Delawares from kathyinmo

[finnfur]

It sounds like a horrible year for breeders in most of the country this year. I'm hoping things change for you, for the better, soon. I'm anxious to see what the next generation looks like, now that it's been spread all over the US.
We have had rain, for the past month. Still in a drought, though. I would gladly send you our summers, if I could!

I think I picked a bad year to try hatching LOL - However I think most of it is weather related. First we could not get the outside pens done in time.
Then it slowed the laying rate.Then Broody's and eye injury. I got ONE egg out of breeder pen today . Now the other line stopped laying too last week as thur was a freeze then 1.5 days of ice, sleet an snow . Ended with a inch of solid ice. Yesterday temps up to 60s and it all melted. The other line we got 6 eggs today [7 hens] after falling to a couple last week.
So its picking up.The other line is only two months older.
I wish the one broody thats skipping around nests would hurry and hatch the wood egg and get back to laying . The hen with eye injury was put back on roost in pen last night. She seems well today . Maybe she will start laying soon.
Candled eggs under the persistent broody last night . 2 of the six eggs I removed as they didn't look fertile. Not even sure about the rest but going to give it a few more days . Those hens went broody before I put the Cock in the pen. I waited a few days and collected some more but not sure they were fertile.
If we have a hatch of F5s here its goigt to be a late spring one I think.

 

[Zanna]

I think I picked a bad year to try hatching LOL - However I think most of it is weather related. First we could not get the outside pens done in time.
Then it slowed the laying rate.Then Broody's and eye injury. I got ONE egg out of breeder pen today . Now the other line stopped laying too last week as thur was a freeze then 1.5 days of ice, sleet an snow . Ended with a inch of solid ice. Yesterday temps up to 60s and it all melted. The other line we got 6 eggs today [7 hens] after falling to a couple last week.
So its picking up.The other line is only two months older.
I wish the one broody thats skipping around nests would hurry and hatch the wood egg and get back to laying . The hen with eye injury was put back on roost in pen last night. She seems well today . Maybe she will start laying soon.
Candled eggs under the persistent broody last night . 2 of the six eggs I removed as they didn't look fertile. Not even sure about the rest but going to give it a few more days . Those hens went broody before I put the Cock in the pen. I waited a few days and collected some more but not sure they were fertile.
If we have a hatch of F5s here its goigt to be a late spring one I think.

Very glad to hear your pullet with the eye injury is doing well! We have been very warm here, 55-65 deg. but major rain. All my coops have sand floors but sit on the natural ground and there is standing water everywhere! The birds love it, they dig and dig and slosh around in it! I on the other hand am getting tired of sieving poop out of puddles!!! The breeder pens are damp but no standing water. Next week we are supposed to have a dry spell so all should drain away.

I have four F'5 eggs due for lockdown the 16th. Set 5 and one was infertile. The 3 pullets I have in the pens are giving me about 12 eggs a week between them and I will be setting them all weekly at least through April. Last year I hatched non stop through November. Wanting an easier summer this year!

If they still feather/develop as slowly as the F'4's did, I will also try a fall hatching, maybe end of Sept. and see if the colder weather helps them to get with it a little faster. May also put a few of my New Hampshires hens in with one of the Cocks and play with that to work on some faster development.

Too many projects, not enough time! One of my other breeds has had a recessive gene show up in some of the F'2's which I can breed out but it will take lots more time and many test matings to completely get rid of Feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment...........

 

[finnfur]

The birds love it, they dig and dig and slosh around in it! I on the other hand am getting tired of sieving poop out of puddles!!!

Too many projects, not enough time! One of my other breeds has had a recessive gene show up in some of the F'2's which I can breed out but it will take lots more time and many test matings to completely get rid of Feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment...........

Yes overwhelmed and getting discouraged.
I usually move the chickens to one of my wildlife food plots and garden this time of year.
The winter wheat is not growing and what little grew the deer and rabbits have mowed to 1/4" high.
It usually 6>8 " now . So they are primarily scratching around in old dead grass/mud.
WE will probably go from this to spring drought . LOL

Gotta keep on plugging !

 

[newmanmichael]

So sorry to hear everyone is having such a hard time with hatching...

 

[finnfur]

So sorry to hear everyone is having such a hard time with hatching...

Hi Michael glad to see you drop by - How's the Del club doing - moving forward I hope .

Well I think Kim is doing OK - seems her hatch is rolling
I just went out to check on eggs as trying to collect enough of some thing to get a hatch going - combination of old and new line all with F4 Cocks.

The broody has moved off the nest we had the 5 remaining eggs in - she moved to a nest with the wooden egg like the other hen. She was on the egg nest at 11 AM this morning. The eggs were cold to the touch so I took them. Four of five were fertile . The three I took the other night after candling were not.
So I guess I figured out the candling part of the way.

Now if I could figure how to get the broody's laying agin as they are 2/5ths of this lines laying hens .

 

[newmanmichael]

Hi Michael glad to see you drop by - How's the Del club doing - moving forward I hope .

Well I think Kim is doing OK - seems her hatch is rolling
I just went out to check on eggs as trying to collect enough of some thing to get a hatch going - combination of old and new line all with F4 Cocks.

The broody has moved off the nest we had the 5 remaining eggs in - she moved to a nest with the wooden egg like the other hen. She was on the egg nest at 11 AM this morning. The eggs were cold to the touch so I took them. Four of five were fertile . The three I took the other night after candling were not.
So I guess I figured out the candling part of the way.

Now if I could figure how to get the broody's laying agin as they are 2/5ths of this lines laying hens .

Thanks! Nothing new at this point with the club.

I know the cold weather has messed up a lot of folks hatching season. That's why you need me on the project, Florida weather has been pretty good all be it a little colder than usual this winter.

 

[Zanna]

Never been so happy to get three eggs from the three pullets in the breeder pens today. YAY!!!!

 

[finnfur]

Yay x2 - feels like a major feat . I hope that hen mood drifts this way with the warm weather.

 

[finnfur]

Thanks! Nothing new at this point with the club.

I know the cold weather has messed up a lot of folks hatching season. That's why you need me on the project, Florida weather has been pretty good all be it a little colder than usual this winter.

"Patience Grasshopper " We got to get these chickens cooperating first LOL

 

[ronott1]

So sorry to hear everyone is having such a hard time with hatching...

Hatching is going well here in California!

Next hatch is coming up soon.