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

[duluthralphie]

Thank God that they forget the pain , because if the where not, we all would have only one child.
So I profoundly thanks all the moms here for their ability to forget the pain and re pass the experience more then once!

I was the first born of two first borns, who where the kids of two first borns back quite a ways.....and I would not have to share any inheritances with my brothers/cousins and so forth... had they stopped at one....

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I have been there too. It is a lot of work to grow out more chicks than expected.

Expanding too fast is a main cause of business failure

I was sweet talked into it. Halloween was suppose to be the last batch. They were prepaid and all gone. A lady with her kids came over to buy a batch of older chickens and talked me into setting eggs so she could have a Mottled Java straight run. I took $20 bucks down to insure her return. She dropped off the face of the Earth.
I don't care about the $20, it's hard to sell this time of year. Feb - July is our profit window. Aug - Jan we are slaves to the feed stores.
Young piglets are our winter bread & butter. The County Fairs are Feb-March.. Show Pig demand started in October and we were on schedule. Made out good on the Berkshire litter.
em-connie. & that was my 2 cents.

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[BullChick]

 

[venymae]

I wouldn't go to great lengths to save an injured bird that was on the soup list. They'd just have their life cut a tad shorter by whatever came through. Other than that, of course I'm going to try... "any bird I care about enough" covers probably 90% plus of my flock right now.

I'm wondering something similar....this stupid little hernia chick...I'm not even keeping him!

Women have a very high pain tolerance, one doctor comperd once a child delivery to women as urinating 4 pounds melon for men........

Had to be a woman doctor...They are prejudice....

Having passed Kidneys stones in my long and varied past life experiences I assure you it was a breeze compared to my wife having our kids......

I dunno, I didn't think childbirth was that bad, and I've done it 4 times! My mom always said it was just like taking a big poop. Though, as someone who has witnessed over 100 births, I do understand some ladies have it rougher than others.

 

[Faraday40]

@Sally Sunshine
adorable!
Such a beautiful hen. Too bad I live too far away. Our DD would love to get a few serama chicks from you.

I've done the same thing with my bantam broodies. This year I had great luck with the timing of my hatches. Just before my incubator hatch was going into lockdown, a hen would reach full brood mode. I'd slip an egg under her & then continue to add chicks as they hatched. The crazy little bird thought she was "SuperHen" by sitting on one egg for one week & hatching out 21 chicks! It was easier to contain the chicks in the big brooder and simply add the mama. I had a heating pad for the overflow.

As for my coop, the same little hen -- pictured above -- decided to go broody in Nov! I tried to explain that it was not a good time, but about 19 days ago, I allowed her to have some eggs. Several times she was off her nest for long periods - on some very cold mornings too! Twice I saw her in the wrong nest! About a week ago, she got off the nest & stayed off. A slightly broody silkie pullet took over.

I have no idea why the 1st hen (a very experienced broody) left her eggs. I thought perhaps they were dead. I candled the eggs last week & tossed 2 clears. I candled again last night, & all 3 remaining are mostly shadow & air cell. The new silkie pullet only laid about 8 -10 eggs in her life before turning broody, so I didn't take her seriously. This situation (broody hatching in winter) is all new to me. Normally, I just kick them off the nest & the cold weather does the rest to break them. I'm glad there are only 3 LF eggs. If she had more, I'd have to set up a brooder

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Just assisted 3 tired chicks. The membranes were a little rubbery and thick. They absorb all the fluids so I unzipped them and placed them back in the incub.
An hour later, (meanwhile back at the ranch) this smallest one still has the shell glued to it's back. Looks like a turtle. It moved before I got a good pic. If it doesn't dry up and fall off by it's self, I remove it later. Hiz new name is TURTLE. I'll post a finally count and stats in a little bit. Heavy chore day. Laundry hanging in the Sun!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

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[venymae]

feeling grouchy today.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

feeling grouchy today.

Maybe it's the woodpecker's fault?

 

[venymae]

Maybe it's the woodpecker's fault?

woodpecker = my kids and spouse.