Janoel

[backyardjack]

It got to that time of the day were I was just starring in to th incubator, I was doing so well I had not candle since this time yesterday. And I fell for it the bator was open in a flash! I don't think I have ever been this happy 9 out of 9 are growing! I mean I don't want to 'count my chickens before they hatch' but it looks like I will after all get least that one fuzz butt that I am hoping for! I am honestly soo happy I took the risk with shipped eggs! woohoo so happy Any updates on your chicks? Photod?

 

[dorpersheep]

It got to that time of the day were I was just starring in to th incubator, I was doing so well I had not candle since this time yesterday. And I fell for it the bator was open in a flash! I don't think I have ever been this happy 9 out of 9 are growing! I mean I don't want to 'count my chickens before they hatch' but it looks like I will after all get least that one fuzz butt that I am hoping for! I am honestly soo happy I took the risk with shipped eggs! woohoo so happy

Any updates on your chicks? Photod?

Great news jack! Fingers crossed you get more than 1 or 2..!! What day are you up to now?





These are the 12 we have taken out of the incubator today - still a couple more eggs inside that have chipped but not pipped, but these guys were tripping over the other eggs and using them like soccer balls so I risked opening the inc. There was another chick whose shell was cracked but the inner membrane never broke, I think the first hatched ones may have pecked at the initial crack? But I'm pretty happy with 12, fingers crossed for a couple more tonight.

Just had my first go at feather sexing them, if I am right (???

) then of 12 there are 8 hens which would be cool, wish I'd got more of the spangled Hamburgs to hatch, only 3 thus far, but 2 are hens.....I hope! The little yellow and white ones are silky X Sussex (for the white ones) and silky X something else (the gold ones). All very cute regardless.

 

[MisfitMarie]

It got to that time of the day were I was just starring in to th incubator, I was doing so well I had not candle since this time yesterday. And I fell for it the bator was open in a flash! I don't think I have ever been this happy 9 out of 9 are growing! I mean I don't want to 'count my chickens before they hatch' but it looks like I will after all get least that one fuzz butt that I am hoping for! I am honestly soo happy I took the risk with shipped eggs! woohoo so happy

Any updates on your chicks? Photod?

AWESOME, BackyardJack! I'm excited for you! I'm thinking you're probably going to end up with plenty of cute little fuzz-butts after all! I also candled my eggs! I can see development...which is exciting! The larger Ameraucana eggs are still difficult for me, but I can tell SOMETHING is going on!

Great news jack! Fingers crossed you get more than 1 or 2..!! What day are you up to now?





These are the 12 we have taken out of the incubator today - still a couple more eggs inside that have chipped but not pipped, but these guys were tripping over the other eggs and using them like soccer balls so I risked opening the inc. There was another chick whose shell was cracked but the inner membrane never broke, I think the first hatched ones may have pecked at the initial crack? But I'm pretty happy with 12, fingers crossed for a couple more tonight.

Just had my first go at feather sexing them, if I am right (???

) then of 12 there are 8 hens which would be cool, wish I'd got more of the spangled Hamburgs to hatch, only 3 thus far, but 2 are hens.....I hope! The little yellow and white ones are silky X Sussex (for the white ones) and silky X something else (the gold ones). All very cute regardless.

Dorper - This is such AWESOME news! HOORAY! What an adorable bundle of little chickie-babies! I hope there's more on their way tonight! I, too, would like to learn about vent sexing. I'm not quite brave enough... seems uncomfortable for the chick in the YouTube videos I've seen, but maybe I'm just over thinking it. So let me know how it goes for you! AWESOME and CONGRATS!!!

 

[backyardjack]

It will be day 6 this evening! Thats awesome news dorpersheep sooo cute One of my mixed eggs is a bit small and looks to be more developed than the rest, will the others catch up or will i end up with an early hatcher?

 

[MisfitMarie]

I'm right behind you Dorper...headed into Day 20 with my BCM eggs!

 

[backyardjack]

Misfitmarie what do you have in at the same time as me and have you candled again yet, how's it all going? Any bcm peepers yet?

 

[MisfitMarie]

Misfitmarie what do you have in at the same time as me and have you candled again yet, how's it all going? Any bcm peepers yet?

I have eight Ameraucana eggs in the incubator right now! =) They are all showing signs of development! No BCM peepers yet.... I"M SO ANXIOUS!!

 

[dorpersheep]

Thinking of you Marie - hopefully you have some peepers soon!
We ended up with 15, 3 more silver spangled Hamburgs appeared overnight, they are so cute.

Incubator emptied, washed, blow dried (!!) and now filled with 2 dozen lavender Araucanas & 1 dozen each gold & silver laced Whyandottes!

Here we go again....

 

[MisfitMarie]

Thinking of you Marie - hopefully you have some peepers soon!
We ended up with 15, 3 more silver spangled Hamburgs appeared overnight, they are so cute.

Incubator emptied, washed, blow dried (!!) and now filled with 2 dozen lavender Araucanas & 1 dozen each gold & silver laced Whyandottes!

Here we go again....

That is great news! Is there lots of chirping in the house now? My nine-week-olds are SO loud since I've started taking the heat away before they transition outside. On especially cold nights, I'll still give them the heat lamp in the garage but... they'll be ok. Lavender Araucanas are lovely (I just had to look up some pictures). There's a lady nearby who sells gold, silver, and red laced wyandotte eggs by the dozen for $22.00. I was thinking of picking up a dozen for the New Year's hatch-a-long!

How long does it take to clean your incubator?
Do you keep all of your chickens or do you sell them to friends, family, locals, etc?

It's day 21... slight wobbles, but no action yet. I'll start to get antsy, I'm sure, around nine or ten tonight...since it was pretty late when I first set them.

 

[dorpersheep]

That is great news! Is there lots of chirping in the house now? My nine-week-olds are SO loud since I've started taking the heat away before they transition outside. On especially cold nights, I'll still give them the heat lamp in the garage but... they'll be ok. Lavender Araucanas are lovely (I just had to look up some pictures). There's a lady nearby who sells gold, silver, and red laced wyandotte eggs by the dozen for $22.00. I was thinking of picking up a dozen for the New Year's hatch-a-long!

How long does it take to clean your incubator?
Do you keep all of your chickens or do you sell them to friends, family, locals, etc?

It's day 21... slight wobbles, but no action yet. I'll start to get antsy, I'm sure, around nine or ten tonight...since it was pretty late when I first set them.

The Wyandottes are just beautiful, if not for the blue/green eggs and the heat tolerance of the Araucanas I would stick with Wyandottes...but it gets so hot here in summer I need to 'hedge my bets' so to speak by having some heatproof chickens around, last summer we had 10 days in a row of over 55C.

I'm not sure how long it takes to clean the incubator - I was driving down to town to pick up the eggs so left dear hubby that job! Took him a couple of hours I think.
Thus far our eldest chicks are only 4 weeks so I haven't had to worry about where to sell them yet - but our local fodder store wants to take any surplus hens we can produce and I think most of the roosters will end up in our freezer. A couple of older cockerels we were gifted are 7 weeks old now and outside full time - the joys of Australia in summer! The four week olds haven't had any heat for the last week either, they are snuggled up safe and sound in the shed though.

There is heaps of cheeping and chattering from the kids! They love the babies, and seem to spend every waking minute cuddling chicks while they are small.

I hope you get some peepers very soon - my fingers are crossed for you! Looking forward to pictures...!!