Hatchers Anonymous *Official Thread*

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Thank you.

Well, earlier this week, in the dark, early morning, I was starting to have trouble with the pain and "fog" so I was a tad late in getting going to take care of chicken duties. Then it was rush to shower, dress, get my stuff together for the work day. I grabbed warmer clothing and stepped into drawstring pants, pulled on a nice sweatshirt, tossed a turquoise necklace over my head to dress up the look, and went to work. I THOUGHT the pockets felt funny when I tucked my hands in 'em to push 'em flat....

Apparently I also missed the big fat, inside BACK label at the front, and the....yes... Drawstrings hanging out from the sweatshirt in the back! A very nice co-worker wondered what was hanging down....

I put my pants on the right way in the ladies room, luckily before eight a.m., when most others get to work. My schedule is 7:30 a.m. To 5:30 p.m.,, which does give me time to repair simple, stupid attire mistakes, even after I get to work. Unless it's wearing coop shoes...

Back to hatching and chicks: the nice thing about being "older" and time spent in the bathroom, when that's your Brooder Room, ya get a lot of quality time with babies, even if your tush does fall asleep, sometimes.

All my babies eventuallly jump to my knees and lap, at some point or another.

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
WELCOME!

 

[LaurenM23]

Haha Linda, you are too much!

MY GIRLS GAVE ME SOME EGGIES!!! The hubby said we needed to go by and at least check on the chickens. He lifted the lid and four beautiful eggs were in a nesting box! He said they laid three yesterday and the fourth was new today! He'd been waiting since yesterday for me to find them, but when he said he'd taken care of everyone I didn't want to be rude and check behind him. My girls are all grown up!

 

[LaurenM23]

Alright, folks. Seeing as I have only hatched eggs that were shipped, can anyone explain this "bullseye" of fertility to me? I'm not planning to hatch the eggies from my girls right now...obviously not their first eggs, anyhow, but I'd like to know if my roo is "getting the job done" so to speak.

I've looked a several photos, but I'm not sure that I'm seeing the right thing. I've never cracked open my precious shipped eggies, since that would pretty much defeat the whole purpose! lol

So far, they've laid us 6...from 3 hens. It seems that Poulet, my BSL or Australorp...whatever her beautiful self is, has been the most active. I was cleaning the coop and adding fresh bedding and "walked in" on her in the nesting box. She was quite offended!

The eggs are roughly small to medium sized brown with loads of chalky speckles. I'm guessing these are some sort of calicum deposit. The first 3 had a widespread dusting all over, the next 1 was much larger and almost perfectly clean brown, then two smaller with the speckles on the surface. (The "speckles" are not the same as speckled eggs...it's most definitely something on the surface or in the shell composition, not the coloring.)

They've also been testing out more than one nesting box, which is exciting!

Anyone gearing up for the set-date for the New Year's hatch??? I'm really looking forward to the resulting chick pics!

 

[dsqard]

Lauren go to this thread by Speckledhen https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008. Great photos of the bullseyes. Sometimes you have to carefully turn the yolk over to find it! Good luck!
ETA - Gearing up for the NY hatch but have a problem with my bator. Gonna get a hold of Brinsea today to see if I can get it resolved in time to set on Saturday.

 

[LaurenM23]

THANK YOU!!! Perfect pics. Everything I was finding seemed focused on the "dot" at center, but I knew that wasn't right. Awesome! Can't wait to check 'em! I'm so happy with my little flock, I'd love to hatch some of their little ones out someday. I'm thinking that I might throw in a couple when I'm ready to hatch some more SPPRs in the Spring. I'd love to duplicate Poulet's green-tinted black. She's just gorgeous!

We outfitted their run for Winter, yesterday, by adding heavy mil plastic to the lower level of the outside. They cannot get at the plastic to pick at it, but it is providing a nice wind break for them. We didn't enclose the entire run, just the majority of three sides, and not all the way to the top. We didn't really want a greenhouse effect, just to give them a barrier, as the wind comes right across the field and directly at them. They can still see out and around, so they seem pleased. I'll have to take some photos...

 

[dsqard]

Glad that helped! Yup been checking any eggs that we have been eating to make sure that Mr. Cogburn (

) is doing his job. Finding bullseyes in them all. Spoke to Brinsea and they should have a replacement bator to me by the end of the week! Sooo excited to do this first hatch and was really worried that I might not get to start this weekend because I have some lav orp eggs shipping to me today. Also had two more pullets start laying this weekend and one of them is my GLW. She laid a good sized egg the first time out so I want to get a couple of her eggs in the bator to see what those EE's are gonna look like. I would be setting her first egg but it had a crack in it so hopefully today we will get another.

 

[gryeyes]

I have completed setting up the ginormous brooder and about to move 33 chicks from 3 rubbermaid brooder bins in the bathroom out to the new shed.

Resting for a bit, first. *pant pant*

I'll take pictures but it will be a while before I can get them from the cell phone; I am currently sans computer to make the image transfers.

just the four call ducklings will be left in the house.

More eggs are in one 'bator, due to hatch 12/12. Plus, I'll be joining the NY Hatch with TJ eggs.....and....*ahem*. Some shipped BR eggs.

*innocent expression*

 

[dsqard]

Linda you crack me up.

We are willing to wait for the pictures but don't think we will forget about them! Sounds like the new brooder is working out great for you!

 

[LaurenM23]

Linda, glad you've got it all set up! As much as I am looking forward to chick pics, I think I might be more interested in seeing this ginormous brooder!

My girls gifted me two more eggs today. Get this...one is SPECKLED! And I mean speckled...not just the greyish chalky stuff I was posting about before. It is BeAutiful!

I'm going to try to arrange them in a decorative way for a photo. I need a festive towel or something...