August Hatch-A-Long

[Rockporters]

To update on our August rare breed hatch. Maybe there is something to lower temps = more females, or maybe it was dumb luck (likely! lol)... Unless some of the breeds are late bloomers, it looks as if out of 15 chicks, just 5 are cockerels.

I’m sending out dna tests on the Silkies.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

To update on our August rare breed hatch. Maybe there is something to lower temps = more females, or maybe it was dumb luck (likely! lol)... Unless some of the breeds are late bloomers, it looks as if out of 15 chicks, just 5 are cockerels.

I’m sending out dna tests on the Silkies.

Wow! DNA tests are cool! Who does that? How much is it?

 

[Rockporters]

https://www.sexadodeaves.com/en/

I’m giving this place a try. 10 tests for a little over $40.

 

[HuffleClaw]

What kind of chicks did you pick up??

3 EEs, 1 New Hampshire Red, and a cute little Light Brahma.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Seriously adorable!!! Our silkie adopted chicks too; she was so sweet to them and still hangs out with them even though they’re two months old!

Awww how sweet!

 

[jolenesdad]

Omg @Mixed flock enthusiast! I don’t know whether I’m happy or sad for you. :-|

I did a dna test on two eggs last Easter. I had one welsummer hatch and my only assist BCM. BCM was female, welsummer male.

The BCM was my only predator attack out of 100s of birds I’ve had free ranging this year. :-( so strange she was just gone, with a 7 week old Delaware Cockerel. HE came back two days later but I found a few feathers of her.

The welsummer was an auto sexing line and sure looked female so I went ahead and kept him. My 40.00 test was wrong.... she will be laying any day.

It’s very, very rare for them to be wrong. Just bad luck on my end.

10 tests for 40 is a fantastic deal @Rockporters !

My August 1 hatch I had a straight 50% m/f split and I nailed it at three weeks! Looks like I don’t have any cockerels left.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I’ve been worrying about your chicks, @CluckNDoodle , any updates?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I’ve been worrying about your chicks, @CluckNDoodle , any updates?

As predicted the second chick passed in it's sleep last night and I culled the last chick this morning at 4am which was the hardest of all. If I had gone back to bed it probably would have been gone by the time I got up again but I had committed to helping things along if it still looked dire. I learned from all of this and the hardest lesson of all was that I got too comfortable and strayed from my usual steps to assure everything went well.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

On a positive note, my friend has the other 4 chicks and they're doing fantastic! I'll be able to live vicariously through hers! Now I need to figure out what to do with my broody hen as she's still sitting as if nothing happened...

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

As predicted the second chick passed in it's sleep last night and I culled the last chick this morning at 4am which was the hardest of all. If I had gone back to bed it probably would have been gone by the time I got up again but I had committed to helping things along if it still looked dire. I learned from all of this and the hardest lesson of all was that I got too comfortable and strayed from my usual steps to assure everything went well.

Oh no!!! I’m so so sorry that you lost all three!!!There must have been serious injuries. I know that you are beating yourself up about this, but broody injuries to chicks are so common... I did a lot of reading with our first broody; I read so so many posts about broodies injuring, killing, and abandoning their chicks. I was kind of a basket case with our broodies because of so many horror stories, and then of course we had our own killer guinea moms... It’s really not your fault - your broodies have mostly done so brilliantly, over and over again! It’s just a numbers game; we are all bound to have something go wrong eventually... Hugs to you, and to your DD too since she was probably excited about fluffy little Polish Chicks. You’ve been an inspiration, and I’m sure you will have many more great broody experiences to wash away the bad...