretty BW Paul Smith boy and Wayne Meredith girls. Some of the chicks were pretty large. I hope I get more pullets than roos.

My four wheatie girls have only laid one egg in 4 months!... and my BW roo isn't doing his job, nor is he crowing yet. I hope I can get some action before the 11th of March so I can join the Easter Hatch a long.

Y'all are 72% of the way there. There will be hundreds of new chicks hatched by this time next week!

 

[missydcpc]

When I left at 11 this morning for my chiro appt the roads were an absolute mess! I called fiancee and told him he had 2 choices, meet me at the chiro or meet me at Home Depot, either way, he was NOT to drive over the mountain. I saw 3 tractor trailers have major issues with the mountain (switch backs). He left his office in Harrisburg at noon. What should have been a 45 minute drive home took OVER 2 hours! Meanwhile...I sat in my jeep in the parking lot waiting for him.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Oh thats too bad. What do you mean that the Genesis can't maintain lower temperatures?  I planned on using the genesis because my 1602N isn't always the most faithful.  I like the electric thermostat so much better.  I have always dreamed of hatching an emu egg and now that dream seems posible. I'm so excited but I'm also nervous because I know there are many things that can go wrong.

Do you know if air cell development for emu eggs is porpotional to chicken eggs?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/607761/anyone-up-for-a-hatchalong

I found this thread incredibly helpful. It hasn't been active in a while, but some very knowledgable people are subscribed and have a lot of experience raising EMUs.

It could be that MY make of Genesis didn't go low enough. The temperature control on my Genesis consists of toggle switches on the underside of the lid.

 

[Bettacreek]

I think we've lost a cornish cross hen. I looked for her several times today and couldn't find her. It's now getting dark and still no sign of her. I just hope that with all that body mass, she can keep herself warm enough and shows up in the morning expecting a warm breakfast! I feel so bad about abandoning her out there, but I just don't know where else to look for her. I made myself even sicker and very cold and miserable (still can't get myself warmed up, despite the space heater, blanket and very hot peppermint tea), and still, I didn't find her. I suppose I should be thankful that my turkey hen laid her egg in time to come to my calls, but I'm tired of losing animals... Pekin hens, pekin drake, ameraucana and now a cornish cross? They'll definitely be locked up for the next two days, and the new house will have some kind of run for them for crappy days like this, so that they can still get out for fresh air, yet not get lost and freeze.

 

[Fuzzybird]

Snowy Owl, I may be in the same boat with you. Looks like I may just have two eggs. WE may be neck to neck with the worst hatch! I think I should stop trying to enter contest for hatching. I don't have a lot of luck hatching. I do have 3 maran eggs that I can't tell so have to just wait and see.

 

[Bettacreek]

When I left at 11 this morning for my chiro appt the roads were an absolute mess! I called fiancee and told him he had 2 choices, meet me at the chiro or meet me at Home Depot, either way, he was NOT to drive over the mountain. I saw 3 tractor trailers have major issues with the mountain (switch backs). He left his office in Harrisburg at noon. What should have been a 45 minute drive home took OVER 2 hours! Meanwhile...I sat in my jeep in the parking lot waiting for him.

It's bad out there, isn't it?! G had to go to a doc appointment, and a 5-10 minute drive took him forty minutes. I had commenced freak-out mode, then he finally showed up. The by-pass here was impassible, so he had to turn around and go back, which still should've only taken 15-20 minutes! I couldn't even see the prison because the snow is so bad. That thing is lit up brighter than a xmas hoarder's tree, and yet I couldn't even tell there was anything there but empty field! Another thing... I haven't seen a single plow hit the road here. I wonder what's up with that?! It's been snowing for hours!

 

[cluck-cluck]

Ugh, Bettacreek! It's just a bad winter for you! I don't know what to say! Wonder why they wonder off so far away in such cold weather! Now I must insist you stay inside and warm, you were REALLY sick only a couple of days ago! GET THEE TO BED! You need to take care of yourself first, or you won't be able to take care of that lovely child in your AV or anyone else! I'm sorry about the chicken, but maybe they should stay locked in for the next few days? It's too cold to play anyway?!?!

 

[Bettacreek]

At this point, I'm pretty much in for the night. I'll make one more check for the girly (only in close, to see if she tried to come to bed) and check that everyone in the coop is warm and dry and all that (and collect eggs), then I won't be out anymore until tomorrow morning to give warm water and hot breakfast (and check to see if she's back again). It just sucks. I love those cornish cross. They lay well, they're so sweet, they're huge and cuddly, and ultimately, I'm TIRED of losing birds, darn it! They definitely won't be out at all tomorrow and probably the next day. There's no sense in letting them out... There's so much room in their room that they don't need to get out to stretch their wings (our room is something like 19x36 or close to that). There's nothing for them to eat out there either, it's all snow! PLUS, the ducks, the fools that they are, seem to choose snow over feed and water (they've been filling up on water too, and not eating as much as I want them to, they need to eat and regain their strength!). Ugh. Birds... some days it makes you wonder why you have all the silly things around, lol.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Ok, cluck-cluck...what the heck is 'Boxing Day'?

 

[debs_flock]

Ok, cluck-cluck...what the heck is 'Boxing Day'?

The day after Christmas, the "have's", box up stuff and give it to the "have not's". It's a British thing.

Deb