California - Northern

[ronott1]

Do any of you watch the tv show Elementary? It's a modern day Sherlock Holmes, usually an interesting show. There has been a silly subplot with chickens for the past two episodes. The stupid part is that Sherlock rescued two game birds from a fighting operation, in order to see if he can rehabilitate them. I was wondering if anyone had seen it and knew what breed of chickens they are using? It bugs me that they didn't bother to use a game breed. That would have been fun to watch. I'm guessing that they are Copper Marans? The other stupid part is that he successfully taught these two males to get along with each other, and now they live in the house. Watson (Lucy Liu) complains about having to feed them, but there's never any mention of the fact that they would be pooping all over the place. I can just see people who see that and think it's so cute and want to run out and get a pet chicken for the house. My friend with a feed store said a lady came in, yesterday, and wanted to buy a chick as a pet for her apartment.
Anyway, the parts that I find so amusing are when Sherlock keeps trying to get Watson to refer to them as cocks. At one point, she said, "I'm not 12 years old. You aren't going to get me to call them that." It reminded me of some of the comments on this thread.

Now I need to go watch that show!

 

[capayvalleychick]

Kim you are so sweet. Thank you. I am so appreciative of the aging advice too. Do you pop yours into the ice chest right after they are processed or do you wait until they cool down? Should I go to Safeway and get 3 of those big plastic bags they use for fish?

You are welcome. I put them directly in the ice chest. I'm not familiar with the bags that you mention. I do know gallon ziplocks are always a bit too small. I haven't found an alternative, except for wanting to order some airtight chicken freezer bags that I saw once, online, and now can't find again. I think Yellow House Farm uses them.

 

[tommysgirl]

I have a broody hatch question...do you have more success when you give all of the same type of egg? Do yours go better when all the eggs are the same age? or does it make a difference? With my only broody girl on bot her hatches she got up within a day and a half of the first chick hatching and left the others. The second go around the little hybrid was the first out and he was OUT

...on all wheel drive... she had to get up to keep him from killing himself she also hatched two well mannered SPW but she left 3 unhatched SPW eggs in the nest. They were all fully formed and one had pipped internally. So what I am thinking is that more of the SPW would have hatched if I hadn't thrown the hybrid egg in there. Any experience with this?

 

[CackleJoy]

Those late quitters and fully developed ones that don't hatch get to me, too. I had 2 in my last hatch. One had even partially zipped but died. I am committed to keeping hands off as much as possible with my hatches this year and they are going much better than last year's. My first 10 eggs from my new Langshan trio went into lock down last night. Let's see if I can stand by and watch them without intervening!

I wish I knew what caused the pipping and dying. I'm wondering if the long amount of time it takes to remove the eggs from the turner (candle) and set in the cartons prior to lock down has anything to do with it. I think next time I will not candle - just quick look for seepage. Do a quick transfer and try to keep the temp up and consistent.

I also might be running the humidity too low prior to lock down.

 

[kmollyhughes]

My broodies usually stay with chicks between 4-9 weeks. Depends on the hen. Recently a silkie hen left her Faverolle babies at about 4-5 weeks, but have another silkie who still cares for her almost 9 week old BCM babies. They are HUGE compared to her. My Marans are usually in the mothering mood for about 6 weeks...then really start pecking the chicks to let them their time is up.

 

[Audio51]

My broodies usually stay with chicks between 4-9 weeks. Depends on the hen. Recently a silkie hen left her Faverolle babies at about 4-5 weeks, but have another silkie who still cares for her almost 9 week old BCM babies. They are HUGE compared to her. My Marans are usually in the mothering mood for about 6 weeks...then really start pecking the chicks to let them their time is up.

Thanks! That sounds about what mine did. I know there is some variation by broody, time of year, the chicks themselves.

 

[PetRock]

You are welcome. I put them directly in the ice chest. I'm not familiar with the bags that you mention. I do know gallon ziplocks are always a bit too small. I haven't found an alternative, except for wanting to order some airtight chicken freezer bags that I saw once, online, and now can't find again. I think Yellow House Farm uses them.

We vacuum seal our processed chickens in plastic freezer bags with a Food Saver. Costco has a good price on a Food Saver if anyone is interested in one. I also use it to repackage my brown rice. I buy the big bag of organic brown rice at Costco then repackage it in 2 c packages that go into the freezer. I buy organic whenever I can but have had bugs hatch in organic products including rice. So, now all my grains for human and animal consumption spend a good month in the freezer to kill any bugs.

 

[ronott1]

I wish I knew what caused the pipping and dying. I'm wondering if the long amount of time it takes to remove the eggs from the turner (candle) and set in the cartons prior to lock down has anything to do with it. I think next time I will not candle - just quick look for seepage. Do a quick transfer and try to keep the temp up and consistent.

I also might be running the humidity too low prior to lock down.

Pipping and dying is rare.

It is most likely Oxygen related. but is still could be low temps during incubation.

Were they eggs from your flock? If so, start giving the flock some calf manna once or twice a week.

 

[PetRock]

I wish I knew what caused the pipping and dying. I'm wondering if the long amount of time it takes to remove the eggs from the turner (candle) and set in the cartons prior to lock down has anything to do with it. I think next time I will not candle - just quick look for seepage. Do a quick transfer and try to keep the temp up and consistent.

I also might be running the humidity too low prior to lock down.

I'm guessing that's not what causes the problem. My broodies take 15-20 min breaks off the nest a couple times a day up until hatch. I remind myself of that every time I open my cabinet hatcher to manually turn the eggs. I'm just giving them a cool down period like the new Brinsea's do!

 

[OR4-hmom]

Yes Kim, we do watch Elementary. I wasn't fully awake when I watched the first chicken episode, graveyard coma stare at TV, not the typical fighting cocks for sure. Second episode still on the DVR.

DD and I joke about a bumper sticker we say in Red Bluff; "I show my cock in public. Raising & showing exhibition poultry."