DECEMBER Hatch-A-Long!😊

[halefamily_flock]

OK! Just set a dozen eggs from my three egg layers. Like to set on Fridays if I can so that I have the weekend to fuss with new babies! I have room for two more in the incubator so I will add these tomorrow. Marked each one, weighed it and checked the air cells. I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to these things! So nice to see these gorgeous air cells. I’m so used to getting shipped eggs where the air cells are jiggling and have to be coddled and have to be hatched upright and have to turned by hand. So refreshing to just throw the eggs in the incubator and let the auto turner do its job and pretty much forget about them until it’s time to candle them again!
Photos attached of my silkie cockerel and the three ladies I got the eggs from!View attachment 2410148View attachment 2410149View attachment 2410150View attachment 2410151View attachment 2410152

Good looking birds! I'm a nerd about those things, too lol. I set 13 eggs on Nov 10 and marked and weighed them all. I've weighed them, candled and marked the air pockets twice since then and they're all looking good. I'll post some photos and descriptions of what I'm hatching soon. I've been reading all about chicken genetics lately and decided to experiment with a few new crosses involving my Cream Legbar & Golden Appenzeller Spitzhauben roosters and Cream Legbar, Olive Egger and Dominique hens. Hatch date: December 1.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Good looking birds! I'm a nerd about those things, too lol. I set 13 eggs on Nov 10 and marked and weighed them all. I've weighed them, candled and marked the air pockets twice since then and they're all looking good. I'll post some photos and descriptions of what I'm hatching soon. I've been reading all about chicken genetics lately and decided to experiment with a few new crosses involving my Cream Legbar & Golden Appenzeller Spitzhauben roosters and Cream Legbar, Olive Egger and Dominique hens. Hatch date: December 1.

Welcome to the December Hatching Party!
Your crosses sound so interesting, can't wait to see what the chicks look like!
I can see you are playing with egg color as well. Chicken genetics are so fascinating!

 

[seeingreen]

Good looking birds! I'm a nerd about those things, too lol. I set 13 eggs on Nov 10 and marked and weighed them all. I've weighed them, candled and marked the air pockets twice since then and they're all looking good. I'll post some photos and descriptions of what I'm hatching soon. I've been reading all about chicken genetics lately and decided to experiment with a few new crosses involving my Cream Legbar & Golden Appenzeller Spitzhauben roosters and Cream Legbar, Olive Egger and Dominique hens. Hatch date: December 1.

What books/ articles on genetic as are you reading?

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I’m planning on setting some in time to hatch around New Years can I join? Or do I need to sign up for January if it comes along?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I’m planning on setting some in time to hatch around New Years can I join? Or do I need to sign up for January if it comes along?

You can join either or both! I think I saw a special New Year's day hatch-a-long posted, trying to see who hatches on New Year's Day!

 

[halefamily_flock]

What books/ articles on genetic as are you reading?

It's hard to find good reference books in print at a reasonable price.

This kindle book has probably been the most helpful for me...
21st Century Poultry Breeding by Grant Brereton
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B087WP1JSV/ref=docs-os-doi_0

I also got this one on kindle, which is the most relevant chapter from a much larger textbook that is impossible to find and/or really expensive in print

Genetics in Practice: Expert Techniques for Successful Chicken Breeding by F.B. Hutt
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MSUVMTV/ref=docs-os-doi_0

In print, I was able to find this little book that has turned out to be a handy reference:

An Introduction to Color Forms of the Domestic Fowl: A Look at Color Varieties and How They Are Made by Brian Reeder
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1425904211/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is a good free online resource
https://gbpoultry.com/genes/

 

[LadiesAndJane]

It's hard to find good reference books in print at a reasonable price.

This kindle book has probably been the most helpful for me...
21st Century Poultry Breeding by Grant Brereton
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B087WP1JSV/ref=docs-os-doi_0

I also got this one on kindle, which is the most relevant chapter from a much larger textbook that is impossible to find and/or really expensive in print

Genetics in Practice: Expert Techniques for Successful Chicken Breeding by F.B. Hutt
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MSUVMTV/ref=docs-os-doi_0

In print, I was able to find this little book that has turned out to be a handy reference:

An Introduction to Color Forms of the Domestic Fowl: A Look at Color Varieties and How They Are Made by Brian Reeder
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1425904211/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is a good free online resource
https://gbpoultry.com/genes/

Great resources, thanks! Noticed some others are free, too!

 

[halefamily_flock]

So, here are the eggs that should be hatching Dec 1

The pink-ish eggs are from my Dominique hen who consistently lays a heavy pink bloom over light brown egg, sired by Cream Legbar. I'm wondering if maybe we'll get babies who lay lavender eggs or maybe a light olive?
Here's the hen, who is both molting and laying, and has been playing in the rain today so looks a little rough. She's the only one of 7 Dominique hens that didn't stop laying to molt, just when I wanted to start collecting eggs for this hatch. We call her Pink.

Here's our Cream Legbar Rooster

Also in the breeding pen with them was one of our Olive Eggers

I tried keeping this sweet little Cream Legbar girl in the breeding pen to get some more pure bred Legbars, but she escaped daily until I finally decided to let her back into the free range flock with the Golden Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben roosters. I think her 2 blue eggs have a Spitz daddy, but we'll have to wait and see what hatches...

Here are our Spitz roosters. The one with the biggest hair (we call him Elvis) is dominant, so I'm assuming he's probably the daddy to my Legbar cross as well as an Olive Egger we had in the free range flock. I'm rooting for Spitz#2 though, he's much sweeter.

Here's the other Olive Egger, who was in the free range flock with the Spitz boys

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So, here are the eggs that should be hatching Dec 1
View attachment 2420120
The pink-ish eggs are from my Dominique hen who consistently lays a heavy pink bloom over light brown egg, sired by Cream Legbar. I'm wondering if maybe we'll get babies who lay lavender eggs or maybe a light olive?
Here's the hen, who is both molting and laying, and has been playing in the rain today so looks a little rough. She's the only one of 7 Dominique hens that didn't stop laying to molt, just when I wanted to start collecting eggs for this hatch. We call her Pink.
View attachment 2420124
Here's our Cream Legbar Rooster
View attachment 2420132
Also in the breeding pen with them was one of our Olive Eggers
View attachment 2420138

I tried keeping this sweet little Cream Legbar girl in the breeding pen to get some more pure bred Legbars, but she escaped daily until I finally decided to let her back into the free range flock with the Golden Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben roosters. I think her 2 blue eggs have a Spitz daddy, but we'll have to wait and see what hatches...
View attachment 2420141
Here are our Spitz roosters. The one with the biggest hair (we call him Elvis) is dominant, so I'm assuming he's probably the daddy to my Legbar cross as well as an Olive Egger we had in the free range flock. I'm rooting for Spitz#2 though, he's much sweeter.
View attachment 2420145
View attachment 2420146
Here's the other Olive Egger, who was in the free range flock with the Spitz boys
View attachment 2420147

Your chickens are gorgeous! You will likely get a light olive from your cream legbar/Dominique cross.
Elvis is stunning! I was looking to get Spitz, but I couldn’t find any in my area! I have an Elvis too, but my Elvis is a she!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I love the pink eggs too, they’re gorgeous! Hoping some of my pullets lay a pinkish tone. I have high hopes for the Wyandotte anyway. She won’t be laying for another few months though.