8 Partridge Penedesencas set to hatch November 16Th

[gimmie birdies]

I am on day 18 for 2 eggs. I see veins. the hatcher is above my other 2 chicks, so the eggs can hear the peeping. I hope it encourages the hatch.

one of my current chicks looks partridge colored- dad must have been the white and brown roo I had, the other is totally a frizzle. when the frizzle hatched it looked like a penguin because it was white on the underside and black on top. very sweet birds, not quite as needy.

the plan is let my other chicks hatch and stay in hatcher 1 1/2-2 days till they are walking. then have the new ones sleep with the older ones (the age spread between the chicks is 12 days) , they will be in a small dark box warmed by hand warmers under the box,so they can talk together before they all go in the box w/ the light.

my guess is the other 2 will be frizz- when there is only 2 baby chicks and you add the new ones sometimes they are so happy to see more chicks they don't peck the newbies. sometimes newborns peck worse then older ones because they are more curious.

 

[OrpObsessed]

I am on day 18 for 2 eggs. I see veins. the hatcher is above my other 2 chicks, so the eggs can hear the peeping. I hope it encourages the hatch.

one of my current chicks looks partridge colored- dad must have been the white and brown roo I had, the other is totally a frizzle. when the frizzle hatched it looked like a penguin because it was white on the underside and black on top. very sweet birds, not quite as needy.

the plan is let my other chicks hatch and stay in hatcher 1 1/2-2 days till they are walking. then have the new ones sleep with the older ones (the age spread between the chicks is 12 days) , they will be in a small dark box warmed by hand warmers under the box,so they can talk together before they all go in the box w/ the light.

 my guess is the other 2 will be frizz- when there is only 2 baby chicks and you add the new ones sometimes they are so happy to see more chicks they don't peck the newbies. sometimes newborns peck worse then older ones because they are more curious.

Cool! I have a single silkie set to hatch tomorrow. He is already peeping away and pipped the shell. I have two silkie hens outside that are brooding and raising some Orpington mix chicks and two partridge silkies, all different ages. They dont mind when I hand them a brand new fluffy butt. However I'll be brooding my Penedesencas and everything else I've got in the bator that hatches after them, myself.

 

[bellschick]

Im a newbie....can anybody tell me why u wantt to hatch instead of buying healthy live chicks.

 

[OrpObsessed]

It's fun lol! And sometimes it's all that's available when I'm too impatient to wait for spring. Also, the breeds I want during the spring are usually sold out. The hatching eggs are easier for me to get sometimes. It's not necessarily cheaper....but it's fun and addicting. My kids love it too. We hatch a lot of our own eggs as well

 

[gimmie birdies]

when you hatch your own you feel like an expectant mom and a kid wondering what he is getting for Christmas at the same time. when a chick hatches by themselves they are perfectly healthy. and the bond is better with a home- hatched chick.

 

[bellschick]

Do u keep all the chicks? How many do u have?

 

[OrpObsessed]

Do u keep all the chicks? How many do u have?

No, I breed and hatch my own meat birds and replacement layers. I sell some and give some away. This spring I want to sell hatching eggs from my breeders, and of course Ill sell some chicks. Right now I have about 13 baby chicks. Some are layers, the roosters we will raise and butcher. I'll keep or sell the silkies. Then I'll keep several hens from my new breeds that I'm hatching cause I really want them in my breeding program. I'll sell the extra, though roosters usually wind up in my freezer.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I give some away, eat some and keep some.

 

[bellschick]

Do u think it is worth raising your own meat birds or just buy them from someone who raises meat birds and sells them. The only difference is I wouldnt b raising them myself.

 

[OrpObsessed]

Do u think it is worth raising your own meat birds or just buy them from someone who raises meat birds and sells them. The only difference is I wouldnt b raising them myself.

I think it's worth it. I know what they ate and the environment they were raised in. Plus the pride you feel feeding your family meat you raised on your own farm makes it worth it to me. I like to know that if everything in our economy went all the way south I could at least raise chickens for meat. I don't think it's cheaper than buying birds from the supermarket. The more we free range our birds, the more we save money but I end up spending more than I want to on their feed. But it's worth it to me. You just have to find what's right for you. My dad orders the Cornish X rocks and then butchers them. He says its not cheaper than buying from the grocery store when you figure in feed costs, but he had meat in his freezer for a year, and it wasn't loaded with hormones.