Illinois...

[ChicagoClucker]

I think you should not have problems. Look at it this way. In nature, or when you have your hen hatch eggs. The hen is not locked down on the nest in the last 3 days. The temperature varies under her slightly anyways. JMO

Thanks, 2 eggs look like they lost enough moisture but the egg that was in between, that air sack isn't as large as the other. I should have spread them out. Lesson learned. I guess we will see, should be hatching on Fri/Sat.

I think you should not have problems. Look at it this way. In nature, or when you have your hen hatch eggs. The hen is not locked down on the nest in the last 3 days. The temperature varies under her slightly anyways. JMO

Thanks for the encouragement. This is my second try on marans, first time around ended up with 2 roos out of 6 eggs, of which one has a sprig. I am hoping for a hen this time around.

 

[cavemanrich]

I'm exited to have 2 pigeons hatch I think 2 days ago. I just put on their rings. They hatched naturally, I put the leg bands on only to keep track who is who.


Took pix without flash. a little difficult to see .... besides they are not good looking when young, like chicks.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

I'm exited to have 2 pigeons hatch I think 2 days ago. I just put on their rings. They hatched naturally, I put the leg bands on only to keep track who is who.


Took pix without flash. a little difficult to see .... besides they are not good looking when young, like chicks.

Congrats! All babies are cute. Maybe you can put up a pic in a week or two. I have never seen baby pigeons before. And we have a couple of cold days ahead. Hopefully mama will keep them warm.

 

[cavemanrich]

Congrats! All babies are cute. Maybe you can put up a pic in a week or two. I have never seen baby pigeons before. And we have a couple of cold days ahead. Hopefully mama will keep them warm.

Yes, mama and daddy both take turns keeping them warm and they both feed them this stuff called crop milk. They grow faster than weeds. Actually if you have extra time on your hands, , you can see them grow. =D=D=D=D... In 30 days they fly.

Here is mama n daddy.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

They are Beautiful, for some reason the pic is not showing up in the box but when I click on the box it shows up. Maybe my computer. Gorgeous Birds! They grow that fast, wow.

 

[Faraday40]

Ok thanks. I think I will be getting an egg sometime soon. I had room in the incubator so threw one of my RIR and one barred rock eggs in to see if they were fertile. Barred was not, but the RIR was. So I am letting that one go, but that means I have to open incubator during maran lockdown. Kicking myself!

You may already know this:
As you eat your eggs, you can check for fertility by just looking at the egg spot. (This being said by the woman who's currently incubating a test hatch....) Because pullet eggs are so much smaller & irregular, it's best to wait until their eggs get bigger & more uniform. You don't really have to wait until they're a full 12 months old, but at least until they're past that shell-less egg, double yolker, & random egg size phase.

Last year I wanted to test out my home-made incubator before setting the expensive shipped eggs. I threw some backyard eggs in there, but didn't have the heart to toss them when the "real" eggs arrived. I simply borrowed a 2nd incubator to use as a hatcher, so both groups could develop on their own. Bonus: After asking around, I ended up being given a free styrofoam incubator - which is what I'm testing now. It was in an attic for 2 decades, but still works. Nice to have a back up.

Also if you're a teacher, the Cook County farm bureau has an Ag Education Office with free kits for teaching. That's the incubator I borrowed for years before building my own. The kit has everything but the eggs. The lesson plans are well done and the binders are overflowing with ideas. The biggest downside is scheduling & sometimes the incubator you borrow may not be in the best shape.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

You may already know this:
As you eat your eggs, you can check for fertility by just looking at the egg spot. (This being said by the woman who's currently incubating a test hatch....) Because pullet eggs are so much smaller & irregular, it's best to wait until their eggs get bigger & more uniform. You don't really have to wait until they're a full 12 months old, but at least until they're past that shell-less egg, double yolker, & random egg size phase.

Last year I wanted to test out my home-made incubator before setting the expensive shipped eggs. I threw some backyard eggs in there, but didn't have the heart to toss them when the "real" eggs arrived. I simply borrowed a 2nd incubator to use as a hatcher, so both groups could develop on their own. Bonus: After asking around, I ended up being given a free styrofoam incubator - which is what I'm testing now. It was in an attic for 2 decades, but still works. Nice to have a back up.

Also if you're a teacher, the Cook County farm bureau has an Ag Education Office with free kits for teaching. That's the incubator I borrowed for years before building my own. The kit has everything but the eggs. The lesson plans are well done and the binders are overflowing with ideas. The biggest downside is scheduling & sometimes the incubator you borrow may not be in the best shape.








I did notice that they were fertilized a couple of weeks ago, when I cracked some for breakfast for the boys. I guess what I was trying to say was, checking to see if they were old enough to have a viable egg. They will be a year old next month. Or we could just call it curiosity, thinking ahhh green eggs, not olive, but green.

And you are right, its nice to have a backup and hatcher. Probably a smart thing too, just in case the one in use breaks down during a hatch. Hope it still works well for you.

I am not a teacher, but my children were lucky enough to have a great science teacher, like you, in grammar school. She would hatch eggs every year, and after the hatch, the chicks would go to the Ag school. That was something my children will never forget, such a great experience. Then 3 of my children went to the Agricultural High School. My daughter was able to be there for one of the goats having babies. I also had a newly hatched duck over Easter break one year. We named him Elmer, and we filled the tub for him. He would follow our dog Missy everywhere. So cute! Back then, when life was so busy, I would have never thought that I would have chickens.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

I don't know how that just happened, but I thought I hit quote. Long day with the grandkids apparently!

 

[Nwchickma]

I am so excited that I have to share with people who get it! It's been arranged! I'm getting my bantam frizzle cochin chicks from ellymayrans (not sure she comes to this thread, she's on the Indiana one) in April! We are going to Indy for a communion and she's down that way so I'm going to get them then (if anyone else is interested I'd be willing to transport) and I can't wait!! e

Anyone keep sand in the brooder? I've seen it online but I used shavings last time and it was so dusty I don't want to do that again.

 

[NotAFarm]

I am so excited that I have to share with people who get it! It's been arranged! I'm getting my bantam frizzle cochin chicks from ellymayrans (not sure she comes to this thread, she's on the Indiana one) in April! We are going to Indy for a communion and she's down that way so I'm going to get them then (if anyone else is interested I'd be willing to transport) and I can't wait!!

Anyone keep sand in the brooder? I've seen it online but I used shavings last time and it was so dusty I don't want to do that again.

Congrats on the chicks!

I have made numerous drops and pick-ups in conjunction with family visits or vacation trips!

I did sand in my brooder when I hatched poults. I liked it. I have used sand in my broody coops. I like that the momma hen is not able to throw shavings into the water. The sand is fine and can't be kicked around as easily as shavings so water and feed dishes stay cleaner.
There are all kinds of sand. Some is more coarse, some is very fine. If you get bagged "sandbox sand" from a box store, it is usually very fine and clean. If you get bulk sand from a concrete place or garden store, it will usually be more coarse. My soil is clay and loam but a friend that lives about 5 miles away has sandy soil. I go to her place with some 5 gallon buckets and dig out part of a hill she has for just that purpose. Another friend a bit farther away has sandy loam soil around a stand of trees. I got some from her and it is my hens favorite place for dust bathing.