INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Okay, so I'm clear with this. Today is day 18 for the eggs under Marge. I will be going out to candle them shortly. What am I looking for? Completely dark, filled in eggs? Should I remove the eggs that are still clear? If they are all clear, should I get Marge off the nest or just leave her with no eggs?

Thanks for tolerating my anxious questions through this whole thing.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Thanks for tolerating my anxious questions through this whole thing.

It cracks me up every time I read something like this. I know everyone is just trying to be polite, but I still think to myself, "Tolerating?? We LOVE answering questions!!"

I especially like it when there are questions that have nothing to do with chickens, because then there's a chance I know something about it.

The other day I asked my students if they had any questions about the material we had just covered. They all stared blankly at me, which is typical. So I asked them if they had any questions about anything in the whole wide world. I usually get a blank stare for that one, too. But on this day, one of them was feeling sassy. He asked, "How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

Without missing a beat I said, "Well that depends on the woodchuck. A younger woodchuck will have more energy and physical prowess, but an older woodchuck has the benefit of experience. Has the woodchuck worked diligently over a period of time, honing his chucking skills, or has he been lazy, and let other chucks do his chucking for him? Then you need to consider the circumstances. How motivated is the woodchuck? Does he have serious chucking to do in preparation for winter, or is this recreational chucking? Is there a LadyChuck involved? Because a young buck chuck will chuck twice as hard if he thinks someone else will be chucking with him at the end of the day."

That's right. I'm that cool.

Go ahead, BYC. Ask me anything. I dare you.

 

[kabhyper1]

Soooo....








Are we still saying pullet?


Other factors:


Age unknown - possibly around 20 weeks.
No spurs.
Not crowing - but has had significant increase in volume and honking-ness of voice in the last week or two.
Way more fighty than it used to be. This was the lowest bird on the order - now it takes flack from no one. It still hasn't challenged Queen Penelope, but if one of the other birds push, it pushes back.


Opinions?

That is all boy. Hackle and saddle feathers are a dead giveaway.

 

[kabhyper1]

Okay, so I'm clear with this. Today is day 18 for the eggs under Marge. I will be going out to candle them shortly. What am I looking for? Completely dark, filled in eggs?

Should I remove the eggs that are still clear? If they are all clear, should I get Marge off the nest or just leave her with no eggs?

Thanks for tolerating my anxious questions through this whole thing.

No worries, I'm on my 8th broody hatch in less than a year, and I still get nervous.Once you have candled, If they are clear go ahead and take them out to give the chicks more room to hatch under momma. They aren't going to hatch anyway, and you don't want one exploding on the chicks. They should be nearly completely dark. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/candling-pics-progression-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs If they are all clear you need to get her up and try to break her. It's dangerous to let a hen continue brooding after the 25 day window. It's hard on them to brood in general. I'll be on off and on here for awhile if you need help.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@hoosiercheetah

Okay, here's a question for you.

I know a guy that got some chickens for eggs. Now it appears that one of them is a cockerel. And the question is:

How can this guy get eggs from a cockerel?

 

[hoosiercheetah]

That is all boy. Hackle and saddle feathers are a dead giveaway.

That's what I thought, but I am very new. Thanks everyone, for the consensus view!

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS: I have an answer for the guy if you don't....

Cuz I got eggs from my cockerel and I continue to get eggs daily from him.

 

[hoosiercheetah]

@hoosiercheetah


Okay, here's a question for you.


I know a guy that got some chickens for eggs. Now it appears that one of them is a cockerel. And the question is:


How can this guy get eggs from a cockerel?

Umm... trade an easter egger stew for a dozen eggs?

:-D

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Here's how it's done.

Let that cockerel run with the pullets after they are egg laying age and after he has reached maturity. Then convince one of the pullets/hens to go broody and let her set on some of those eggs. She will likely hatch several pullets from this bunch, and when they start laying eggs, you will have gotten eggs from that cockerel.

Works every time.

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS: This could also work with an incubator if my friend can't convince one of the pullets/hens to go broody.