Incubators Anonymous

[Arielle]

Quote: Next spring I will have the feathered leg thing fixed

I sold all the clean legged birds.
Clean legs are fine with me--far easier than the feathered legs if you ask me. Just not SOP. I have a rooster from another line--will look at his legs again ,but I think he is clean legged too.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

Quote: actually, this is what i ended up with...
all 6 barred rocks hatched, all blue. i think one of the cuckoo eggs was mismarked, it's also blue. and 2 cuckoo marans, 6 copper marans. 2 blue 4 black.


ok these were the ones that went to the brooder before we went out to dinner/groceries... supposed to be 5 barred rock and 2 cuckoo marans... but 6 are blue 1 black. right?
so i thought i mis counted... but pulled 3 more from the incubator.

dry but not fluffed yet... is that 1 or 2 blues? the one in the middle is black copper marans.
and here are the dry copper marans... pulled with the original 12. 15 total btw (so far, a few more pips i think, and one of the blrw has pipped!)

 

[Arielle]

Quote: II, well, DH really, built a small four sided shed, about 4 x 4 on a solid pallet. SLiding pop door, up and down. I put a large block under this to let the littles out, mom is tiny and squeezes thru, so that little can run back in in case of danger. I kept them in this "box" for 10days or more. THen suppervided first outings for a few minutes extending eventually to an hour. We watched to see how the other hens, and the roosters would treat the newcomers. A section of the top flips up and the hen can jump in and out ( specially during the first 10days. Now the rooster likes to stand and peer in. THey free range all day and easily mix into the flock even if broody is off with half the brood. Seems like plenty of space is important to the sanity of them all.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
actually, this is what i ended up with...
all 6 barred rocks hatched, all blue. i think one of the cuckoo eggs was mismarked, it's also blue. and 2 cuckoo marans, 6 copper marans. 2 blue 4 black.


ok these were the ones that went to the brooder before we went out to dinner/groceries... supposed to be 5 barred rock and 2 cuckoo marans... but 6 are blue 1 black. right?
so i thought i mis counted... but pulled 3 more from the incubator.

dry but not fluffed yet... is that 1 or 2 blues? the one in the middle is black copper marans.
and here are the dry copper marans... pulled with the original 12. 15 total btw (so far, a few more pips i think, and one of the blrw has pipped!)

You will get blue cuckoos too. So leg color is the key. Have you figured out the roos/pullets yet? The cuckoos are easy.... the boys have lots of white sometimes all over their head. I think in the second pic the wet blue in the front with his head up high is a roo. Is that a cuckoo?

 

[ki4got]

Quote: actually, this is what i ended up with...
all 6 barred rocks hatched, all blue. i think one of the cuckoo eggs was mismarked, it's also blue. and 2 cuckoo marans, 6 copper marans. 2 blue 4 black.


ok these were the ones that went to the brooder before we went out to dinner/groceries... supposed to be 5 barred rock and 2 cuckoo marans... but 6 are blue 1 black. right?
so i thought i mis counted... but pulled 3 more from the incubator.

dry but not fluffed yet... is that 1 or 2 blues? the one in the middle is black copper marans.
and here are the dry copper marans... pulled with the original 12. 15 total btw (so far, a few more pips i think, and one of the blrw has pipped!)

You will get blue cuckoos too. So leg color is the key. Have you figured out the roos/pullets yet? The cuckoos are easy.... the boys have lots of white sometimes all over their head. I think in the second pic the wet blue in the front with his head up high is a roo. Is that a cuckoo?
i knew the sexing of them (cuckoo and barred)... i'll make my determinations later today probably. got a splash barred/cuckoo hatched this morning, and so far 1 blrw. i did a quick candling tho and see movement in 4 more of the eggs so lots of

going on... had another fbcm hatch, but the umbilical wasn't closed all the way so he's still in the hatcher. 16 of yours in the brooder now. plus the blrw that is. (and it's not blue).

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: actually, this is what i ended up with...
all 6 barred rocks hatched, all blue. i think one of the cuckoo eggs was mismarked, it's also blue. and 2 cuckoo marans, 6 copper marans. 2 blue 4 black.


ok these were the ones that went to the brooder before we went out to dinner/groceries... supposed to be 5 barred rock and 2 cuckoo marans... but 6 are blue 1 black. right?
so i thought i mis counted... but pulled 3 more from the incubator.

dry but not fluffed yet... is that 1 or 2 blues? the one in the middle is black copper marans.
and here are the dry copper marans... pulled with the original 12. 15 total btw (so far, a few more pips i think, and one of the blrw has pipped!)

