Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[scflock]

After my most recent incubation heartbreak, I broke down and bought it:  Brinsea Products Fully Automatic Egg Incubator for Hatching 24 Chicken Eggs or Equivalent.  And, I bought the humidity pump too.  I will be giving my BBS group another couple of weeks and then I will try again.    Maybe I will have some baby pictures for show and tell.

I have 2 Advances, but without the pump. Absolutely love them

 

[FridayYet]

Ok...more are pipping, but here's the first of them

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Adorable! What do you use for the bands on their legs?

After my most recent incubation heartbreak, I broke down and bought it: Brinsea Products Fully Automatic Egg Incubator for Hatching 24 Chicken Eggs or Equivalent. And, I bought the humidity pump too. I will be giving my BBS group another couple of weeks and then I will try again. Maybe I will have some baby pictures for show and tell.

I have the same incubator - I absolutely love it!

 

[OnceInaBlueMoon]

My husband would certainly disagree with you but unfortunately you can't unsee once you have seen them.  Yours are so beautiful.  I am going to wait and see if I get any from my Lav's this year.  I have no idea where I would put another pen.  (My mind is saying, guuurrrlll, you got 150 acres and you don't know where you would put a pen???)

Haha. I can relate. I started with two small coops, and then added two large coops, and now I have converted three out of eight of our barn stalls into coops. Chickens are very addictive, and so much fun!

 

[samouw]

Love them. Would you explain the rings as I am sure there is a system.

Always a system. lol

I use the bands on the left leg to identify which pen the chicks came out of - that will tell me who the father was. When known, I will use the right foot bands to tell me which hen. That isn't always known, as each pen as 2-3 hens in it. sometimes, the eggs are easily distinguishable, or I've separated the hens to be able to tell which hens laid what eggs.

Starting this year, I also toe punch, but the bands are easy to see in a group. I start with these little rubber bands, in three different sizes, until the chicks are about 3-4 weeks old. Then I will go to colored zip ties until they are old enough to put numbered leg bands on.

 

[samouw]

Adorable! What do you use for the bands on their legs?

Those are small rubber bands in different colors. I use those, in three sizes, until 3-4 weeks old, then switch to colored zip ties. I love them!

 

[samouw]

Five more little wheatens/blue wheatens out this morning!

That makes 100% of wheatens/blue wheatens that went to lockdown hatched, 75% of blacks from one pen and 66% of blacks from the other pen. Gotta get those blacks up to speed!

 

[scflock]

Always a system. lol

I use the bands on the left leg to identify which pen the chicks came out of - that will tell me who the father was. When known, I will use the right foot bands to tell me which hen. That isn't always known, as each pen as 2-3 hens in it. sometimes, the eggs are easily distinguishable, or I've separated the hens to be able to tell which hens laid what eggs.

Starting this year, I also toe punch, but the bands are easy to see in a group. I start with these little rubber bands, in three different sizes, until the chicks are about 3-4 weeks old. Then I will go to colored zip ties until they are old enough to put numbered leg bands on.

I bought a toe punch, but fresh out of the incubator the webbing between their toes is too small to punch without cutting it in two. Do you wait for a few days?

Five more little wheatens/blue wheatens out this morning!

That makes 100% of wheatens/blue wheatens that went to lockdown hatched, 75% of blacks from one pen and 66% of blacks from the other pen. Gotta get those blacks up to speed!

Only 4 of my blacks made lockdown, but all 4 hatched, so I have my first ever black chicks from that rooster. Two blue and two black

4/10 of the splash had hatched by this morning. 6 eggs remaining with 4 pipped. Hopefully the rest will be out when I get home

 

[samouw]

I bought a toe punch, but fresh out of the incubator the webbing between their toes is too small to punch without cutting it in two. Do you wait for a few days?

Only 4 of my blacks made lockdown, but all 4 hatched, so I have my first ever black chicks from that rooster. Two blue and two black

4/10 of the splash had hatched by this morning. 6 eggs remaining with 4 pipped. Hopefully the rest will be out when I get home

I toe punched everyone that was out last night, but haven't done the ones out this morning yet. I didn't have a problem - what size toe punch are you using? Mine is very small.

Really looking forward to seeing how those black chicks grow out! Your black chicks and my black chicks have a date in the show ring this fall!

 

[scflock]

I toe punched everyone that was out last night, but haven't done the ones out this morning yet. I didn't have a problem - what size toe punch are you using? Mine is very small.

Really looking forward to seeing how those black chicks grow out!  Your black chicks and my black chicks have a date in the show ring this fall!

I think I'm going to put these two in the Oz flock. I'm setting 2 dozen for myself tomorrow

 

[jerryse]

I bought a toe punch, but fresh out of the incubator the webbing between their toes is too small to punch without cutting it in two. Do you wait for a few days?

you want to cut it in two . If you put a hole in the web it grows shut . Just like a pierced ear if you do not keep a ear ring in it . I use a ear notcher tool . This will not leave a hole by accident like the toe punch tool . It is also easier to keep track of as it is a larger tool .