February Hatch-A-Long

[LadiesAndJane]

Silkie girls are really cranking out the eggs and I have unexpected interest in the chicks. Up to 21 eggs now and counting, going to have to crack out the second incubator...

 

[PioneerChicks]

I have two dozen eggs collected, now I just need to test the incubator and set them!
I actually had a dream last night that in addition to two silkie eggs that morning, I was able to collect two more silkie eggs and one orp egg in the evening! Super random, but it made me feel good.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I have my Bielefelders and my Large Cochins in, and shipped Blue Marans and Crested Cream Legbars. I have them in my RCOM incubators at 30% humidity. I've already had to take out a bunch of the non viable shipped eggs.

Sorry about the shipped egg losses.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Silkie girls are really cranking out the eggs and I have unexpected interest in the chicks. Up to 21 eggs now and counting, going to have to crack out the second incubator...

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have 2 going. One is a home made incubator, (Many chicks hatched from it.)

I just put some really good air flow vents on the bottom and the top, (still air, hand turn)
one is a farm innovators still air, with a egg turner, that I fashioned out of a larger yellow top incubator's turner.
.

Eggs coming tomorrow hopefully. Plus my own.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Just so we have some chicks to look at, Hatched in Dec pics day 1. these came from MI. Ebay.

Below AC mix- Margarette maybe a boy

Silky/EE "Lilac" Girl

Lucky - IDK the breed. boy

Mica- Boy smooth fizzle mix of some sort. The sweetest boy! He will be my guy!

Cute silky mix boy Fatty

"Ducky" a Jublie orpington mix Girl

AC/EE out of a blue egg- girl 'Velvet."

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Just so we have some chicks to look at, Hatched in Dec pics day 1. these came from MI. Ebay.

Below AC mix- Margarette maybe a boy
View attachment 2504022

Silky/EE "Lilac" Girl
View attachment 2504026

Lucky - IDK the breed. boy
View attachment 2504027

Mica- Boy smooth fizzle mix of some sort. The sweetest boy! He will be my guy!
View attachment 2504028


Cute silky mix boy Fatty
View attachment 2504029

"Ducky" a Jublie orpington mix Girl
View attachment 2504031

AC/EE out of a blue egg- girl 'Velvet."
View attachment 2504032

They are little sweeties! Can't wait for little chicks again even though I hatched some in December, too!

 

[gimmie birdies]

The pure eggs I ordered are mostly chickens I don't have.
Isbar (I only have a mix)
BCM (I currenly have an old one and 2 mixes.)
BLRW (none)
Spitzenhauben ( I do have 2 hens)
Plus the thrill of surprise eggs coming...

My own 4 month old breeding roosters I am not proud of they are just roosters. They will fertilize my current eggs. Hen's choice of...

RIR "Tabasco" Who is nice for a RIR...that is to say he doesn't beat me up. He will go down rooster HWY one day DH is away from home, reason- RIR. (from a meyer meal maker.)

BR- Handsome "Rocky" tried to bite me- packed him around, now he avoids me. Not crazy about BR but this guy makes me pause. Meyer meal maker.

Olive egger/blue andelusian "Else" He is colorful. looks like a dark BR with splashes of orange. But he is boring. I had an OE from Meyer and a Blue andelusian also meyer hatched their egg.

Dizzy- BO nice boy, he will probably not breed. But he will just hang out.

Blue Cochin "Blue" also a boring rooster. but he is blue and handsome. He can hang out a while too. Not breeding currently.

current egg hens they can chose from:

Silver penciled rock

LO

AC

BA

Blue Wyandotte

Spitz

exchequer

welsummer

BCM

polish

Frizzle

OE

legbar

Sapphire gem

Blue Bell egger

and mixes of the above.

(If the chicks from my eggs are red they will be from the RIR, if solid black fuzz, from the BR.)

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Ok just checked my first 16 eggs, here day 3. Only 6 look fertile so far. Yes I know it is early, but I normally can see the beginnings of veining at 3 days. All 6 of them are from the same hen, my cockerel's favorite at the moment, Zelda the Wonder Chicken (that is her full name, 11 year old named her).
So I just put him in with the other two in the "honeymoon suite". This is the first time for me having a roo, how long does he need to be isolated with the two ladies to see some fertile eggs? I figure if he had no other options, nature may take it's course, He is normally with the mixed flock of 11, now 9 and he prefers some of the standard sized girls as well. I have not seen him mate these two, when I think about it, in some time.
Day 3 and a half eggs:
Zelda’s eggs:

All the others:

Edited to add photos.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I have 2 going. One is a home made incubator, (Many chicks hatched from it.)
View attachment 2504001
I just put some really good air flow vents on the bottom and the top, (still air, hand turn)
one is a farm innovators still air, with a egg turner, that I fashioned out of a larger yellow top incubator's turner.
.View attachment 2503990
Eggs coming tomorrow hopefully. Plus my own.

I'm super excited to see what eggs you get from Cindy (Foxfire Farms Poultry). I've always had wonderful luck with her eggs. I too am 1 state away. After a fox attack last year my flock is down to just 6 chickens and 2 ducks. 5 are from Foxfire eggs: 3 Silverudd's, 2 Marans. They could be laying any day now. But likely not for another month or so till the day are longer.

I love your grey eggs. So stunning. Is it difficult to get this trait, color, passed on? You've explained the genetics before but I'm not remembering the particulars.