California - Northern

[ronott1]

Originally Posted by lizanne

So even if the eggs were handeled badly in shipping, they would develops something if fertile? I have 10 of my 15 shipped eggs that are completly clear.

No. Clears are eggs that don't develops. An egg that has been xrayed for example may not developed.

Unless you inspect your yolks for bulls eyes you won't know if they were inseminated. Been then if the yolks are too old it is hard to see.

God morning everyone. I might be buying some more showgirls from a breeder getting out of the business, I am both very excited and slightly worried I'm crazy...

If 10 of 15 did not develop, than they were probably not fertile. Contact the seller and let them know.

Sellers use the rough handling and Xray excuse to cheat you.

Fertility checks really does have to be done by a lab. Unless you have vision like Super Man or a microscope you cannot tell.

 

[chicksnthestiks]

My new babies arrived early. For once I had a positive experience with the PO. I just got them all settled in.

Story and (better) pictures tomorrow.

They are so cute, maybe I can talk the husband into a couple geese!

 

[ronott1]

Just to show visually what you would be looking for in a developing egg:

If an egg were fertile, there are huge changes in one day.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Looks like I finally have a broody willing to go into isolation. Two of the bantams have turned but because of their size they keep getting chased out of the nest boxes. I tried moving the first girl but she would have nothing to do with the crate. Out of the 4 eggs I gave her only 1 was left the next morning and the last one had a cracked end, can't leave the wee ones with eggs in the main population. Shadow was willing to set in the crate so I gave her 3 bantam BBS Orps, 2 Partridge rock bantams and 2 Dutch/OEGB mix eggs. I'll check in a week or so to see if anything is developing, so far the boys have not been holding up their end of the deal.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Now this is the kind of sleeping chick that gets your heart thumping.

I have never seen chicks sleep like this, until this latest batch. I think they are having fun making me gasp. They also sleep completely stretched, legs straight, out on their bellies so they look stiff and dead.

My 10 week old Cornish X (He is over 10 pounds!!)

That is one BIG boy!

Just wanted to share a few pics of my top hen Precious and her 3 babies that hatched from Langshan/Langshan mix eggs from the farm.

Awwww, that is so wonderful to see. I love broody hens.

Ron, good to see that you now have turkey hatching experience!

Kelly, so sorry for your recent loss.

 

[waititout]

Hatching update:
Chiqita!
I know a picture is worth 1000 words, but maybe by this description you have an idea.
I went into the classroom this morning fully expecting to see a little baby Silke all fluffed out, but when I looked, I had to pause. Something is missing...something looks strange about its feet...Oh duh! No feathers!
Out of a tiny whitish egg came a little black chick with yellowish white under his bum/belly and legs that were slate similar to my polish when she was a little one.

No other pips as of yet, her temps were on the low end around 99 though.

Chiqita, was that one of your Icelandic mixes? I'll try to get a photo tonight as it is open house at the school.

 

[Meg2000000]

So, tonight is the girls' third night in the coop. They all put themselves to bed quite early. We have a freeze warning, and supposed to have some pretty good breezes. Having built in so much wonderful ventilation, that actually might be an issue. Had to make a choice to 1) do nothing, 2) bring them back in the garage, or 3) move the heat lamp out to the coop for the night. Was a bit horrified by talk of roosters loosing their feet to frostbite.

Chose to move the heat lamp out to the coop. Plus, unplugging it is easier than trying to catch the chicks when you're late for work.

The first evening the chicks were out in the coop/run, they had no clue that they were supposed to put themselves to bed. After it got dark I tossed them in and shut the chicken door (got one of the new AdorStore doors). The second night, they were pure comedy. Three of them were perched in the opening blocking the stragglers from getting in. It was like I was watching a chicken version of Red Rover. Check out the video if you want a laugh.

A little tip for preventing frostbite: Put a little cayenne pepper in their food. I noticed my roosters getting frostbite on their combs. Once I put cayenne pepper in their food, the frostbite went away and I never had a problem again.

