California - Northern

[tommysgirl]

sounds cool! i MAY have an extra pure blue isbar boy this spring, but i'd like him to grow a bit more to decide whether to keep him or my original isbar rooster -- i definitely will have some spare isbar/SFH crosses of both genders, in blue, black, and splash, if anyone is interested! also a few marans & campines.


and i now have two broodies, but the first one's eggs, which she's been on for three weeks, don't seem to be hatching (she got confused about which nest was hers several times, and they got cold at least twice, so not surprising) -- so trying to decide whether to give her more eggs, or to get a couple of feedstore chicks for her?

and the incubator is finally off, too -- my last shipment of isbar eggs all ended up as quitters, so i'm taking a break from hatching for a while. don't have room for all these chicks!

I can't add another roo for awhile...I have three and I hope to keep one from my bantam hatch at least for awhile and one from the blue mottled D'Uccle hatch that I hope to pull off at some point. Sorry if I led you believe that it was happening sooner rather than later

Last night I was whining about the Golden Laced Wyandottes that just don't hatch out. Well last night they hatched. Even the unpipped ones! The last one is zipping. Unless something happens this will be our first 100% hatch! I'm so tickled

Of course I don't count the 2 doz Turkey eggs I set - because YOU JUST CAN'T HATCH an INFERTILE EGG! They were from the neighbors - I sure wish they would have been fertile, it would have been fun to hatch a few turkeys.

Yay!!!! for your surprise chicks! so glad it looks like you will have a great result.

Most of mine will move pretty easily as long as the eggs are there, but with some I have put something in the box they have chosen to sort of "line" the nest (like a box with a hole cut for an entrance). At first they use it because it is in the same spot, but then they get used to the box being around them after a few days and think if that as "their nest". Then I just move the whole box to the new location

Oh wow that would have been a good thing for me to do. Thanks a million!!! I am going to try to move Norma today so I will do that...Do you and @PetRock think I should wait until dark or should I just do it during the day? I felt like Petunia became disoriented and didn't really see her eggs when I moved her after dark.

We put baking soda in the last batch of fresh eggs we hard boiled. They peeled perfectly! I told my adult daughters who were helping me to put in 1 Tbls and they added around 3 Tbls just to be sure! It worked!

I'll have to do a test and try vinegar in one pan and baking soda in another pan.

I had never heard of Baking Soda but I have pinned an article that talks about steaming them to make even the freshest come out perfectly.

Yeah I've noticed differences between my 4 Delawares color patterns and one of them has a spot on the beak and the legs are more orange than the others. (this is also the half blind one) Can tell that the blind thing makes her more cautious than the others. I think they are 7 weeks today. Feed store says they get them at day old they arrived on a Wed. So that should make Tuesday the hatch day right?

Typically they ship day old chicks and they usually arrive on Day 3. Also typically...feed store personnel do not always know what they are talking about

 

[PetRock]

Yay!!!! for your surprise chicks! so glad it looks like you will have a great result.
Oh wow that would have been a good thing for me to do. Thanks a million!!! I am going to try to move Norma today so I will do that...Do you and @PetRock think I should wait until dark or should I just do it during the day? I felt like Petunia became disoriented and didn't really see her eggs when I moved her after dark.

I've always done it at night. I have used a smaller dog kennel that I can shut the door & lock it. The past 2 broodies I had, I've put them in a plastic storage bin that has an opening on the side and a removable lid. The bin is in a secure pen that is around 3 x 8 with a sand floor. When I put my broody in their two nights ago, we moved some of the eggs, then Annie, then the rest of the eggs. I blocked the opening with a screen but she settled right down. I removed the screen in the morning. This same pullet was broody a couple months ago and we tried to give her newly hatched chicks. She freaked out, ran away from them, and that ended her broody days for about 6 weeks. We weren't sure how she would do this time but I have several other birds broody plus two empty incubators so I figured we were covered if anything happened. I have let my head hen hatch in one of the regular nest boxes and then moved her with chicks into a dog kennel. But no one messes with Precious or her eggs or her babies! I'm surprised that she finally lets Zorro have his way with her. She is one tough hen!

Homz Durabuilt Graphite Plastic Storage Bin that we use for a broody nest, growout nest, etc. I picked it up at Orchard when they were going out of business. Walmart.com used to have them and I meant to buy a couple more but they don't have them right now.

 

[TheKeeper]

A good reason to have white silkies (other than for a broody)...

Happy Easter Rainbow!

 

[PetRock]

Homz Durabuilt Graphite Plastic Storage Bin that we use for a broody nest, growout nest, etc. I picked it up at Orchard when they were going out of business. Walmart.com used to have them and I meant to buy a couple more but they don't have them right now.

They have them on amazon but shipping makes them too pricey for me.

http://www.amazon.com/Modular-Bin-L...=1397589720&sr=8-7&keywords=homz+storage+bins

 

[lawatt]

I can't add another roo for awhile...I have three and I hope to keep one from my bantam hatch at least for awhile and one from the blue mottled D'Uccle hatch that I hope to pull off at some point. Sorry if I led you believe that it was happening sooner rather than later

no worries at all, i didn't think one thing or another! just letting you (and anyone else interested) what i have at this point...

 

[Audio51]

Okay nevermind as soon as i typed that he decided to mate one of my hens

LOL!!!! Glad you got an answer!!

 

[tommysgirl]

Just went and checked on my broody mama. I saw 2 chicks, felt 2 whole eggs, and pulled out one dead squished chick that was halfway out of its shell.

I hope that me messing with Annie last night didn't cause that to happen. There should be one more egg/chick under her but I'm going to keep my hands off until she is ready to leave her nest.

Just saw this...It is tough with a broody...you want to know what is happening and if a chick may need some intervention but then you always question yourself if you do...or if you don't Hope the rest all hatch!

 

[tommysgirl]

They have them on amazon but shipping makes them too pricey for me.

http://www.amazon.com/Modular-Bin-L...=1397589720&sr=8-7&keywords=homz+storage+bins

This is such a great solution! I have a spare tub with a lid I can just cut an opening in it. We have the broody coop within about 3 hours of completion for construction anyway...beautification will take a bit more time. But I am going to need this idea this weekend and it won't be done in time. Thank You so much for sharing it!

 

[Audio51]

Quote: I guess they turn pretty slowly so fuffed out chicks would have time to move, but the newly hatched LF might not get out of the way in time. I will have quail eggs ready to hatch before too long. I can't wait to see how tiny they are!!!

Quote: I have found tht to be the case MOST of the time. There are some feed stores that I trust, but even those it is just one person there..

A good reason to have white silkies (other than for a broody)...

Happy Easter Rainbow!

I love the colors!!!

Quote: I had a similar thing happen but I think it's just a matter of chance whether you end up helping or hurting. I checked on one broody that was due and found a couple hatched, a couple whole eggs and one that was struggling to get out of a shell that had been crushed around it. That one I brought inside and helped it out in the incubater, then returned it when it was fluffed out. Another 30 minutes and it might have already been dead...

 

[chrissyr]

I have an inquiry: would an marans rooster over a CL hen make a sex linked OE?
I'm figuring the marans may make the cross a little meat heavier and better processing for the boys.
I have marans/ AM crosses going, but wondering about CL
Just a little chicken math going on here.
I already need more pens, so what's another one right??