Eeeek! Eggs have Arrived

[2ndTink]

Oh heck ya, those that don't get taken/bought, they are just in limbo and never, ever count. Even after they reach adulthood, they still don't lol.

Well then, I technically only have...

9 - 1/2 (silkie) - 1 (green egg) - 1 (brown egg) + 7 - 1 (cream egg) - 5 (haven't laid since 2022) + 10 + (11÷2) (silkies) - 6 (silkies my friend didn't take, they each count as a whole bird in this instance) + 1/2 (NC silkie) + 3 - 3 (all eggs hatched from my chickens) + 6 - 6 (second set of silkies my friend didn't take, she's the best of friends!) + (9 -1 he was free)(÷ 2) (silkies)

So really I only have 21.5 chickens right now, that's not bad at all!

 

[Debbie292d]

100% financially sound decision to make to get the extra chicks instead of paying for shipping.

Most definitely! Do any hatcheries drop shipping down to zero if you order more, like say 100 eggs or chicks? I couldn't ever have even half of that here without building on or adding a coop though!

 

[2ndTink]

Most definitely! Do any hatcheries drop shipping down to zero if you order more, like say 100 eggs or chicks? I couldn't ever have even half of that here without building on or adding a coop though!

I'm over capacity and looking at adding a big coop and more runs. I want them to be predator proof (mainly hawks, coyotes, foxes, then also keep out the raccoons, possums, and skunks). My hubby is 100% on-board with the concept and 0% thrilled at the cost

 

[Birdsonghill]

I am rooting for your hatch to be great and mostly hens! My last hatch was 2/3rds males! I ran them as a free range bachelor flock and ate a few and the hawks and foxes did in a bunch and the last guy is now cowering in the run all day and waiting to be a replacement rooster if needed or meal for somebody. They were beautiful to watch foraging across the yard , making great lawn decorations/attractions to look at! They controlled the ticks in the yard that were bad before they got to work last summer! Best wishes for your flock!

 

[TinyHandsHomestead105]

I’m hoping I get quite a few hens from the ones hatchingBUT that’s why I went ahead and just bought sexed females because I’m afraid we’ll end up with a bunch of roosit’s how my luck runs honestly!

 

[2ndTink]

I’m hoping I get quite a few hens from the ones hatchingBUT that’s why I went ahead and just bought sexed females because I’m afraid we’ll end up with a bunch of roosit’s how my luck runs honestly!

I hatch out roos and my hubby picks them as his favorites so then I can't get rid of them and it artificially bloats my flock number then he has the audacity to question how many chickens I have.

 

[TinyHandsHomestead105]

I don’t know what I’m going to do with a bunch of Roos, but they are mostly dual purpose breeds so maybe the cooking potI’ve raised rabbits in the past and my grandfather helped me butcher them, but he passed last April so I have no one knowledgeable on butchering even though I’d love to learn how. I feel like it’d be nice to learn something like that so I can take care of the extra roos. I’m big on letting my animals “Live a great life that ends with one bad day”. I hate my granddad isn’t here to help. He was such a WEALTH of knowledge. He grew up extremely poor. Had a milk cow, chickens etc and only went to the store for things like flour!

 

[Birdsonghill]

I don’t know what I’m going to do with a bunch of Roos, but they are mostly dual purpose breeds so maybe the cooking potI’ve raised rabbits in the past and my grandfather helped me butcher them, but he passed last April so I have no one knowledgeable on butchering even though I’d love to learn how. I feel like it’d be nice to learn something like that so I can take care of the extra roos. I’m big on letting my animals “Live a great life that ends with one bad day”. I hate my granddad isn’t here to help. He was such a WEALTH of knowledge. He grew up extremely poor. Had a milk cow, chickens etc and only went to the store for things like flour!

It is not hard to do physically but takes some determination and practice to do well the first time. You have to get your feet wet sometime. I don't use a killing cone or nothing fancy. I just loop a hay bale twine around their legs and hang them head down from a tree limb, in/over a large bucket or garbage can to catch any blood they may fling or will drip when the deed is done. You then can just stick them through the roof of the mouth with an ice pick or narrow blade up into the brain to kill them quick or just cut their throat or head right off and be done. If you use the brain kill they still will need to be bled out by cutting their throat or the head off. They will shake after death for a few minutes. Dip them in hot(about 160 degrees F) but never boiling water and swish them up and down a few times then pluck them. Heavy rubber gloves help with this step. Carefully remove the entrails and organs, paying attention to scraping out all the lungs, cutting around the anus to not cut into the intestines , bladder or gall and release that into your birds carcass. Wash in cold water and put on ice to chill quickly and refrigerate two or three days before freezing them or eating them in order to have a more tender bird after the rigor mortis sets in. Rigor mortis sets in quickly! The alternative is to clean them and get them actually cooking in less than about fifteen minutes before rigor mortis sets in but only old time grannies and pros are that good! I can clean a rabbit in two minutes or less but the feathers of chickens changes everything for me, that and waiting for them to stop thrashing and bleeding out a couple minutes. Chicken and dumplings or soup is good from slightly tougher birds, like older birds or ones with a bit of lingering rigor mortis. My dogs like them all, tough or tender! Get a friend or family member to help the first time! Best wishes for you and your flocks.

 

[TinyHandsHomestead105]

It is not hard to do physically but takes some determination and practice to do well the first time. You have to get your feet wet sometime. I don't use a killing cone or nothing fancy. I just loop a hay bale twine around their legs and hang them head down from a tree limb, in/over a large bucket or garbage can to catch any blood they may fling or will drip when the deed is done. You then can just stick them through the roof of the mouth with an ice pick or narrow blade up into the brain to kill them quick or just cut their throat or head right off and be done. If you use the brain kill they still will need to be bled out by cutting their throat or the head off. They will shake after death for a few minutes. Dip them in hot(about 160 degrees F) but never boiling water and swish them up and down a few times then pluck them. Heavy rubber gloves help with this step. Carefully remove the entrails and organs, paying attention to scraping out all the lungs, cutting around the anus to not cut into the intestines , bladder or gall and release that into your birds carcass. Wash in cold water and put on ice to chill quickly and refrigerate two or three days before freezing them or eating them in order to have a more tender bird after the rigor mortis sets in. Rigor mortis sets in quickly! The alternative is to clean them and get them actually cooking in less than about fifteen minutes before rigor mortis sets in but only old time grannies and pros are that good! I can clean a rabbit in two minutes or less but the feathers of chickens changes everything for me, that and waiting for them to stop thrashing and bleeding out a couple minutes. Chicken and dumplings or soup is good from slightly tougher birds, like older birds or ones with a bit of lingering rigor mortis. My dogs like them all, tough or tender! Get a friend or family member to help the first time! Best wishes for you and your flocks.

Thank you!

 

[TinyHandsHomestead105]

So I have a side question I was researching and I guess I can ask you guys since I’m getting conflicting answers. So when I candled yesterday, some of the babies were larger than the others. They didn’t look massively behind, just a day or two difference. Is this why some advice to keep unhatched eggs in the incubator 2-3 days after the first babies start hatching? At what point do you call it quits in regards to eggs not hatching? Do I give them a set number of days to hatch and then toss?