California - Northern

[lawatt]

ok, so it is day 24 for the 12 araucana eggs + one mutt egg (CL x SFH) that are under broody #2 -- i took three out of the nest (one large, one small, and the mutt) & candled in a dark room -- my first time candling anything! both the smaller egg and the mutt had an area that was dark & then a light zone, assuming that's the air pocket -- the large egg just looked all dark/mass.

but there's absolutely zero pips, no peeping sounds, nothing. not sure if i should keep waiting another day or two, or...?

poor broody girl, she's being so patient!

 

[ronott1]

ok, so it is day 24 for the 12 araucana eggs + one mutt egg (CL x SFH) that are under broody #2 -- i took three out of the nest (one large, one small, and the mutt) & candled in a dark room -- my first time candling anything! both the smaller egg and the mutt had an area that was dark & then a light zone, assuming that's the air pocket -- the large egg just looked all dark/mass.

but there's absolutely zero pips, no peeping sounds, nothing. not sure if i should keep waiting another day or two, or...?

poor broody girl, she's being so patient!

Look up float test for determining if a hatching egg is good or not. This late, you can use a push pen and poke a small hole in the big end to see if that gets them going. Also make sure they do not smell rotten.

I should add: do the float test before poking the hole....

 

[BCollie]

Anyone ever have a chick whose feathers grew wrong? The right wing of my Light Brahma...looks perfectly fine...




The left wing..The feathers are pointing downwards at the tip. Anyone seen this before??(click on picture to see bigger image)

 

[lawatt]

Look up float test for determining if a hatching egg is good or not. This late, you can use a push pen and poke a small hole in the big end to see if that gets them going. Also make sure they do not smell rotten.

I should add: do the float test before poking the hole....

reading a bit on the float test thread, there seems to be some question as to how accurate the technique is -- any chance i will harm the eggs (if any are still harm-able) by floating them? this is the thread i looked at:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ng-egg-viability-for-late-or-overdue-hatching

 

[ronott1]

reading a bit on the float test thread, there seems to be some question as to how accurate the technique is -- any chance i will harm the eggs (if any are still harm-able) by floating them? this is the thread i looked at:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ng-egg-viability-for-late-or-overdue-hatching

The only problem I know of is if there is a pip and water gets in the egg and drowns the chick. Make sure the water is warm and there are no pips.

Debs_flock has float tested before. If they do not stink I would let them go a day or two longer and then very carefully open an egg up from the big end.

 

[lawatt]

The only problem I know of is if there is a pip and water gets in the egg and drowns the chick. Make sure the water is warm and there are no pips.

Debs_flock has float tested before. If they do not stink I would let them go a day or two longer and then very carefully open an egg up from the big end.

ok, i've tried it -- took six (half) from the nest, first candled & saw air spaces of varying size in all, but no pips or cracks anywhere -- then floated in a quiet bowl of warm water, and they all "low-floated," i.e. should still be viable! (i tried a just-laid-today egg for comparison -- sank)

so i dried them off and put them back in her nest -- sniffed them before putting them back, and no smell (also no sounds) -- so, will see if they do anything over the weekend! i hope they hatch, the eggs themselves are SO beautiful -- light turquoise and very glossy.

 

[redriver]

Walked into the first grade class I work in yesterday, and saw a Little Giant incubator. Found out that instead of Beta fish and snails like last year, we were going to hatch chicks for the science module! Yeah! The teacher I work with has ZERO experience with hatching or chickens, so I was really glad I hatched this Spring and learned as much as I did. Unfortunately, I did not hatch with a Little Giant. Tips would be appreciated.

We collected eggs from 3 sources (local EE, local mystery eggs that might be barred rocks based on the feather that was stuck to one of the eggs, and one lone fertile store egg), and had a little egg development lesson with the kids. Turned off the lights and was able to show them how to candle. One of the eggs was badly cracked, so I broke it open and showed them the yolk with the bullseye, or "doughnut." We weighed them and also marked the air cells. Set 17 eggs, and our goal is to get 10 to hatch, or to at least have a higher hatch rate than one of the other teachers. I really hope that we do, because the other teacher said she gets 25-50%. I think we can totally beat that! I got over 70% with my first and only hatch, and almost half of those were shipped.

I am a little worried about that incubator, though. The temp adjuster is right on top where the kids can reach it. Only one thermometer of unknown accuracy. Eek! The incubator I used for my hatch is in use until next weekend. I think I might do a swap as soon as I can. It is a Hovabator that has the controls on the inside, under the lid.

In other news, today was a super warm 78 degrees. Hot for us this time of year, although nothing like what you guys are getting.

 

[Chickengirl1304]

Well my New Hampshire roo and my Marans roo got into it today and not sure of the injuries but the Marans boy has a wound on his chest guess we will give it time

 

[lizanne]

Anyone ever have a chick whose feathers grew wrong? The right wing of my Light Brahma...looks perfectly fine...




The left wing..The feathers are pointing downwards at the tip. Anyone seen this before??(click on picture to see bigger image)

I'm not sure, but I had something like that with my Salmon Favorolle chick when he was about 2 weeks old. His curled up on the ends of his wing feathers. He's almost 11 weeks old now, and they look normal.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Does anybody on this thread live in or near Sacramento?

I am east about 20 minutes south east of placerville

Hello everyone!

I am in Gilroy. Im 30 minutes east of the coast and a half hour south of San Jose and an hour and a half south of San Francisco.

I'm new to chickens (less than a month) although I've had macaws for 20 years.

I like to talk to someone about our weather and what chickens can handle. I purchased the small coop at Costco and it doesn't have a door to close up the roost area at night. Our winters are so mild but we do have times where it drops into the 20's/30's.
I want to start planning now for modifications I might have to make. This is a photo of the coop after I just put it together. While it was a great idea at the time, I sure wish I just bought a shed and modified it. But I do live in town and this is just for them to sleep in as I let them roam the yard all day...

welcome

I just figured out my hatches--Dick Horstman shipped the replacement eggs from last year--They showed up without notice yesterday. I did talk to Dick two months ago.....then they just show up!

I have 130 egg incubating right now in three incubators and under a broody. I have space for 4 more eggs and then I would need to start stacking them.....The eggs will hatch at 4 different times so 4 staggered hatches going on at the same time.

How did this happen?

and I know you want more

Chiqita, Black Australorps are good to go in the heat! I bet Black Langshans are too.

It is weird how well the Australorps do in the heat, but then again it is pretty dang hot in Australia....

oh and penedesenca / empordanesa