January 2023 Hatch-a-long

[3KillerBs]

The latecomer had shed her umbilical when I got up this morning so she's in the brooder right now.

I put a pink band on her since I know she's female -- out of a FCM egg with a Blue Australorp rooster and has no head spot.

I have a few group shots from the brooder this morning, but once it gets a little warmer I'll take them out to get individual photos.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

I ended up with 10/13 eggs hatched. I put my birds in a brooder and I think i’m going to attempt vent-sexing later, after I watch a few videos to see what exactly it is i’m looking for. The last 3 eggs are still in the incubator, just to have a few more days to potentially hatch, before they get thrown out. None were pipped when I removed the ten chicks though. I seem to have 3 potential keepers out of this group to add to my red BC breeding flock, I can get some photos of them later. Hoping for a smooth-feathered boy, I need a replacement for my current male(who has fluffy cheeks!) who can breed my two frizzled hens. I can say this is probably the first time i’ve ever wanted a male out of a hatch. If i don’t get one though, one BC hen is brooding 5 eggs, and I *may* get a little fellow out of those.

 

[gimmie birdies]

You can feather sex after the second day who ever has wings is a girl. and a short comb. Vent sexing is if you ever have seen baby's lips and on the top lip they have a little bulge in the center of the lip that is what a boy looks like (if they were standing upright.) a girl in the same spot has a little slit.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

You can feather sex after the second day who ever has wings is a girl. and a short comb. Vent sexing is if you ever have seen baby's lips and on the top lip they have a little bulge in the center of the lip that is what a boy looks like (if they were standing upright.) a girl in the same spot has a little slit.

Thanks. I’ve heard feather sexing only works on birds bred specifically for that though, production breeds typically, so i’m unsure if it will be successful on my birds. I’ll check though.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks. I’ve heard feather sexing only works on birds bred specifically for that though, production breeds typically, so i’m unsure if it will be successful on my birds. I’ll check though.

This is true.

Feather sexing only works for specific crosses since the genes for the speed of feathering are sex-linked.

 

[CSolis]

Mommas at work hatching eggs from the incubator since her's failed. YAY for me, no brooder in the house this time!

 

[gimmie birdies]

I usually just hatch out chicks raise-m up worry about them being boys or girls when they are quite a bit older.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

I have some questions about failed eggs. Just checked the 3 unhatched because they hadn’t pipped; one was half-formed, the second had veins and didn’t appear to make it to maturity.

The last cell was wholly dark. Like; didn’t even have an air cell. Does this mean the chick had internally pipped but was just unable to hatch? I haven’t cracked them open, i’m unsure if I should or will, but that was my first thought when I candled it. So, is that what a completely dark egg means?

 

[gimmie birdies]

Dark is normal, but that egg just didn't hatch.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have some questions about failed eggs. Just checked the 3 unhatched because they hadn’t pipped; one was half-formed, the second had veins and didn’t appear to make it to maturity.

The last cell was wholly dark. Like; didn’t even have an air cell. Does this mean the chick had internally pipped but was just unable to hatch? I haven’t cracked them open, i’m unsure if I should or will, but that was my first thought when I candled it. So, is that what a completely dark egg means?

I almost always do eggtopsies so that I can learn what's happening.