EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[Fire Ant Farm]

Green weeds without thorns or sticky gooey stuff all over them. That would be nice. Although the sticky ones are supposed to be good for catching small gnats

A lot of this is the fuzzy sticky stuff that latches onto your pants leg... And some of it has thorns - similar "stealth thorns" like the goats head. It's a risk not wearing gloves. I found some gloves at Home Depot this spring while getting construction stuff - called Gorilla Grip or something like that, black, and the back is mesh, but the front and sides are pretty thick rubber/nitrile stuff. Honestly they do just as well as leather gloves with thorns, but I have more dexterity. No glove is 100%, unfortunately.

Hey DAN if you see this, I need baby bunny advice?!?!?!?

My daughter's dog, brought us a baby bunny with it's eyes not open yet. We did a little googling, and were able to make it a nest under the heat lamp in the brooder room for it, and syringe feed it 1-3cc's of kitten/goats milk.

They said if it's found stressed out/dehydrated it's chances of survival are about 10% but it was in semi-decent shape when we found it, and it appeared fairly healthy, despite being carried by a dog.

(I'm just surprised he didn't kill it and actually brought it to us alive???)

We would have just put it back in it's nest, but had NO idea where he got it from

Any tips for syringe feeding and taming a wild bunny. I told my daughter since it's survival rates are so low, if it survives, she can keep the stupid thing.

Never a dull moment at Kajira's...

I hope it makes it.

I'm back and I have some bad news. This morning I had to bury Henrietta. It looks like a raccoon drug her off the nest last night after making a meal out of her spine and the leg it was dragging her out by. It managed to push the gate forward just enough squeeze through, but it couldn't actually pull her fat butt out through the gap. It destroyed her eggs in the process. I'd had her for 4 years and she was the last of the dog attack survivors I had kept.

I am so so sorry to hear this. HATE HATE HATE raccoons.

Awe that is sad. Darn skunks and raccoons. Skunk trapped this morning here. Knew he was around by the signs he left just couldn't get him to take bait till last night. After going through a skunk attack years ago I've been very pro active in setting traps. Also in double checking cages but there's only so much you can do there.

That's something I have on my list for my "vacation" - getting and setting out lots of traps. Do you drown or shoot the skunks? I can't shoot (in the city), would need to drown. I have an air rifle, really need to practice with it. It's useless if I can't hit anything.

I'm seriously considering them. Worried a bit on heat. But I think I can over come that for them.

I am putting eggs in incubator today or tomorrow.

I have not had luck on shipped eggs at all. I would prefer to hatch them and send them as day olds. BUT the weather must be decent where you are for that.

I was thinking of getting some from him in the fall, and crossing with Naked Necks before it got super hot the following summer. But things are already looking good here with a couple different crosses/lines/projects, so I may not. But you could try that (esp. if you have a cockerel or some pullets who are homozygous NN, and all offspring would be Nn).

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Could be, I know I am planning to ship to Texas in Oct. They don't think the birds would make it until then. Once the bird is acclimated they should be fine.

Folks don't really consider doing any sort of big meat bird until almost October here.

 

[duluthralphie]

A lot of this is the fuzzy sticky stuff that latches onto your pants leg... And some of it has thorns - similar "stealth thorns" like the goats head. It's a risk not wearing gloves. I found some gloves at Home Depot this spring while getting construction stuff - called Gorilla Grip or something like that, black, and the back is mesh, but the front and sides are pretty thick rubber/nitrile stuff. Honestly they do just as well as leather gloves with thorns, but I have more dexterity. No glove is 100%, unfortunately.



Never a dull moment at Kajira's...

I hope it makes it.



I am so so sorry to hear this. HATE HATE HATE raccoons.



That's something I have on my list for my "vacation" - getting and setting out lots of traps. Do you drown or shoot the skunks? I can't shoot (in the city), would need to drown. I have an air rifle, really need to practice with it. It's useless if I can't hit anything.