Megan, Your birds are so beautiful! How are things going at the ranch? I sure don't miss that drive over the hill to get there. Now I'm driving not quite as far to my friend's farm in Brentwood. But she has several kids and they take care of feeding, watering, collecting eggs, etc. I'm only out there once a week.

Thanks Debi!! The ranch is good. I love going there to not only take care of the chickens but to play with the horses near the coops. I miss having you and Monet around! Wow you got lucky with your friends ranch. I wish we were somewhere with land! We hope to be able to move to a ranch/small farm type setup in the next year or so.

My new babies arrived early. For once I had a positive experience with the PO. I just got them all settled in.

Story and (better) pictures tomorrow.

So much adorableness going on in this picture!

No. Clears are eggs that don't develops. An egg that has been xrayed for example may not developed.

Unless you inspect your yolks for bulls eyes you won't know if they were inseminated. Been then if the yolks are too old it is hard to see.

God morning everyone. I might be buying some more showgirls from a breeder getting out of the business, I am both very excited and slightly worried I'm crazy...

Good morning! That's exciting news. Don't worry, I think pretty much all of us worry we've gone chicken crazy. I wanted 4 chickens a year ago.. today I have almost 40. Lord help us!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh wee baby turkeys! Jealous! They are adorable Ron!! Congrats!

x2! I didn't know turkeys were so cute as babies!

I have never seen chicks sleep like this, until this latest batch. I think they are having fun making me gasp. They also sleep completely stretched, legs straight, out on their bellies so they look stiff and dead.

x2! The only chick I've seen sleep like that was a dead chick! That is so cute though!

 

[PetRock]

Looks like I finally have a broody willing to go into isolation. Two of the bantams have turned but because of their size they keep getting chased out of the nest boxes. I tried moving the first girl but she would have nothing to do with the crate. Out of the 4 eggs I gave her only 1 was left the next morning and the last one had a cracked end, can't leave the wee ones with eggs in the main population. Shadow was willing to set in the crate so I gave her 3 bantam BBS Orps, 2 Partridge rock bantams and 2 Dutch/OEGB mix eggs. I'll check in a week or so to see if anything is developing, so far the boys have not been holding up their end of the deal.

Yeah! I hope that she keeps sitting on her nest! I was fortunate that it was my top hen that went broody. I have six nest boxes and she chose #4 as hers. I did have a few problems with the other hens laying eggs in there when she was off the nest but I had marked the fertile eggs and pulled the non-fertile ones. She did not get off the nest the last day before the eggs hatched and the first one after they hatched. On day 2 of their little lives, I moved mama and chicks to a secure dog kennel in an area blocked off from the rest of the flock. I am going to wait 1-2 weeks before opening the fence and letting them free range with the flock. I know that Precious will protect them and integrate them into the flock. If any of the other girls (except for her best friend) get anywhere near the fence when the babies are close to it, she lets them know to back off. The last time she had chicks, she took off flying at a scrub jay that dared to land on a table near her babies. Hell hath no fury like a mama chicken protecting her babies!!!

 

[OR4-hmom]

When we bought our house it was only a year old, cream colored carpets. It had big areas from the beginning that I could not get cleaned. The next year we ripped it out and did hardsurface and you would not believe the red dirt that had sifted through the carpet and pad. No wonder it wouldn't get clean steam cleaning, it just kept pulling it up!

We took a sample of our dirt with us when we picked out our carpet, a white tennis shoe stained by the clay soil. 20 pet feet, 6 human feet, we knew it was coming inside and tried to plan for it.

 

[chiqita]

Wait, that sounds like Icelandic/marans. Lucy was a little strumpet, she courted All the roosters and squatted for treats. It should not fly as well as he normal insane icelandics.

She went to a home with an Icelandic rooster since she is such a fertile myrtle.

If she is you could see sparse feathering on the shanks.