6th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2015 Hatch-A-Long

[chicken pickin]

That is so true! And don't answer when they ask how many chickens you have or how many eggs you trying to hatch out.

So funny... and SOOOOO TRUE too

 

[Bazy]

Quote:
That is true. My husband said to me "you have a hundred chickens........admit it" I said How can I have an hundred chickens when we only get two eggs per week? He said again "Just admit it" I said NO! I don't have an hundred chickens, and don't you be telling everybody either! My chickens are PRIVATE!! He just laughed at me!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sort of off topic, I know that the standard answer to this is 4 sqft per bird but since the Australorp towers over even our RIR and BR and we're planning to start a pure breed Australorp flock, how many square feet per Australorp should I go with? They will have access to a run every day as well so I also need to know how many square feet per bird in the run.

These chicks we're hatching for the HAL are all Big Daddy Crow's children so hopefully they will inherit his mass so the sqft per bird will come in handy pretty soon. So it is sort of on topic for the HAL.

Short answer is, as much space as you can give them. 4 sq. ft. per LF is considered a minimum. Keep in mind, the greater the stocking density, the more work it is to keep clean, prevent ammonia buildup and pathogen growth.

Amen. I'm drinking coffee like there's no money to be made today! LOL

Guys I just can't get over my temps. I've never hatched in winter and don't know that I'll ever again wait for warm months. My temp is rock steady at 102.. I have placed thin towels over my LG windows as someone suggested and it's even better than before!! Can't wait til next weekend to do an official candle/count.

Is 102 at the top of the eggs? Even so, that's a bit high.

Oh yeah- AND no worry of terrible storms/power outages like in spring/summer either!!

We had 3 brief power outages this morning. I test ran my generator yesterday since it was a nice day with winter about to return.

Good morning all. Java, Java and fresh eggs mmmm!!

When I first read that, I thought you were hatching Java chickens. Then I remembered the coffee discussion.
If I had space, I'd have Javas.

@bantambury I was reading this morning about inbreeding and line breeding of chickens. You'd be okay to breed milkshake to malt, but don't then breed their offspring to eachother or back to either of the parents. You can basically get away with it once, maybe twice for increase of certain genetic traits, but after that, there are too many identical genes and it's likely to cause low fertility and other problems. I am actually breeding some of Fog's daughters back to him right now to gain greater gold base coloring in feathers and increase the strength of the mille fleur crescent and spot on the ends of the feathers while keeping the beards and muffs strong. I was planning to replace Fog in my program next year, but I hadn't really made the full on decision to seek out a new roo. I needed to find out what the actual genetics of it was. So I will be on the hunt for a very nice roo to fill in for him next year, because I won't be crossing him back to his grandkids and my other d'Uccle roo is Fog's son, so he's not any better to breed to his mother or his sisters. Now that I have a very good idea of what I'm looking for in characteristics, I will be seeking out a roo with specific qualities that I want to continue to bring out. Chicken genetics are awesome.

@bantambury I don't remember if you said they were full brother/sister. If so, not a good idea unless they're perfect and even then. You have duplicate copies of all genes. Good traits as well as bad traits are pronounced. Line breeding is much more forgiving. Father to daughter/granddaughter/greatgranddaughter/et. al.. Mother to son/grandson/greatgrandson/etc.. Even then, you're only using your best examples of the breeds.

You have not seen me in the morning

Are you wearing the same mullet all day?

Quote:
All the Asian markets and some of the farmers' markets have duck eggs here. I should ask if they're fertile. One Asian market sells quail eggs too. Maybe I should incubate some.

 

[Aphrael]

That's a good way to spend the weekend. I like the rustic feel of it too! What guage wire did you use? Our run is also made of logs but it doesn't look half as good as yours.

As for keeping up with the post, the most I can usually manage is a quick scan of each post to try to determine points that are relevant to my needs and questions that I may be able to help others with. (Although usually, by the time I've found a question I can answer, 12 people have already answered it.) lol

That is what I run into also!

I don't know how anyone has time to think about candling. I spend half my time trying to keep up with this thread. I'm going to be late for work. Again.

But surely they would take "catching up on the HAL" as a valid excuse!!

I wish I had of seen this earlier!!
I put eggs in very late on the tenth because they were posted and needed to go in ASAP.... (but I don't expect them to hatch until the 1st, as I had to transport the incubator all the way home without power a few days later and then it ran on the cool side when we were back.)
Good luck to all with your hatches, I shall watch from the sidelines

Was going to say I'm sure you can still join in, but everyone beat me to it.