I was thinking of getting some from him in the fall, and crossing with Naked Necks before it got super hot the following summer. But things are already looking good here with a couple different crosses/lines/projects, so I may not. But you could try that (esp. if you have a cockerel or some pullets who are homozygous NN, and all offspring would be Nn).

That might not be a bad Idea, you would regain some hybrid vigor and get them cooler in the heat.

We would have to write a new SOP for the southern toad though...

 

[Akrnaf2]

Hey Benny way off the beaten path of rabbits, what do you make of this bug. I'm thinking Antlion adult
View attachment 1054211

It seems like, I am not familiar with American invertebrates.
Did you find any conical shaped holes on sand patches nearby?

 

[Akrnaf2]

Folks don't really consider doing any sort of big meat bird until almost October here.

Someone HAVE TO GROW THEM!
Pepole there don't eat fresh chicken until October?

 

[Razadia]

Hey Benny way off the beaten path of rabbits, what do you make of this bug. I'm thinking Antlion adult
View attachment 1054211

Lacewing more than likely. Antlions are either related to Lacewings or they turn into them. I can't seem to get a straight answer on that online. Maybe you'll have more luck? They're Neuroptera.

sorry for the loss... I lost a ton of birds this week, I recovered 17 bodies. I know there were more I saw ravens fly off with some....

I think my attack was a fisher or coon. They just ate one and killed for fun... I wish I could develop a virus to destroy them.....( I know that is evil, but View attachment 1054218 )......


I wish the Anti-fur wearing people could see what unchecked fur bearers do to our birds.

sorry again for your loss.

So do I. There were 3 other birds roosting less than 5 feet away. I could have handled it trying to take one of my idiot roosters, but not Henrietta. She was actually determined to see her hatch through and it completely ruined any chances of that. Thankfully, I have some of her offspring in one of my grow out pens, so there's that at least.

Hav a hart has them for larger animals our Lowes sells them I think they were $60

The problem is how expensive they are. I can't afford to get them right now even though I know it'll pay for itself with the first catch. I may be able to rig up the dog crate I have as a trap. I saw where someone on YT did it.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Eventful morning.

I guess I had pushed myself harder than I realized, because I was EXHAUSTED last night and slept like a rock. My bedroom is in a corner of the house farthest back with windows on both walls facing the chickens (so I can hear and see stuff). Bay window is behind the head of my bed.

This morning at about 6:30 I heard a ruckus, but was so tired, I figured it was a little chicken argument and rolled over. At 6:45, bigger ruckus, - I was really groggy, but managed to figure out that it wasn't just a squabble, and when I looked out the window, in the WAY back, behind the S&G girls' pen and Botany Bay pen, I saw a small grey blur near the ground at the fence line. I leapt out of bed, managed to pull some clothes on and ran out there, and sure enough, there was small grey fox trying to figure out how to get in their paddock (at the corner where the second photo is). Fortunately, he couldn't, and I turned the corner to look, he looked up and then loped off. No, I was not awake/alert enough to take the pellet gun with me, though I suspect I wouldn't have gotten a shot.

Here is the cursed brush pile that still needs to be cleared. Not sure the photo gets across how big it is, but you can see a tree lying on it for scale.

That being said, the foxes run through between our yards, and what I need to do is "re-fence" the inside of my 8 foot fence with welded wire to close the gaps they come through. I've gotten some of it done here (see photo below), but have a good bit more to do (as well and do something to prevent digging).

The S&Gs don't have a cockerel/cock bird with them - I noted that the fox avoided Khan's paddock (he was in protection mode). Hoping to put a boy with those girls soon once they mature. The Aloha coop is actually back there as well, but they don't have a paddock yet - which may seem horrible, but it's for this exact reason. I think I'm going to move the Aloha girls to a different coop closer to Tank's coops and the GNH bachelor coop on the other other side of the yard, and get a boy with them as soon as I can. The Aloha boys I can leave back there.

So much to do, so much to do!

So after all that, I fell back asleep (waking up with every chicken noise, mind you). Now I need to go do chores. At least it's relatively cool today (90 - though wicked humid).

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Eventful morning.

