Cream Legbars

[Debs55]

Just set some CL and Isbar eggs. ChicKat sent me a great article on so-called "dry" incubating. I live in West Texas (semi-arid). I am intrigued, but I really want these babies to hatch. Can I poll the group as to who has tried this method with CLs, and what the opinions are? I'm on day one, so I could jump techniques if needed.

I dry incubate I don't add any water to mine when I start out and usually humidity stays about 30% or so, if it gets below 25% I add a tiny bit of water, then for lock down I bump it up to 65-75% I have had really good luck with this. i started it because of my marans eggs but really I have had better luck with all breeds so far

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Ok, I may be hogging this thread and if it is getting off topic please let me know and I can move it to somewhere more appropriate.

So my CL broody just isn't going to sit on eggs today. I swapped out her cold eggs for some just laid warm eggs and popped her on the nest. She hunkered down and looked like she was going for it but she only sat for a few hours and is now off again and doesn't look interested in going back.

This isn't the behavior she was displaying in her home coop so I have to assume the move has her stressed. Those in the know, do you think there is any chance she may spontaneously start to brood in this new coop if I leave her long enough or should I just give up and move her back home?

I don't have to use her but it would be nice to have a good broody. It would be great if I could just tweak something and make this work.

 

[Scatterknit]

I dry incubate I don't add any water to mine when I start out and usually humidity stays about 30% or so, if it gets below 25% I add a tiny bit of water, then for lock down I bump it up to 65-75% I have had really good luck with this. i started it because of my marans eggs but really I have had better luck with all breeds so far

. We have enough natural humidity in Georgia as it is. Ugh.

 

[chicken pickin]

Ok, I may be hogging this thread and if it is getting off topic please let me know and I can move it to somewhere more appropriate.

So my CL broody just isn't going to sit on eggs today. I swapped out her cold eggs for some just laid warm eggs and popped her on the nest. She hunkered down and looked like she was going for it but she only sat for a few hours and is now off again and doesn't look interested in going back.

This isn't the behavior she was displaying in her home coop so I have to assume the move has her stressed. Those in the know, do you think there is any chance she may spontaneously start to brood in this new coop if I leave her long enough or should I just give up and move her back home?

I don't have to use her but it would be nice to have a good broody. It would be great if I could just tweak something and make this work.

I don't move broodies unless I need too and if I need to I usually wait until close to hatch day. I normally leave the Hen on her original nest and use a make shift barricade, usually a screen so she can still see her flock mates but her nest and soon to be chicks will be protected.

I wish you luck in having her go broody and stick with it. I found my Cochin on the nest tonight, she growled at me lol. She is a serious broody so I know with just this one night on the nest, she is ready. Im trying to decide what to put under her.

 

[chicken pickin]

I dry incubate I don't add any water to mine when I start out and usually humidity stays about 30% or so, if it gets below 25% I add a tiny bit of water, then for lock down I bump it up to 65-75% I have had really good luck with this. i started it because of my marans eggs but really I have had better luck with all breeds so far

I also dry incubate.

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

I don't move broodies unless I need too and if I need to I usually wait until close to hatch day. I normally leave the Hen on her original nest and use a make shift barricade, usually a screen so she can still see her flock mates but her nest and soon to be chicks will be protected.

I wish you luck in having her go broody and stick with it. I found my Cochin on the nest tonight, she growled at me lol. She is a serious broody so I know with just this one night on the nest, she is ready. Im trying to decide what to put under her.

Thanks for the input. I have heard Cochins are good broodies.

I feel bad for moving her but she was in the center nest box and I could not think of a way to block it off. I think I will most likely put her back tomorrow if she is still not interested. This is too stressful for me!

 

[sol2go]

Does anyone know anything about crooked toes? Is it genetic? Environmental? I've noticed that 3 of my CLs have crooked toes - one cockerel and 2 pullets. I have not noticed it before today. I examined all of them pretty closely when they were babies and didn't see it, but I can't honestly say that I specifically looked for it. I think I would have noticed it in a baby chick but you never know - I didn't notice that rose comb on the packing peanut that I thought looked like a CL but turned out to be a Wyandotte.

When they were tiny they were living on a good bed of pine shavings that I changed every 2 days. At 6 weeks they're in the grow-out coop and the floor is covered with a good layer of soft hay. I can't think of anything in their coop that could cause them to injure their toes - I guess anything is possible, but I'm wondering if this is something that they "grow into" - either because it's a genetic trait, or because it's a "hatch" defect or just something that happens.

These will be going out to my laying flock at the barn so they won't breed, but if anyone has any knowledge on this, particularly regarding CLs, can you post what you know about it?

Thank you!

The only time I've seen crooked toes have been offspring from a hen with crooked toes (she was Lt. Brahma not CL). This hen was about 3 years old when I took her in, and her only offspring was an enormous mixed breed cockerel who also had crooked toes. He has had lots of offspring, some of which showed the crooked toes and some didn't; some were hatched from an incubator and some were broody hatches. So it seems to be inherited, but not every time in this case. The crooked toe was not a big deal in terms of what any of them could do, but not something I would choose to include in a strict breeding program, such as my CL.

 

[normanack]

Here's an article on crooked toes:
http://poultrykeeper.com/skeletal-and-muscular-disorders/crooked-toes

Edited to add article on curled toes:
http://poultrykeeper.com/skeletal-and-muscular-disorders/curled-toes

I never knew there was a distinction between crooked and curled toes.

Edited again to add: I'm not sure these are definitive articles. Sorry about that.

 

[chicken pickin]

Here's an article on crooked toes:
http://poultrykeeper.com/skeletal-and-muscular-disorders/crooked-toes

Edited to add article on curled toes:
http://poultrykeeper.com/skeletal-and-muscular-disorders/curled-toes

I never knew there was a distinction between crooked and curled toes.

Oh good info! I also never knew they were different.

I have never had chicks with curled toes. I have seen a few with crooked toes.

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Those are interesting articles Normanack, thanks for posting them.