7 more days until my cochins & BLRW go into lockdown, but who's counting!!! I ended up tossing 3 more last night...WAAA!!! I'm down to 2 black cochins from Scott. I'm so sad.
There are the three more that have pipped, but based on how long it took the first four from pip to zip, I'm not expecting to see them until late tonight or early tomorrow morning - and then there's still that one egg that hasn't done anything yet. The water channels are pretty much dried up, but the humidity has held because of the three that are drying off - but they're almost all fluffed out now, and I really don't want to have to open the 'bator to add water.
I know there's that little teensy hole at the top of the Octagon 20 that you can run a little tube through to add water, but I don't see how that's going to work without accidentally spilling water all over the top of the 'bator, where all the electronics are housed.
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I'm crossing my fingers for your last two Black Cochins from Scott - his Blacks look really nice!
I was actually considering buying some eggs from him to try and hatch a mate for my Black roo, but I think I'm just going to keep hitting the local swaps until I find one. I almost bought a pullet last month, but she was really young, and there was no telling how she'd mature - and I really wasn't impressed with the rest of the Cochins I saw there that day (I didn't get there until really late, and everything was all picked through), so...
I got my Blue/Black Bantam Cochin eggs from PeepsInc last year, if you ever decide to get another batch. I think he's working with a Black Mottled Roo now, instead of the Blue Roo that was the "daddy" of my boys.
7 of the 8 are out and fluffy, running around the 'bator, and the last egg is zipping!
I'll have pictures later today, once the last chick is all finished and fluffy!
That means I got a 66% hatch rate on this batch (of the original 12 that were shipped) - not too shabby for shipped eggs!
EDIT: They're all out! Of the 12 shipped eggs, 8 made it to lockdown and 8 hatched!
They are NOT the greatest color though. They're going to be pretty shoddy Columbians - I have two that look more Partridge, three that are too white, and three that are pretty well marked. They're adorable though! Only 7 of the 8 are in the picture - the last guy is one of the better marked ones, and is still in the 'bator drying off:
My three remaining Welsh Harlequin eggs go into lockdown Thursday of next week!
Unfortunately, now that I've deceided I'm keeping ALL the Stanbridge Whites I got from Holderreads yesterday, I don't have room to keep any of them.
The guy who came and got two of the ducklings I hatched last week will take them though, and he's only 8 miles from where I live, so they'll be close!
My aunt's friend "Farmer Dave" wants me to incubate some of his turkey eggs for him and raise them up for the first few weeks!
I'd love to do it, just for the experience! He said I can keep some - but mature turkey's scare the heck out of me.
Wanna try some turkey eggs, fordmommy?
Oh, and prncssprplfrog - did you see that Scott is selling his entire flock of Black Cochins? I guess that means I won't be getting any eggs from him next year like I was sort of planning.
I wouldn't mind trying out turkey. The DH knows I want a couple ducklings this year. He thought it would be cool too. BUT....he said that I had to sell a couple chicks first. I had Buck Creek Chickens over yesterday to test my flock. All good to go. Now I can sell a few. I'm just waiting to see if they are male or female. They are about 5 week old and a little younger. So I should be able to tell soon. I'll probably sell a couple at Weyauwega next weekend.
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OMG- I didn't see that!....I'm down to 2 black cochins in the incubator...I was hoping to transition to an all cochin flock. I guess I'll be looking around for more.