I guess I had pushed myself harder than I realized, because I was EXHAUSTED last night and slept like a rock. My bedroom is in a corner of the house farthest back with windows on both walls facing the chickens (so I can hear and see stuff). Bay window is behind the head of my bed.

View attachment 1054269

This morning at about 6:30 I heard a ruckus, but was so tired, I figured it was a little chicken argument and rolled over. At 6:45, bigger ruckus, - I was really groggy, but managed to figure out that it wasn't just a squabble, and when I looked out the window, in the WAY back, behind the S&G girls' pen and Botany Bay pen, I saw a small grey blur near the ground at the fence line. I leapt out of bed, managed to pull some clothes on and ran out there, and sure enough, there was small grey fox trying to figure out how to get in their paddock (at the corner where the second photo is). Fortunately, he couldn't, and I turned the corner to look, he looked up and then loped off. No, I was not awake/alert enough to take the pellet gun with me, though I suspect I wouldn't have gotten a shot.

View attachment 1054272 View attachment 1054271
Here is the cursed brush pile that still needs to be cleared. Not sure the photo gets across how big it is, but you can see a tree lying on it for scale.

View attachment 1054296

That being said, the foxes run through between our yards, and what I need to do is "re-fence" the inside of my 8 foot fence with welded wire to close the gaps they come through. I've gotten some of it done here (see photo below), but have a good bit more to do (as well and do something to prevent digging).
View attachment 1054274

The S&Gs don't have a cockerel/cock bird with them - I noted that the fox avoided Khan's paddock (he was in protection mode). Hoping to put a boy with those girls soon once they mature. The Aloha coop is actually back there as well, but they don't have a paddock yet - which may seem horrible, but it's for this exact reason. I think I'm going to move the Aloha girls to a different coop closer to Tank's coops and the GNH bachelor coop on the other other side of the yard, and get a boy with them as soon as I can. The Aloha boys I can leave back there.

So much to do, so much to do!

So after all that, I fell back asleep (waking up with every chicken noise, mind you). Now I need to go do chores. At least it's relatively cool today (90 - though wicked humid).

Geez. You have your hands full. And with all the prevention you have in place already. . makes me feel like re thinking wether I want chickens or not. We have a fox den somewhere on our back lot. Keep seeing them come through. So far they left my duck pens alone they are close to my house but if we don't get them taken care of it will just be a matter of time before they find them I am sure.

 

[Pensmaster]

It seems like, I am not familiar with American invertebrates.
Did you find any conical shaped holes on sand patches nearby?

Yes there are several of them in front of tool shed.

 

[Pensmaster]

A lot of this is the fuzzy sticky stuff that latches onto your pants leg... And some of it has thorns - similar "stealth thorns" like the goats head. It's a risk not wearing gloves. I found some gloves at Home Depot this spring while getting construction stuff - called Gorilla Grip or something like that, black, and the back is mesh, but the front and sides are pretty thick rubber/nitrile stuff. Honestly they do just as well as leather gloves with thorns, but I have more dexterity. No glove is 100%, unfortunately.



Never a dull moment at Kajira's...

I hope it makes it.



I am so so sorry to hear this. HATE HATE HATE raccoons.



That's something I have on my list for my "vacation" - getting and setting out lots of traps. Do you drown or shoot the skunks? I can't shoot (in the city), would need to drown. I have an air rifle, really need to practice with it. It's useless if I can't hit anything.





I was thinking of getting some from him in the fall, and crossing with Naked Necks before it got super hot the following summer. But things are already looking good here with a couple different crosses/lines/projects, so I may not. But you could try that (esp. if you have a cockerel or some pullets who are homozygous NN, and all offspring would be Nn).

Gloves sound good.
Drown them now, used to shoot. Too many city folk neighbors now. I have a water tank in the ground that I pull the trap into with a rope trouble is I didn't have the rope attached this time. For the raccoons I have a 80 gallon barrel that just barely holds the trap.
Still concern with the heat and the Toads. Mine are doing fairly well now.
Putting up the awning between the homes to get some heat protection for those of us that walk between.
Better get back at it before it's too hot.