California - Northern

[PetRock]

A clear egg is a non-developing egg. That could be caused by not being fertile or being mishandled. The mishandling could be being shaken too much (in shipment or otherwise), being x-rayed during shipment, being stored too long or incorrectly (too hot/cold, not being turned during storage). There are so many things that can work against an egg, it's amazing they are so resilient and so many do hatch. When I have clear eggs that have been shipped, I always assume the error is with the handling, not the breeder. When I have clear eggs that I have hand carried (from someone else or my backyard, I assume fertility problems. I don't think the majority of people will cheat you and send you infertile eggs. Most people test hatch their own first before offering them.

I am getting Langshan hatching eggs from a breeder in AZ. His blacks won top honors at the Stockton show. He has been doing some test hatches and hasn't been happy with the fertility. He has some of his older roos in the breeding pens and the fertility is only about 75%. Because of the lower fertility, he is sending me eggs for only the cost of shipping!!!

 

[zooweemama]

I am getting Langshan hatching eggs from a breeder in AZ. His blacks won top honors at the Stockton show. He has been doing some test hatches and hasn't been happy with the fertility. He has some of his older roos in the breeding pens and the fertility is only about 75%. Because of the lower fertility, he is sending me eggs for only the cost of shipping!!!

Wow that will be awesomeness!

 

[tommysgirl]

I am getting Langshan hatching eggs from a breeder in AZ. His blacks won top honors at the Stockton show. He has been doing some test hatches and hasn't been happy with the fertility. He has some of his older roos in the breeding pens and the fertility is only about 75%. Because of the lower fertility, he is sending me eggs for only the cost of shipping!!!

Happy for you!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Kelly, so sorry for your recent loss.

Thank you Kim. I knew it was coming with some of my original girls, but this happened faster than I thought it would. Last week she looked perfectly fine. It happened really fast, but I'm glad it was a peaceful end for her.

In there are a pair of Brown African geese, four each of Silver Appleyard, Welsh Harlequin & Cayugas and six Silky ducks.

Ummmm Silky duck?

I want Silver Appleyards. I'll be interested to hear how well they do for you.

 

[Ali707]

DOO ETT! I have always heard good things about sebbies!

OK, How bad is this. I ran both a store and a customer service department for YEARS ( OK tens of years, but who's counting) and I have a guy I cannot cut off emailing 4-5 times a day WHO HAS NOT EVEN BOUGHT CHICKS FROM ME!
his new thing is he wants me to reset up his chick pen.. who in the world does he think I am? The poor guy is a personal assistant who got left with his bosses chicks, ( and tortoises IIRC) and he is clueless. I have been trying to give him basic advice because who wants babies to die, but come on! 5 emails a DAY???

This is after he said he was coming over twice, and went and got chicks somewhere else. Hopefully the last nice email will work...

Give me the nice asian guy who wants to buy all my silkie babies and thanked me for the advice on cocci any day....

Is the DOO EET a reference from Waterboy?

Just give the guy the BYC webpage and tell him to take a little initiative and research it.

Thanks for the advice. My bator stunk after the first day of hatchings too.

26 is awesome!! Until you start wondering where they're going to go! haha I guess a couple of people on BYC will be doing some coop expansions soon!

Same question! Johnny won't let me have any chickens in the house because they poop everywhere.

Uh oh Zoo!!!

Glad mine wasn't the only one stinking. You know 26 is a LOT when you look at them all together. I am not sure what to do with all of them until I see which ones are boys.....

The fluffy butt gang!

I am a gold card member of this gang!

cool cross. The roosters both look similar. Here is a crele penedesenca rooster



I have noticed on the crele penedesenca and crele penedesenca x legbar crosses sometimes dark chicks with grey shoulders are also male

I miss my runner ducks. They where MESSY !!!!! Though

I LOVE the Crele pattern/coloring. I just can't keep any boys.

I have a hatching update! My oldest daughter went in on her lunch break to check for me and we have one black Silkie safely hatched and another egg is rocking! I will be able to go and see for myself in the morning. I can hardly contain my excitement!

On other good news, I came home to check for eggs and had four of four in the nest box. Luckily my oldest son was with me and spotted this tiny egg amongst the straw in the run. I have three young pullets that have yet to lay, an eight month Silkie, a 21-24 week old SFH, and a 25 week old bantam Polish. Wonder who is my big girl today...




For size and color comparison, I have put the tiny egg next to a large white egg (from my BL) and a XL brown egg (my NH).

ETA: I have yet to have my Silkie squat for me, but she is getting up there in weeks. My daughter swears that my Polish has been squatting, but I haven't witnessed it myself. I HAVE witnessed my SFH squat. Could her egg be this small?