You will get blue cuckoos too. So leg color is the key. Have you figured out the roos/pullets yet? The cuckoos are easy.... the boys have lots of white sometimes all over their head. I think in the second pic the wet blue in the front with his head up high is a roo. Is that a cuckoo?
i knew the sexing of them (cuckoo and barred)... i'll make my determinations later today probably. got a splash barred/cuckoo hatched this morning, and so far 1 blrw. i did a quick candling tho and see movement in 4 more of the eggs so lots of

going on... had another fbcm hatch, but the umbilical wasn't closed all the way so he's still in the hatcher. 16 of yours in the brooder now. plus the blrw that is. (and it's not blue).
OHHH NO! Then you need some splash to fix that.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

i knew the sexing of them (cuckoo and barred)... i'll make my determinations later today probably. got a splash barred/cuckoo hatched this morning, and so far 1 blrw. i did a quick candling tho and see movement in 4 more of the eggs so lots of

going on... had another fbcm hatch, but the umbilical wasn't closed all the way so he's still in the hatcher. 16 of yours in the brooder now. plus the blrw that is. (and it's not blue).

OHHH NO! Then you need some splash to fix that.
problem is, with 30 eggs i was hoping to have enough for my customer (who paid for the eggs) and myself (a few chicks as hatching compensation)... looks like she gets them all.

 

[jandrusrn]

II, well, DH really, built a small four sided shed, about 4 x 4 on a solid pallet. SLiding pop door, up and down. I put a large block under this to let the littles out, mom is tiny and squeezes thru, so that little can run back in in case of danger. I kept them in this "box" for 10days or more. THen suppervided first outings for a few minutes extending eventually to an hour. We watched to see how the other hens, and the roosters would treat the newcomers. A section of the top flips up and the hen can jump in and out ( specially during the first 10days. Now the rooster likes to stand and peer in. THey free range all day and easily mix into the flock even if broody is off with half the brood. Seems like plenty of space is important to the sanity of them all.

Great options out there everyone, and again, thanks. It seems that having the one particularly mean hen separated in the night has been the key to fewer pecks and mouthfulls of feathers. We have supervised free ranging, and unsupervised free ranging.... neither of them make anything particularly better, but it seems to be working itself out as expected. The littles hang out together, and the one year olds do the same. Aaaaaaah....

 

[ki4got]

ok, well i might have screwed up... kinda. or maybe not.

went to the swap. sold 4 birds, brought home 2... someone had a pair of blrw. i just saw them, they looked young so i told her hang onto them till i had some $. no problem. went back a while later and she's boxing them up i asked how old, she said 5 months. ?? they looked about 2 -3 month old size. then i asked bantam or LF. they're bantams. DUH! so i'm wondering now whether i should add bantam to the list of LF that i REALLY want. the hen's black, cock blue. very pretty and lacing isn't bad but slight shafting to the feathers... on a nice DARK red base at least.

and final count for this week's hatch... (i think. hard to count when they're zooming around the brooder)
2 splash cuckoo marans
1 cuckoo marans / barred rock (black)
10 blue cuckoo marans or barred rocks (will have to ID later)
6 copper marans (2 blue, 4 black)
4 blrw (2 blue, 2 black)

these were hatched for a customer but she says she really only wants 5 more pullets... and will also wait to decide when my EE's hatch on wed. so i might be able to talk her out of 1 or 2 of the blrw's. 8)

 

[Arielle]

Quote: At my farm, each batch that is brooded togther usually stay together; a few might jump ship. But generally they know their buddies.

ok, well i might have screwed up... kinda. or maybe not.

went to the swap. sold 4 birds, brought home 2... someone had a pair of blrw. i just saw them, they looked young so i told her hang onto them till i had some $. no problem. went back a while later and she's boxing them up i asked how old, she said 5 months. ?? they looked about 2 -3 month old size. then i asked bantam or LF. they're bantams. DUH! so i'm wondering now whether i should add bantam to the list of LF that i REALLY want. the hen's black, cock blue. very pretty and lacing isn't bad but slight shafting to the feathers... on a nice DARK red base at least.

and final count for this week's hatch... (i think. hard to count when they're zooming around the brooder)
2 splash cuckoo marans
1 cuckoo marans / barred rock (black)
10 blue cuckoo marans or barred rocks (will have to ID later)
6 copper marans (2 blue, 4 black)
4 blrw (2 blue, 2 black)

these were hatched for a customer but she says she really only wants 5 more pullets... and will also wait to decide when my EE's hatch on wed. so i might be able to talk her out of 1 or 2 of the blrw's. 8)

At the Boston show, bantams out number LF about 4:1. Don't know if that represents what most people have though. I'm trying to stay with just LF.