8th-annual-byc-new-years-day-2017-hatch-a-long

[JacksFarmNGardn]

Thanks everyone!
My chicks are mostly easter eggers and a few mixed breeds from a friends eggs.
My Ideal order, we both went in on together, and both ordered 3 chicks, and got 12 barred rock packing peanuts, so I got 6 of them in my brooder with my 3. I ordered 2 ameraucana(ee) pullets and a buff brahma rooster. More ee, i know, crazy right?! Lol! I'm hoping for a lucky blue layer, but think i may get a true ameraucana next spring to add the blue gene back to the line i want to keep. The buff brahma, is to replace my buff orp whos been shooting blanks for 2m. He was with light brahmas for sexlinks, so i will be breeding purebred brahma sexlinks instead. Hope to keep this thread going! I'll post more pics the older they get

I think i'm gonna keep this one

 

[lpyrbby]

Did someone ask for updates??? Well then...

Last weekend, while it was in the 50s, I finally took the littles outside for the first time to hang out in the introduction pen and have been working on getting them to be outside all the time. Tonight is night 2 outside and it's gonna get pretty chilly out. Since they aren't sleeping where the heat is and instead are in the open area of the pen, I've taken some ol' ratty shipping blankets to provide a windbreak for them. The weather is only gonna be really cool for the next two nights, then back to beautiful weather for this time of year.

Anyway, photos from last weekend

Group shot of most of the 13 that have made it this far.


This is my black sex link (SS roo over BR hen), Meow (mom's name is Kitty

)


Are you counting?


This is one of the boys, the non NN from the 3 NN eggs I put in the bator.


This is Red, the other boy, from my SS roo and one of the RSL hens I have. I learned that day that the kids were probably afflicted with coccidia because I suck as a chick mom, so I moved them outside anyway to make sure the indoor cage was cleaned thoroughly. I got Corid the next day and everyone is doing well. I didn't leave the kids outside overnight until I was sure the two that were showing signs of sickness were doing better - they were by the next day after beginning treatment, and I waited an additional day before letting them out with the rest.




This is Boop, my current favorite. (SS roo over BA - Mom's name is Betty) I will CRY if this is a boy. I'm expecting Boop to be a boy, but I'll still cry if he crows. Lay eggs, Boop! Lay eggs!


SS roo over the other RSL that I have.


Mottled Ameracauna


Boop! I love you Boop!


This is the other sickly chick, who's no longer sickly. SS roo over EE hen. So she MIGHT be a light green layer. We shall see!


Another Ameracauna chick from the same BBS pen.


Boop and Meow.


Blue Ameracauna on the right and my SS roo/Dark Cornish hen cross on the left. And yep, some poop on my pants lol




One of the other mottled Ameracauna chicks getting warm

 

[Eggscoozme]

Shooting blanks? How old is he?

I paid $10/egg for 2 dozen eggs for SLO. Only 7 hatched, 2 had to go bye-bye. Now my small flock of 5, will be a year old in March and not one fertile egg. I cut the butt feathers as breeder suggested, and have been told that fertility is lower in cold months. Geesh, really? 10 months since hatch date and no fertility with the girls. I believe he has fathered some others though - with my other chicken types. Only reason I could find for those girls to be fertile since no other Roo on the property for the then past 2 months. My SLO hardly lay too. Maybe 1 egg every couple of days out of 3 hens. They never did lay well yet.

That flock hatched last March 10th to be exact.

Is this messed up or what?

 

[minihorse927]

Shooting blanks?  How old is he? 

I paid $10/egg for 2 dozen eggs for SLO.  Only 7 hatched, 2 had to go bye-bye.  Now my small flock of 5, will be a year old in March and not one fertile egg.  I cut the butt feathers as breeder suggested, and have been told that fertility is lower in cold months.  Geesh,  really?  10 months since hatch date and no fertility with the girls.  I believe he has fathered some others though - with my other chicken types. Only reason I could find for those girls to be fertile since no other Roo on the property for the then past 2 months.  My SLO hardly lay too. Maybe 1 egg every couple of days out of 3 hens.  They never did lay well yet.

That flock hatched last March 10th to be exact.

Is this messed up or what?

unfortunately that is the norm with your more rare colors of English Orpington. Did you cut the feathers around the vent or pluck? My chocolate cuckoo boy...took him till he was over a year old to figure out how to breed

 

[Eggscoozme]

I cut the girls AND him just about a week ago. Fingers crossed, and you've given me hope. I was ready to sell the flock, dump them, really. They look good, but, i'm not used to putting in effort for Roosters to get their job done. I'm used to Roos mating effectively at 4-5mths and seeing fertile eggs by 6-7mth old hens.

You've given me hope and I will stick with it til probably early summer. If nothing by then, I give up, unless....artificial insemination?

 

[minihorse927]

I cut the girls AND him just about a week ago.  Fingers crossed, and you've given me hope.  I was ready to sell the flock, dump them, really.  They look good, but, i'm not used to putting in effort for Roosters to get their job done.  I'm used to Roos mating effectively at 4-5mths and seeing fertile eggs by  6-7mth old hens.

You've given me hope and I  will stick with it til probably early summer.  If nothing by then, I give up, unless....artificial insemination? 

you could AI...I have seen fertility issues in birds that have been cut vs. Plucked because the feathers poke the boys when they try to breed.

I no longer have to pluck my large orps

 

[eldonrgv]

Hello everyone. We headed down to Monterrey Mexico for 5 days, death in my wife's family side. Left my dad in charge of the house, birds, and bator. Poor old man had to do the egg turnings, feed the chickens, and did security. Arrived today and everything was OK!!!!! Even found 7 babies on the homemade bator on day 20 out of 13 that went to lockdown.

 

[rustymurphy]

Anyone know what would cause week old chicks to tip over and die I have shavings in brooder electro lites in water they have been eating and drinking and running around suddenly I'm finding dead chicks some on their backs some on their sides other on their stumick all with their legs straight out behind I need to know why please help me brooder temperature between 80-90 they are not bunching or scattered panting

 

[TJChickens]

Anyone know what would cause week old chicks to tip over and die I have shavings in brooder electro lites in water they have been eating and drinking and running around suddenly I'm finding dead chicks some on their backs some on their sides other on their stumick all with their legs straight out behind I need to know why please help me brooder temperature between 80-90 they are not bunching or scattered panting

Possibly an electrolyte imbalance. If they have had electrolytes in their water for too long, it can give them kidney failure. Try going back to plain water.

 

[ronott1]

Anyone know what would cause week old chicks to tip over and die I have shavings in brooder electro lites in water they have been eating and drinking and running around suddenly I'm finding dead chicks some on their backs some on their sides other on their stumick all with their legs straight out behind I need to know why please help me brooder temperature between 80-90 they are not bunching or scattered panting

Look into cocci or it could be e-coli.

Can you take one in for Necropsy? In California, we pay a $20.00 fee per chicken currently. It used to be free and is a great way to find out what is going on.