Eastern Tennessee Thread

[tnchickenut]

ok peeps....the excited rookie is about to explode.

My first chicken hatched tonight

Please forgive me for my excited nature. And keep your fingers crossed for the rest of the crew. These are Serama eggs.

By this time next year you will be hatching and forgetting you set eggs. LOL

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Here is a pic of Satan (he seems to hate women!) But at least he is letting go when he bites me now.

....the blue wheaten from Rod/Daphne. He is so beautiful. Daphne...I am going to check but I am pretty sure your ameracuanas are dbl tufted. I am going to send some pics to Harry Shaffer and see what he thinks. Here is also a lav that come from him who is....his looks so much like hers it makes me think he is too ...which is a great thing!!
The little polish in the previous post is only 2 mo. old. She is going to have a beautiful crest like her sisters in the last pic.





Lavender




These are a new crele project I am working on.

 

[littlechicklet]

lunar- congrats!

terry- I love the lavender Ameracauna she is beautiful!

 

[Lunar]

thanks folks...I am thrilled. Now I have to wonder...what will I do if this is the only one that hatches? These guys are sooooo tiny. He will get totally lost in a brooder alone. I suppose I could section it off. I know I saw movement in them all last night when I added water to the incubator. But so far...they are all still intact. I cannot wait to see what color this one is. There was a mille fleur hen in the pen these eggs came from. The roo was a black or a black mottled one, she told me.

This one keeps calling...so maybe he will coax another out of the shell.

TNBarnQueen those polish are awesome. And you little blue/splash? chick is pretty. Can't wait to see if that darkens down or lightens up

 

[Talbott Poultry]

I am setting @ 7:00 pm on the 1st.

Still not sure of the count yet.
This weather has thrown a wrench, nah make that the whole tool box into the egg production.

So looks like I will be getting nuggets for Thanksgiving Day.

@ Stang, I am so glad that I was unable to deliver Lav Orp eggs that you wanted,
I would have felt terriable if this had happened to you or anyone else.

This is officially becoming the WORST hatch I have ever had.
As always I never candle until lock down, keeps me from worrying so much.

On Nov 1 I set 49 eggs.
19 Dominique
5 Lav Orp
16 White Faced Spanish
9 French Black Cooper Marans

Last night I candled and went into LD
Dominique 18 blanks
Lav Orp 4 blanks
White Faced Spanish 4 blanks 1 early quitter
FBCM 2 blanks

Have hatched from the same groups, (except the White faced) before with great results

I have NO ideal what happened unless it was the weather.
OK just checked weather history in the 10 days prior,
The High was 80 and the low was 41.

I never leave my eggs outside over night, always collected daily.
Turned everyday while in wait, room stays around 70 degrees.

I am at a complete loss as to why so many blanks this time.

 

[Talbott Poultry]

ok peeps....the excited rookie is about to explode.

My first chicken hatched tonight

Please forgive me for my excited nature. And keep your fingers crossed for the rest of the crew. These are Serama eggs.

Congrats

How many more you got to go?

 

[Lunar]

Congrats

How many more you got to go?

Well, I had 4 Serama's and 1 freebie jap bantam in the hatcher. One hatched and seems to be doing great. 1 Definately died in the shell

and I am thinking at this point the others (2 Serama/1 Jap) have done the same. I know they were alive Sunday night when I added water. The one hatched at 5pm or so, but nothing else has cracked. Even the Jap. hasn't done much. They moved some last night, but I am afraid they have died in the shell too. I thought of cracking the shell to see if it helped and or if the they were really dead. I am not good at that, so I have held off. And these are so small, I was afraid of hitting too hard. I put a light to them this morning...while they sat still. I can't see any pulsing anymore

I sooooo wanted a buddy for this one.

What in the world am I gonna do with this 1 teeny baby? I have made feeders/waterer from tiny lids and used cardboard to divide my brooder in half so he isn't lost going from the brooder heater to the bowls. He really is about the height of a 9volt battery. He is really pretty tho. He is alert and mobile, but he still looks a bit wet. Here is the only good shot I have gotten so far after he dried some. Anyone got a guess on color???

 

[Talbott Poultry]

I am starting oat fodder tomorrow..if I get caught up. I am anxious to start it. It cost me $13.95 for a 50 lb. feed. I am going to grow it in my greenhouse. I think between the mealworms and fodder my chickies are going to love me.

@AJ......you have to stay on top of oats and with it being winter they should not tend to mold as bad as summer. But I think if you fluff them every day letting air in they should be fine. I am going to start with small amounts in the tray til I see just how much I will need to safely do. I have even thought about trying a tray of soil/sand mix and growing some in it..then just put the tray in there and let them go at it.

I started my fodder system last night. I decided to use the cheap plastic shelves turned upside down.
I drilled 80 #35 holes in each shelf.
Mom went to Fox yesterday and got 50lb of wheat seed.
Was not sure of how much to use so just guessed at a quart of dry seed.

I was surprised at how clean the seed was only, I rinsed just 4 times and left in huge bowl with at least 3 times the water as seed.
Looking forward to seeing pictures of your set up.
Will post pics of mine this week end.

I think as I get more comfortable with this, I will try a rotation of wheat, rye and barley.
Just to give them some variety.

 

[Talbott Poultry]

Quote: I never take eggs out of the bator until 3 days after the due date.
I always leave chicks in the bator for 36 to 48 hours after they hatch.
The yolk is all they need for 3 days after they are born.

Removing them from the bator drops the humidity and can cause "shrink wrapping" on any others that may have a slight pip.
How Terry does so good with staggered hatches is beyond my comprehension.

Oh and as for color. I have found out with serama's, The seem to change color until they are about 6 months.
My first batch I thought was going to be mostly white, are now mostly red and black.

for your other eggs. Keep us informed.

 

[Lunar]

Nothing has a crack in it...I will leave them though. I want them to have every chance. I am just worried about the lone chick if they don't. They are so small, how will a single get along with no one else to deal with. I do have some silkie eggs due to hatch in 2 weeks. If he makes it till then, maybe he will be as big as they are freshly hatched....maybe.

I read somewhere that a 2mth old silkie brooded some Jap Bantams....wonder if my 6 week old would give it a try.