Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 Incubator is AMAZING!

[CluckNDoodle]

@CluckNDoodle and anyone else. I started timing feathers Tue afternoon. I had no intention of checking eggs till maybe this weekend but Ditzy's had a crack today, thinking maybe someone stepped on it. So figured why not check and scramble it up for them so I added another egg in too.

Does it still look unfertilized? The other egg I see no bullseye at all and haven't noticed Itzy mating with her, but I probably just don't see it, but her butt fluff wasn't trimmed, she is a Brahma.

First 2 are Ditzy. 2nd 2 are Rosies

Ditzy's do kind of look fertilized in these pictures. I've definitely been fooled before, not sure why some hens have eggs that look fertilized when they're not. I guess genetically the blastodisc is just larger with some hens. I had a bantam Cochin that had eggs that looked fertilized all the time with no rooster present, lol. Unless he really did start effectively fertilizing the eggs just now.

Turned a year today

He's still somewhat young so that may have something to do with it as well.

If you set eggs again now that everyone is trimmed and you still don't see fertilization then he may just need a little extra time to mature.

 

[junior67]

Ditzy's do kind of look fertilized in these pictures. I've definitely been fooled before, not sure why some hens have eggs that look fertilized when they're not. I guess genetically the blastodisc is just larger with some hens. I had a bantam Cochin that had eggs that looked fertilized all the time with no rooster present, lol. Unless he really did start effectively fertilizing the eggs just now.



He's still somewhat young so that may have something to do with it as well.

If you set eggs again now that everyone is trimmed and you still don't see fertilization then he may just need a little extra time to mature.

Think I am going to wait a bit till hopefully I can say they are fertilized.... Plus I get my chicks next Fri/Sat and think 3 weeks age difference would be too much between the chicks. Or is that ok?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Think I am going to wait a bit till hopefully I can say they are fertilized.... Plus I get my chicks next Fri/Sat and think 3 weeks age difference would be too much between the chicks. Or is that ok?

3 weeks is usually my maximum age difference and I always wait a few days before introducing the newly hatched chicks so they don't get trampled. I prefer 2 weeks only because some breeds start play fighting earlier than others.

On a side note, I literally just looked outside and watched my tiny cockerel that is barely over two months old mount a hen. He did it properly too. I'm stunned but that clears up the question of whether they breed before physically mature enough to fertilize eggs. That's a resounding yes. Lol

 

[junior67]

3 weeks is usually my maximum age difference and I always wait a few days before introducing the newly hatched chicks so they don't get trampled. I prefer 2 weeks only because some breeds start play fighting earlier than others.

On a side note, I literally just looked outside and watched my tiny cockerel that is barely over two months old mount a hen. He did it properly too. I'm stunned but that clears up the question of whether they breed before physically mature enough to fertilize eggs. That's a resounding yes. Lol

ok. maybe I will try again at the end of the week. I would only have a few of her eggs depending on what day she lays.... hmmmm I would MUCH rather try to brood them together than have to have 2 batches...... I would have them in for about 4 days anyways so I could watch them and make sure they are ok...... hmmmmm not sure what to do. I am getting buff Brahma (so big), blue rock, EE, OE, hopefully cream legbar, sicilian buttercup (small), and lavender orpington (so big)........ so the Cochins would be one of the bigger breeds. I really hate decisions! LOL

OMG that is too funny on the cockerel! Maybe it is where my pullets weren't mature yet but Itzy didn't try until just before they started laying so about mid Aug was when he started since my first one started laying the end of Aug.

 

[junior67]

ok here is my funny story of the day.... So I was out with the chickens and Itzy and Ditzy were standing next to each other so I told them they needed to hurry up and make some babies. Then I said it was more than just laying eggs and looked at Itzy and told him the other part was up to him........ Well not even 20 seconds later Itzy was mating Ditzy. Haahaaa!!!!!!!!!!!! guess he listened.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

ok here is my funny story of the day.... So I was out with the chickens and Itzy and Ditzy were standing next to each other so I told them they needed to hurry up and make some babies. Then I said it was more than just laying eggs and looked at Itzy and told him the other part was up to him........ Well not even 20 seconds later Itzy was mating Ditzy. Haahaaa!!!!!!!!!!!! guess he listened.

Well at least he's trying! Lol

 

[junior67]

Well at least he's trying! Lol

Yes he is. Hopefully the feather trimming helped

 

[Tre3hugger]

Yes he is. Hopefully the feather trimming helped

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Yes he is. Hopefully the feather trimming helped

 

[junior67]

going to collect her eggs this week and put them in on Fri I think (unless she isn't going to lay on Friday then I will put them in on Thurs). will only have 5-6 but at least not "wasting" 10-11 eggs if they don't do anything. If these ones do nothing then I will wait a couple weeks and start collecting again and set them around May 6 so they hatch around May 27. We are camping on June 8 for 4 days so would like to be able to observe them in the outside brooder before we camp so hopefully the timing works out good if I wait for a week then they aren't due to hatch till June 3.....