INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Faraday40]

EMU eggs are chugging right along. I will be doing a "wiggle test" on day 33-35. I'm only on day 2! Hahahaha! This is going to be torturous!

I figure hatch date will be around 4/11

So interesting! I'm really cheering for you over here. I've never seen an Emu egg or chick, so please keep sending the pics!

On the incubator: You've even got more thermometers than me! LOL

DH always teases me about it. If you have one thermometer, you know the temp. More than one thermometer & now you have several different temp readings. Because you don't know which to trust, you add another, & so on.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Hmmmmm cheesemaking and fermenting feed classes.... I teach both. Hmmmm

Now I really wish you lived next door.

Where do you recommend buying the rennet and citric acid? Is is something local I can get or do I need to order it online? I have visited the New England Cheese site but was hoping for something a bit closer.

 

[ellymayRans]

So interesting!  I'm really cheering for you over here.  I've never seen an Emu egg or chick, so please keep sending the pics!

On the incubator: You've even got more thermometers than me! LOL     DH always teases me about it.  If you have one thermometer, you know the temp.  More than one thermometer & now you have several different temp readings.  Because you don't know which to trust, you add another, & so on.

Thanks! I had never seen them either..was a whimsical decision to go for it! I calibrated the thermometers but with the coolerbator I wanted to try to watch for hot spots. It's doing quite well though. It's going to be a long journey..I will definitely be posting but it will be awhile between posts considering you can't candle so unless one starts stinking or seeping then it will be another 30+ days before I have any new news on them! Blah!

 

[Faraday40]

Thanks! I had never seen them either..was a whimsical decision to go for it! I calibrated the thermometers but with the coolerbator I wanted to try to watch for hot spots. It's doing quite well though. It's going to be a long journey..I will definitely be posting but it will be awhile between posts considering you can't candle so unless one starts stinking or seeping then it will be another 30+ days before I have any new news on them! Blah!

I guess it won't be easy with the lights flashing on/off - as if they are calling out to you to watch 24/7.
I sincerely hope you get lucky with a successful hatch!

 

[ellymayRans]

I guess it won't be easy with the lights flashing on/off - as if they are calling out to you to watch 24/7.  
I sincerely hope you get lucky with a successful hatch!

You're not kidding! I have them in our main living area, on the way to the kitchen so I don't have to make a detour, they get peeked on a 100 x's a day!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

morning everyone....man this feels like a heat wave i think were above freezing right now...almost feel like putting on some shorts.....lol

Too funny! I was out in just a hoodie and lounge pants to get the paper, and finally realized hey its not bad out

Quote:

Loved this post! I have learned to grind a lotta stuff to make it more workable. We do homemade summer sausage with the hogs, and DH is building a smoker so we don't have to borrow his buddy's lol. Its so very much better in flavor, you can adjust seasoning and spices.. regrind for firmer sausage etc. So many things to try! I am dying to try mozzarella with the goat milk this year, so far, looks like both does are expecting too!

Have you picked out any recipes for the mozzarella cheese yet? I was thinking of trying to get something together to attempt a batch next weekend. The weather is not looking favorable for a trip to Salem's festival so why not make cheese?

No, just started really reading up on it all. Its a little unnerving, guess its hard to get it "just right". But I am getting more serious, since by summer I will have goats milk again

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Hmmmmm cheesemaking and fermenting feed classes.... I teach both. Hmmmm

Hmmmmm...are you coming to chickenfest? .....hmmmmmm...although we live close enough to each other....hmmmmm.....

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote:
Thanks, I am still very frustrated about my 2 boys that are missing. We even checked with our neighbors, they have flocks too. One neighbor lost a duck this weekend, it disappeared in the same manner. That flock of ducks and geese visit us, and my birds visit them. (properties are next to each other, they are up on the hill.) I welcome their birds, and they do use our pond. They keep american buff geese, runners and rouen ducks.
We have had little snow so far, less than a foot total since winter began. I have to put up temp coops so I can separate my breeding groups of ducks, and geese.

3rd hatch of the year underway! 3 white silkies and 2 white showgirls out with one more pipped! One of the showgirls is even homozygous for the NN neck gene. So I hope it's a roo so I can put it over my white Silkie hens and hatch 100% showgirls this year!

Sending hatching vibes, and congrats!

I also caved when I went to rural King today. Had to take advantage of their "free" chicks! Picked up 2 brahmas and 4 silver laced wyandottes. The wyandottes weren't free though as they were sexed pullets. I was next in line to have them box up chicks but had a line cutter and took the majority of the brahmas lol. They also have their 7# feeders for $3.99 which was the main reason I went.

Thats a good deal on the feeders. I am trying to be strong

but I am planning to add silver appleyard ducks this year. I will go to a breeder for them, Probably David in KY.

Had to add a second birthing pen in the garage/maternity ward! Our 4yr old Dixie is due tomorrow and she is showing signs today. I'm betting on twins with her. Any takers?? Lol

WOW! Busy week for you guys!

These are pics of my Golden Cuckoo Marans breeding pair as requested by @racinchickins. The hen and a pic of her egg far left. This is from today which I also found this little pipsqueak egg too! Lol thought I'd share.


The cock is single barred as I bred my hen to my Black Copper Marans roo in order to improve the GCM egg color. As you can see her egg color is in need of improvement! I had also hoped to add shank feathering but only got a few..better than none I guess. They are still a work in progress.

He is stunning! I love the barring he has already.

Hmmmmm cheesemaking and fermenting feed classes.... I teach both. Hmmmm

Hmmmmmm! Can we possibly count you in as a teacher on one of them?!?

I will do the ferment class, but if anyone else would like to I welcome the help!

Lockdown for my shipped NN eggs. Out of 15, 11 made it to lockdown. Woohoo! Only a few with funky air cells so hoping that the majority hatch ok. Out of 8 of my own silkie eggs only 2 made it to lockdown. Now out of 8 that the silkie is brooding herself, I candle today and only veining in 2 of those. Hmmm.

I can tell the 2 are from the same hen. Just not sure which one and makes me wonder why only 1 of the girls is getting mated. Or maybe it's a fluff problem. Anyways, doing some fertility hatching for them. Glad I did.

Oh and excited about these NN, they are blue and barred!!

OOOOOOOOooo they will be so pretty! I love the NNs, always just the sweetest, friendly birds. I have 1 hen right now I adore. I may cross her with one of my maran.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

EMU eggs are chugging right along. I will be doing a "wiggle test" on day 33-35. I'm only on day 2! Hahahaha! This is going to be torturous!

I figure hatch date will be around 4/11

WOW thats a long haul!

hatching vibes and best wishes for a successful hatch!

 

[flyladyrocks]

Lockdown for my shipped NN eggs. Out of 15, 11 made it to lockdown. Woohoo! Only a few with funky air cells so hoping that the majority hatch ok. Out of 8 of my own silkie eggs only 2 made it to lockdown. Now out of 8 that the silkie is brooding herself, I candle today and only veining in 2 of those. Hmmm.

I can tell the 2 are from the same hen. Just not sure which one and makes me wonder why only 1 of the girls is getting mated. Or maybe it's a fluff problem. Anyways, doing some fertility hatching for them. Glad I did.

Oh and excited about these NN, they are blue and barred!!