Broody hens hatching 6/22, 6/26, 7/3, 7/6, 7/11 Any one due w/ us

[okiehen]

Update on my broody hatching. Its just too hot out for hens to set eggs.
Both # 10 & 11 had chicks at day 20 both killed them. I let them set on the other eggs till day 22 I pulled there nest out. Both hens are fine. No chicks eggs were rotten. I still have 2 hens that are broody but I'll trying to break them.
So all my broodys that had eggs to hatch were unsuccessful I know due to the heat.

My incubator is going with great development, at day 10 I took out 5 eggs that didnt develop. All others look great.

I have some of the barred rock welsummer cross in the bator.

I happy you both got hatching's out of my eggs. I would love to see pictures.

 

[cluckychick]

Update on my broodies

Had 5 cuckoo marans under a silkie got 4/5 hatched
7 cuckoo marans under a BO and got 6/7 hatched
12 mixed guineas under a BO and all but 2 hatched I think but 3 got squished by momma so 7 alive and well.

Just took eggs off the turner in the bator last night and I only tossed one so we'll see what happens there. Will try to get pics for everyone this evening.

 

[chickpeaz]

Pics for Okiehen!

Hatching...I was so excited that we got to watch the first one hatch out completely. My kids were amazed and so excited! They went to bed after 3 had hatched, and woke up to 3 more...then after church we came home to the last 2. What a fun day that was!

Everbody in the 'bator, drying off...pretty low-tech, isn't it? But it got the job done! I'm setting another dozen as soon as they get here (they should be shipping from OH tomorrow).

This is the brood of 8 today (3 days old) -- they're not cold, they're piled together because I had just moved them to a new (bigger) box and they were a little wigged out.

And this is my favorite, the little Blue Andie. I've decided this one is definitely a keeper even if it turns out to be a roo -- it's just so sweet and adorable.

Okiehen, thank you again sooooooo much. Your awesome eggs made our first hatching experience a real pleasure -- I'm afraid we're going to be spoiled now and expect everyone's eggs to be as great as yours! I'm really hoping to score some of those Wheaten Maran and BLRW eggs from you next spring (and some more of these, too, no doubt!), so be sure to keep us posted on your breeding progress.

 

[Freebird1st]

WOW!!!, chickpeaz, great pics!
I am so glad to hear that you and the children got to share the excitement of the first egg hatching.

I still remember well the first eggs we ever hatched and the excitement of the children, even neighbor children. It was one of many homeschooling projects we did.

The children are all grown and married now but our youngest son is wanting to start a flock. I told him I would supply the birds. He said, "thanks, but I really want to start them from eggs. I remember how neat it was watching them hatch and I just wanted to kind of share that with Tiffy" (his new wife). He's 29 now. Guess it made a positive impression.
We got one blue Andie from Okie's eggs as well and just love it. If feather growth is an indicator the 2 blacks and the 1 blue are roos and the 2 splashes are hens. The splash birds have much longer wing feathers.
Thanks for sharing the wonderul pics!

Congratulations cluckychick!!!
Somebody really knows how to hatch eggs around your place!
Don't know how that silkie managed to do so well with such a clutch of eggs! We're so tickled for you!

We all need to send a cool breeze to Okiehen and her girls.
Sounds like they are having a tough time staying cool.
Hope your next hatches do better. All our little ones from your eggs are doing just great!

 

[chickpeaz]

Well, it's official -- I am a hatching addict. I put another dozen in the 'bator this morning and my last hatchlings aren't even a week old yet. This bunch didn't arrive quite as nicely packed as Okiehen's -- two of fourteen were broken -- but I'm still hopeful as there are some unusual breeds I'd really like to have in the flock.

fingers crossed for another successful 21+ days!

 

[KellyHM]

So far my white Silkie has hatched out 2 of the 4 cuckoo olive egger eggs I gave her...1 splash and 1 blue cuckoo so far!

 

[okiehen]

Congrats clucky your broodys done good.

chickpeaz, those are great pics. You done good. That blue chick is beautiful.

Thank you when every your ready for more eggs I'm happy to fill your addiction.