My Polish egg used to look like that small one there.

Oz says use the penny the whole time. I do not know what would happen if you put vinegar in.

The penny will kill the mold but I doubt it will stop the smell at hatch.

The Cl x CPs are very nice chickens. If Alis is one, I think it is a cockerel.

I hope I am wrong!

Well I would like it to be a girl, because I only got one egg of each of those crosses she has, BUT I have TOO Many chicks! I am sure you guys could look at my batch and tell me right away some of the boys. It would be easier to not have 26 of them, but I don't want to get rid of all the girls by accident.

We lost a seramas chick. I have no clue why.

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.

Freeze Warning ?!?! Really? It is hot down here!

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.

Awwww I wanna see the babies!!! If I can't have some at least I can see someone elses!

I was a 4-Her for 10 years and I loved it. I raised Dorset Sheep, market lambs and goats, and participated in horse shows in addition to the leadership activities it offered. It was great for me esp in middle school because it seemed that regardless of how petty or yucky things were going socially at middle school I had a secure place in 4-H.

I would say give it a try and see how she likes it the first year maybe just doing something small like say....oh I don't know, CHICKENS??? and take it from there. A lot of the kids around here don't show LF, they have the prettiest little bantams. Be advised though 4-H is a family affair, at least around here, so expect that you will be asked to give a lot of time. But I think the best thing my mom did for me as a kid was to encourage me to join 4-H

Is 6 years old too young for 4-H?

I am getting Langshan hatching eggs from a breeder in AZ. His blacks won top honors at the Stockton show. He has been doing some test hatches and hasn't been happy with the fertility. He has some of his older roos in the breeding pens and the fertility is only about 75%. Because of the lower fertility, he is sending me eggs for only the cost of shipping!!!

Still waiting for my Langshans......

 

[BCollie]

Woke up this morning, looked into the brooder. Said "hi girls"...My talking made my foster dog jump up and make a ton of noise in his crate, so all the chickies scattered...except one

My favorite of the two Splash Andalusians. She was acting fine yesterday, viciously attacking my finger for yogurt...I don't know why she died?! Now I'm scared my other chicks are gonna die?!
Help me I'm freaking out.

Rest in peace little girly

 

[chiqita]

Icelandics are so mixed up in a good way that you do no want to add to the genetic pool. So one does not want to breed the mutt chicks. The eggs hatch well and a good for candling however, so I have sent some mutt eggs home to pet homes.

But, this is why Lucy and silver went into a breeding program. The eggs looked to close to silkie eggs too, as wait can attest.

The Icelandic and Ameracana and auracana people are very passionate. The marans and silkie people are a bit more mellow. Unless you call your silkies calico....

 

[Happy Chooks]

Woke up this morning, looked into the brooder. Said "hi girls"...My talking made my foster dog jump up and make a ton of noise in his crate, so all the chickies scattered...except one

My favorite of the two Splash Andalusians. She was acting fine yesterday, viciously attacking my finger for yogurt...I don't know why she died?! Now I'm scared my other chicks are gonna die?!
Help me I'm freaking out.

Rest in peace little girly

So sorry.

Icelandics are so mixed up in a good way that you do no want to add to the genetic pool. So one does not want to breed the mutt chicks. The eggs hatch well and a good for candling however, so I have sent some mutt eggs home to pet homes.

But, this is why Lucy and silver went into a breeding program. The eggs looked to close to silkie eggs too, as wait can attest.

The Icelandic and Ameracana and auracana people are very passionate. The marans and silkie people are a bit more mellow. Unless you call your silkies calico....

Icelandics have so many unique features, it would be really difficult for someone to know by looking at a bird that it isn't a pure Icelandic. That is the concern with the Icelandic breeders, wanting to make sure the flocks stay pure and not end up with someone's cross in their flock. They are a landrace breed going back thousands of years - unique in their own right. Genetic testing is supposedly happening in Iceland - studies suggest they are 78% genetically different than modern chickens. They were at one point thought to be extinct, but a population of them was found on an uninhabited island. Thus beginning the preservation of them in Iceland, which then came here. So yup - Icelandic folks are very passionate.

 

[Happy Chooks]

We had a bear visit last night. Thankfully it went for our trash cans and not my coops.

 

[chiqita]

I keep meaning to tell everyone how wonderful the pictures. But I thin pet rocks pictures made only go broody, so I'm giving her stink eye!

BC, chicks are fragile and shipping is tough on them. It is common to loose them. That being said, are the bottoms still clear? If pasty butt blocks them they get toxic and die. Are they puffed up at all? Are they gasping or having trouble breathing? Are your temps good?

Cocci e coli and pasty butt are the big chick killers you can combat and fix.