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

[GerbilsOnToast]

I really like FRs as a meat bird. I've never kept any long enough to lay but my friend said they laid pretty well.
Last winter I bought 50 of them because I had to get my chicken numbers up fast before I applied for my city permit. (weird rule story for another day)
I didn't know how I was ever going to process 50 birds by myself and I had an epiphany.
I scheduled 2 meetups to teach our members how to process chickens. We did half as Cornish game hens at the first one and the other half at 9 weeks. They were so big some of the cocks were too big to fit in the large vacuum bags.

I did quite a bit of research on them and I was under the impression that their genetics is from 2 lines that won't allow the offspring to breed true. I could be wrong. I think only one company in the US was granted a license to breed and sell them.

If I knew what was going to happen, it wouldn't be an experiment, would it?

Every step here is uncharted territory AFAIK, which is what makes it interesting to me. I'm not very good at accepting "it can't be done"; and since i have the ability to test it, I just have to!
So far I know that they can maintain a healthy weight without having to be starved/rationed, they begin laying at about the same age as I'd expect for a bird of their weight, can breed naturally and produce fertile eggs. If those eggs can hatch, will the progeny be healthy, what will they be like... these are still unknowns.

I have no intent of selling them regardless of the result; if they hatch & are healthy, the roos will become capons, the hens will be meat as well, just sooner. If they don't hatch/grow as healthy chicks, I'll order a couple hundred more in Feb, because I DO know that they can be healthy long enough and grow large enough to make stunning capons. (the roo is 23lbs live weight at 10 months, still healthy & quick - just not graceful, but he never was!)

I split an order with someone else early last year - I took all the hens and the three liveliest roos. At 10 weeks, I chose what I felt was the 'best' roo and four best hens and processed the rest. The hens averaged 5.1#, the two roos 6.3. The 'chosen' stayed free-range with the capons until 16 weeks, when I put them in a private apartment; initially I 'rationed' them a pound each of feed per day, but they never ate that much so I just keep the feeder full now - and four weeks later they began laying.

I suspect that most of my clear eggs were the same hen - there's one hen who does not accept the roos advances peacefully, and now he rarely approaches her. She also lays a double about twice a week. Dunno whats up with that, but I have an egg customer who loves them.

It's all about the experiment... what will be, will be. It may end in disappointment - but it won't be the first time, and as long as there's a plan B, I'm okay with that!

 

[Nonyah Biz]

im so excited.....im still waiting. soooooo......I EAT.

anyone else having this problem? LOL

i hid in my room last night cuz bator is in living room and today i took my daughter for a mother daughter shopping day now i might go lock myself in my room again lol my hubby says "no touchy touchy " when i walk by the bator

 

[Wunjo]

I am about to put it back online and add the eggs. I will do this at 4:15 Pacific time.

I seen it for a brief moment it looked like you had one pip. I will check back later on. OMG now I am watching your eggs hatch and not just mine..... If I had a longer cable I would set my cam up... Time to go play SWTOR. I'll check back soon to see if anyone has any new fuzzbutts!

 

[Threedog]

It seems like a lot of people have rocking, peeping, pipping, etc. going on. Are those eggs set on the 11th? I'm getting confused, so it would help if a set time was given if the eggs were set early, so others don't feel like they're behind if they set on the 11th.

Yeah, my incubator is quiet and still as well. I thought all these eggs were supposed to pop open right when the ball drops at midnight Anyway, what gives? I mean, congratulations to everyone who already have peeping/pipping/hatching, but what gives? Did y'all cheat and get a head start or are our 'bators just stuck on the "slow cook" setting?

 

[Nonyah Biz]

just started looking for progress.....

ANOTHER SILKIE PIP!

well, I hope SOME will at least hatch on new years! LOL

im still waiting i will be sooo hapoy if just 1 hatches

i only set 6

 

[SoManyHats]

Yay!!...I heard chirping and tapping coming from my incubator!!! Now what? I need advice - I'm supposed to go out of town for about 12 hours tomorrow night. If I have chicks starting to hatch, do I still go? I don't have a lot of space in my incubator for a bunch to be running around.

Btw, I set my eggs on the 11th at 7:30pm. I think the tapping is coming from a Marans and the chirping is coming from somewhere else.

 

[Nonyah Biz]

ok getting caught up on post

but want to say 1 BIG CONGRATS too all

.....all them babies are making me egg-cited lol

 

[bantambury]

i hid in my room last night cuz bator is in living room and today i took my daughter for a mother daughter shopping day now i might go lock myself in my room again lol my hubby says "no touchy touchy " when i walk by the bator

omg! you hide in your room so you don't touch the eggs?!?!??!?! LOL too funny!


my bator is IN MY ROOM! I may STAY UP ALL NIGHT and with for my chicks to finish! 2 pips now!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Yay!!...I heard chirping and tapping coming from my incubator!!! Now what? I need advice - I'm supposed to go out of town for about 12 hours tomorrow night. If I have chicks starting to hatch, do I still go? I don't have a lot of space in my incubator for a bunch to be running around.

Btw, I set my eggs on the 11th at 7:30pm. I think the tapping is coming from a Marans and the chirping is coming from somewhere else.

it is best to leave them in as opening the bater can cause shrink wrapping of the unhatched eggs.

 

[Nonyah Biz]

Congratulations!!!
I'm still trying to decide if that slight wobble was the egg or the eyes, LOL

haha me too but nope

it was just hubby walking by(wood floors)