I hope your next hatching is even better, best of luck your hooked now there's no turning back

freebird, I haven't had a bit of luck feather sexing. I wait for the combs on the roos. I have 6 of the welbars at 18 days so

that all 6 hatch. Then we can compare.

I should of had some already 2 hens set eggs from them 30 eggs total and 0 chicks. It a bummer I couldn't stand it so I set the 6 eggs in my bator. I'll hatch more this fall.

kelly

for the other 2 I love the blue black splash babies.

Today is day 18 for my incubator . I'll post update when I have one with pictures. I've broke all the hens of broody but one. Debating on setting her if only I knew the temps would stay mild for the next 21 days. But its summer in Oklahoma so it can and will be hot.

 

[Freebird1st]

Okiehen,
Sorry to hear about the first Welbar eggs that didn't do well.
We're hoping with you that the eggs you have now do well.

On sexing by early feathering ...forget it, at least as far as I can tell. Maybe you can tell by small white marks that will turn out to be barring. Some of our 10 day olds have that but I will have to watch them longer to be sure.

At six weeks their combs are out well, so sexing is easy.
But here's what we had.
We had 3 chicks that were sort of "slick-backed". What I mean by that is that they appeared to have very thin down on their backs, almost none on one. It looked as if they had shiny egg white dried to their backs.
These chicks also had BLACK legs and BLACK beaks. I can't figure where the black comes from. They all turned out to be pullets.

A couple of other black chicks had full down on their back and yellow legs, with yellow/black beaks and a very small amount of gray/white in their down/feathering. These all turned out to be cockerels.

The blacklegged chicks are all certainly pullets. They have NO barring in their feathering.

All the chicks that show ANY barring at all are cockerels, regardless of wether they are black or brown.

None of the pullets have any barring at all.

Some of the pullets look just like Welsummers and then there are the black ones, but none of them show barring.

Not sure if this is going to be the final rule or not but I suspect it will. "Barred birds will all be roos regardless of color".

I think you described the barring issue accurately in one of you auction descriptions.

If I remember correctly, the barred roosters will have to be bred back to Welsummer hens to produce true Welbars that can be sexed at birth.

One issue we are having with the Welbars is "picking' and "hyper" behaviour starting around day 10. We have watched this close and tried different things to prevent it. Its happened on two batches now. Nothing seems to stop it but a few measures have kept it under control. A few of the birds will actually pick themselves once they have stopped picking each other.
These birds definitely require more space earlier than other breeds have.
I think that these birds will grow to be very nice looking chickens.
Just wanted to pass this on to you.
Wish your chicks the best.

 

[okiehen]

Update on incubator hatch, my hatch is going great.
10 of 11 andalusians have hatched
7 of 9 lakenvelders have hatched
5 of 6 ws x br have hatched
7 of 10 welsummers have hatched.

I have 1 pip on the ws and 1 zip on lakenv.

All the ws x br mix for a sex link chick are black some look like they have head spots. No chipmunk colored ones.
I have the eggs in 2 bators so no mistake.

Thanks freebird for the info. If I have it right the barred off spring roo needs to breed back to pure wellie hens like you said, then the partridge barred pullets bred to ? this is where I'm not sure to get the welbars.
All the chicks will be barred but the pullets will be partridge barred.


I got all 3 colors in the andalusian chicks, blue black splash.
I'm hoping for lots of pullets. I'm going to raise a few of the welsummer pullet for the welbar project. From this hatch.
I'm hoping that my lakenvelders are lots of pullets. I have a breeding project going with them also trying for blue lakenvelders.
I have some lakenvelder pullets in with a splash andie roo, the blue chicks from them I'll breed back to pure lakenvelders hoping for the blue to stay then get the pattern. I'm not sure how it will work with the gold, just will have to see.

 

[cluckychick]

Holey Moley, sounds like everyone did good!! I ended up with 6 out of the bator but one I put down this am

I have 8 guineas and 10 cuckoos

I'm off to see my son at boy scout camp and to watch him get his tribal advancement in the Tribe of Mic O Say this evening and will be back tomorrow. I promise I will get pics and pics of my new little bunny for everyone to see.