5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[Blarneyeggs]

Oops! and Oh! I got a pip!

 

[roostereggs]

Sorry I fell asleep last night.

So the story with the feed...I was going through 4 bags of 50# $14.99 layer feed per month. I ordered 25x50' aviary netting and hung it up inside our 3 stall horse corral coop roof on 3/4 sides, and the second one I put it along the front and out over the run to keep out the millions of sparrows and doves. Dh noticed the smaller birds were still getting in, which is the majority of the birds.

The previous owners left 2 dog houses and a dog igloo here, so I put their galvanized feeder inside one of the houses and went to check it yesterday and there was a ton of it left! The rate I was going with feed, I should have filled it up again yesterday but didn't need to, so I am happy about that.

Dh also noticed ground squirrels in the feed last week, and shot two of them with his new BB gun.

They are really cute, but there are just TOO many. So hopefully that will help with the feed bill, especially since I am about to start feeding all these little baby mouths which I am sure don't stay little for long!


I don't want to go to work today...but at least I get a 3 day weekend. It will be difficult to work knowing the babies should be hatching any day now.

It would be cool if my patients all cancel so I can leave early! Didn't see very many people the beginning of the week, and I am usually booked solid.

Have a great day, everybody!

 

[Cynthia12]

WOW-EEEEEEEEEE!!! Tonight is Day 20...I was making my breakfast and I heard one of the eggs moving. It was a quick tapping sound as it was moving against other eggs! Kinda feel like waking everyone up but they would be mad...so I figured who would be as eggcited as me? My BYC peeps!

I couldn't get the humidity up at lockdown, but a feminine hygiene product brought it up to 58%. Dd was amused by that.

There are five small eggs in there from the CCL eggs I had shipped...possibly new layers because they are bantam size. Because they are so small, is it possible they could hatch early?

Very possible..hold on to your britches though, could still be a while. Contrats on the early stage of a new birth. Hatchling.

 

[draye]

Spent the afternoon yesterday moving chickens around so that I could empty out my brooder shed for the New Year babies.
Getting excited about them hatching.

 

[mstricer]

Hey hey everyone. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Y daughter got engaged, I ran all over Ohio on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day spent the whole day running. I skipped over 20 plus pages. Hope I didn't miss anything important

 

[Frankie Ruiz]

how about a short piece of water line insulation? You know the black tubes that you put around water lines and hoses to keep them from freezing.

that also sounds like a good idea... plus i think i have some laying around. ill give it a try. thanks for the info guys

 

[Pozees]

Question - I've been toying with the idea of using one of those Rubbermaid 7'x7' insulated plastic sheds for brooding, has anyone ever tried that?

 

[chickengirl1193]

If they are too small I would lower the humidity for the last days until lockdown.  It may not make them the "ideal"size but I don't think it could hurt and may still help.

Okayso i still should be okay. I took all water out and I'll keep it around 20percent until lock down

 

[AK FLOCK SWAP]

So .. I lifted the lid off the bator,, sniff sniff ,,aww just the smell of chickies growing...

So the foul egg was out,, and boy it stunk before i cracked it open, Well that made me start candling real close ,,every egg,, Found what I thought were 4 the inside just spun around. I cracked a second one open,, very small embryo..( did not move). Crack third and Oh crap<< It was alive >

> MAN>< so I put the other two back in the bator,, I will wait,, Live and learn folks,,,,Smell egg before cracking open first,, ,, because that third one did not stink,, the others all smell good.. I used my nose..kinda like a momma hen would due eh?

 

[ronott1]

WOW-EEEEEEEEEE!!! Tonight is Day 20...I was making my breakfast and I heard one of the eggs moving. It was a quick tapping sound as it was moving against other eggs! Kinda feel like waking everyone up but they would be mad...so I figured who would be as eggcited as me? My BYC peeps!

I couldn't get the humidity up at lockdown, but a feminine hygiene product brought it up to 58%. Dd was amused by that.

There are five small eggs in there from the CCL eggs I had shipped...possibly new layers because they are bantam size. Because they are so small, is it possible they could hatch early?

Yes That is exciting. The tap the shell hundreds of time with their egg tooth to break the shell. If they are tapping now and there are now pips, they will probably hatch tomorrow.