INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[racinchickins]

All this bee talk would make my husband swell up just reading it. LOL. Can anyone tell me if I should put a heat lamp over the brooder with Lavender and the chicks when they hatch? It
s been pretty chilly at night. I know she supplies most of the heat, but what about when they are running around the brooder? Also is there any way of telling, by her behavior, if the hatch has started under her yet? Just curious, thanks!

Don't bother with the heat lamp. If they are cold, they will burrow under her. That is one of the big positives of a broody, no need for a possible fire hazard to keep the chicks warm. She is all they need.

As far as telling if they are hatching, my first indication was the loud cheeping coming from the vicinity of the mother.

 

[kabhyper1]

Quote:
She is for sure more agitated today than usual, first time she has pecked at me. I moved her food and water closer to her and she ate and drank a ton. Earlier when I flubbed up and dropped the egg, there weren't any external pips that I could see, so maybe she is hearing them inside the shells and getting defensive?

 

[pginsber]

Originally Posted by toodlesmom
The breeder selling the Heritage English BOs was afraid that her birds were so gentle that they would be picked on by other breeds. I thought that the Heritage RIRs were supposed to be much more gentle than the production birds. Maybe it is the production birds she is used to. I hadn't heard anything about BRs being rough at all. She suggested that, if I wanted different colors of birds, I should try an all-Orpington flock in all the Orpington colors. Interesting thought. I won't be looking for RIRs until spring, so they would be younger, giving the BOs an advantage.

Originaly posted by M2H~ IMO~ I enjoy different breeds' personality traits. Although my RIR is high-strung, nosey, and noisy, she isn't aggressive toward my two orps who have the opposite traits. Since I have limited space like you, I embrace diversity.

It's funny that there's the general opinion that Orps are gentle and sweet. We have a BANTAM Black Orpington, the youngest pullet, the ONLY bantam in a flock of 7 full sized girls, and she was a PACKING PEANUT from our order, and she's the meanest little bird in the flock. No kidding!
She jumps to peck the necks of the other girls if they're heading toward to treat block. She's a total stinker!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

All this bee talk would make my husband swell up just reading it. LOL. Can anyone tell me if I should put a heat lamp over the brooder with Lavender and the chicks when they hatch? It
s been pretty chilly at night. I know she supplies most of the heat, but what about when they are running around the brooder? Also is there any way of telling, by her behavior, if the hatch has started under her yet? Just curious, thanks!

I agree with the others that no light is needed Unless she rejects chick. When you hear peeping that is when you do need to watch and make sure mom hen is not going to toss out the chick or eat it. It happens once in a while. One of the few things that people using incubators don't have to worry about right away.

I have one egg with a tiny outer pip right now. I think I hear at least 2 different chirping chicks inside the various eggs. This is the most nerve wracking part of incubating. I typically try to be gone on hatch day or super busy but even then it is in the back of my mind.

 

[kabhyper1]

Originally Posted by SallyinIndiana

I agree with the others that no light is needed Unless she rejects chick. When you hear peeping that is when you do need to watch and make sure mom hen is not going to toss out the chick or eat it. It happens once in a while. One of the few things that people using incubators don't have to worry about right away.

I have one egg with a tiny outer pip right now. I think I hear at least 2 different chirping chicks inside the various eggs. This is the most nerve wracking part of incubating. I typically try to be gone on hatch day or super busy but even then it is in the back of my mind.

Quote:
I have been trying to stay busy, but It's driving me batty LOL. Okay no heat lamp. Check Don't let her eat chicks. check. Will listen for chirping. check. Try not to lose my mind. double check.

 

[kabhyper1]

Quote:
She let you pick up the eggs to listen to them???

 

[Webechickens]

Hey, Kab, I totally feel your anticipation!! I have 4 eggs each under 2 broody girls. Yesterday when I tucked everyone in had 2 pips. This morning at 8:30 had 3 fuzzy chicks. 2 pale yellow, one black. Now at 4:22, still have just 3. I sure wish these 2 moms would stand up so I can see what's going on!!! One of the peeps was trying to climb out, so I had to make temporary "screen doors" for the front of their nest boxes to keep them in and let the moms relax. Keeps everyone else away, too. All the rest chickens are pretty curious about all the peeping. Sure hope all 8 of them hatch. This is our first time!

Curious about everyone's opinions about who the possible mom is of the black chick. The dad is BO. One mom is a huge black sex link and the only other one with any black in her is the BR. Could it be either one? If I could get to the shells under mom (if they even still exist) I could tell because I marked all the names with the mom's names. Oh well.

 

[kabhyper1]

Quote:
I'm glad I'm not the only one!! I haven't seen any pips. Today is day 21. I hope some hatch. She is very determined. Congrats on your babies!!!!

 

[Old Salt 1945]

I'm starting to wonder.....is there anything you haven't tried?!? Perhaps we should start a contest to see who can be the first person to find something John hasn't done in his lifetime!

I am a very curious person.

I climbed Mt. Baker in Washington.
Kayaked (badly) on several whitewater rivers and avoided drowning (barely).
Got my pilot's license. Built and flew a small "Baby Great Lakes" biplane. Crashed and rebuilt it 3 times. Still have it in the barn. Can't fly it anymore. No starter; have to hand prop the 125 hp engine. Heart won't allow that anymore.
Restored a 1943 Ford tractor.
Raised a skunk which I skinned and made a coonskin style hat.
Built furniture. Built cabinets and shelving units. Did woodturning, mostly bowls and goblets. When I broke off the stems, they became Christmas bell tree ornaments.
Built several desktop computers for friends and family.
Raised 2 calves for meat.
Restored some antique radios.
Was a professional photographer with darkroom for a while (starved).
Mainframe computer programmer/analyst for decades. Started and ran a PC computer repair shop for several years.
Rebuilt several automobile engines back in the 60's and 70's when they were much simpler.
Rebuilt the transmission in my Kubota tractor because I did something stupid and broke it.
Built an aquarium sump for saltwater bio-filtration.
Fixed a lot of stuff that I broke due to doing something stupid.

And a whole lot of other dumb stuff.

John

 

[pginsber]

I am a very curious person.

I climbed Mt. Baker in Washington.
Kayaked (badly) on several whitewater rivers and avoided drowning (barely).
Got my pilot's license. Built and flew a small "Baby Great Lakes" biplane. Crashed and rebuilt it 3 times. Still have it in the barn. Can't fly it anymore. No starter; have to hand prop the 125 hp engine. Heart won't allow that anymore.
Restored a 1943 Ford tractor.
Raised a skunk which I skinned and made a coonskin style hat.
Built furniture. Built cabinets and shelving units. Did woodturning, mostly bowls and goblets. When I broke off the stems, they became Christmas bell tree ornaments.
Built several desktop computers for friends and family.
Raised 2 calves for meat.
Restored some antique radios.
Was a professional photographer with darkroom for a while (starved).
Mainframe computer programmer/analyst for decades. Started and ran a PC computer repair shop for several years.
Rebuilt several automobile engines back in the 60's and 70's when they were much simpler.
Rebuilt the transmission in my Kubota tractor because I did something stupid and broke it.
Built an aquarium sump for saltwater bio-filtration.
Fixed a lot of stuff that I broke due to doing something stupid.

And a whole lot of other dumb stuff.

John

How's your karaoke?