So instead I'll say Welcome to the NYD HAL!!

A racoon or something got to one of my Polish frizzle pullets last night.

I was out until after 10:30 pm and the coop door was still open. I'm so sad. I hatched her from my first attempt at incubating. She was my sweetie! She would run over so I could pick her up for hugs.

I know that this sort of thing happens when you own chickens, but it was my fault for not closing the door before I left. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a bummer. I'm still super stoked about the hatch. And probably the Easter hatch too.

Oh no! I am so sorry you lost one, especially a favorite.

it hadnt been mentioned and I was wondering would it be better to handle the eggs with gloves on if you handle them? and if not how come?

Wearing gloves certainly wouldn't hurt. They would prevent germ transfer to the egg and also keep your skin oils from clogging the pores, which is one of the problems with excessive handling of the eggs. Just remember, if you don't use gloves, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before handling the eggs.

I know what u mean, my baby Raven somehow got her wing hurt. She can still fly (flap around) like she did before, but I could see blood and so did the other chickens. They were pecking at her wing, she had feathers coming out too. Could I just be mistaking it for molting? She's about 7 months and so are the others

At 7 months she shouldn't be having a heavy molt yet. They don't usually have their first full on molt until they are over a year old. I would suggest putting something on the area that will not only help it heal but make it less eye catching to the others. I think some people have suggested something like blu-kote for this.

Sad news... I decided against setting any eggs, so no chicks or ducklings for me.

Will just have to live vicariously through all of you.

-Kathy

Awwww.

And birthday chicks! My request this year....haha im sure you all remember my chicken pajamas from last year

Those were the cutest jammies EVER!

It seems like when you really like one a favorite thats the one they kill. My darn chihuahuas killed my wheaten marans hen yesterday. I was so mad. She got in their yard.
They all got a spanking little good it will do.

Oh, I am so sorry. It seems it is even worse when you lose one to one of your other pets.

Not part of the HAL but my ducks are hatching!

Yay! Congrats!

Quote:

 

[Peep_Show]

Wait....

I only see 8 chickens.

 

[Roan]

Roan this what I came up with and where things set right now. I'm very worried about the spike but I hope I caught it in time and quickly got temps back down. should know soon

Eggs set ​

35​

Start date

12/11/2014​

Pen #1

Pen #2

Pen #3

Eggs hatched​

​

End date



Blue

Blue

Black

Hatch rate​

0.00%​

Breed



Blue

Buff

Mix

Day

Good

Bad

#1

#2

#3​

Notes​

7​

14​

17​

Total:​

Day

High​

Low

Average

Humidity



Notes

1

100

98.7

99.35

25​

2

99.8

98.5

99.15

32​

3

104

98.5

101.25

28​

adjusted

spiked

104.7 approx.1hr

4

100

98.5

99.25

35​

5

0

0

0​

​

6

0

0

0​

7

0

0

0​

8

0

0

0​

9

0

0

0​

10

0

0

0​

11

0

0

0​

12

0

0

0​

13

0

0

0​

14

0

0

0​

15

0

0

0​

16

0

0

0​

17

0

0

0​

18

0

0

0​

19

0

0

0​

20

0

0

0​

21

0

0

0​

22

0

0

0​

23

0

0

0​

0

0

0

0​

100.95

98.55

99.75​

Average Temps​

That's a nice spreadsheet. Hopefully the spike won't hurt anything.

My temps, in an LG still air as well, are almost exactly the same as yours. So I hope this is a good safe range...

Lol, I hope so!

 

[Bazy]

Quote:
My kinda chicken person right there. Let me give you my husband's number...

 

[Peep_Show]

My DH hasn't been into the chicken room (one of the guest rooms that got taken over by the incubator and subsequent brooder) in ages. I told him I was getting into the NYD Hatch-Along and he asked how many eggs I set as I had mentioned I had room for 4 to 6 more hens. "Uhhhm.... Some?" He doesn't realize I've ordered yet another incubator (for hatching) and have two going right now, plus I have two brooder setups.

Some doors are best left unopened.....

 

[Cynthia12]

 

[Aliciahess]

Whew...just caught up.
Gloves are a good idea, never thought of that. Getting so eggcited to candle the eggs. Read up on the hatching handbook from Brinsea, great reading! Have been turning my eggs mornjng and night.