I did it to keep the breeds separated, since a splash Ameraucana and wheaten Ameraucana can look very similar sometimes, and also to keep the egg soccer to a minimum. Obviously, it didn't work to keep breeds separated, but I think the egg soccer wasn't nearly as bad as it's been in the past. I'll probably make lids for them and use them for the next batch too.
I don't know what happened, but I'm super upset about it. I started with 15 silver eggs and ended up with only 2 babies....and I'll have to post a pic of them tomorrow once it's light out and I can show you all the color difference with them. It's so weird. One is just a black and white type chipmunk (fainter stripes) and the other is the typical brownish chipmunk. I'm wondering if this may be a way to sex them and that would mean I got a boy and a girl..if that's the case, I'd be thrilled. I'm gonna mark which is which with leg bands and see how they feather out. I'm really interested to see if their chick down indicates gender. I may start a thread to track their progress, too. There's 3 bbs babies out so far...1 splash, 1 blue, and 1 either light blue or splash(not totally dry yet). The last one to hatch has a bit of an issue with her eye...it's all bulged out and swollen. I hope it goes down a bit and starts to look more normal, but even if it doesn't she'll make a wonderful addition to my layers, or a decent meal if it's a boy. Been calling her Eye-rene, lol. My mom says that's mean, but my daughter thought it was hilarious. Will post fluffed up pics tomorrow, when hopefully the remaining 3 pipped bbs eggs will have hatched. Hope everyone's babies stay snug and cozy and happy tonight! I'm going to bed, I never did get a nap and I'm dead on my feet. Goodnight!
Sorry you lost so many of the silvers.In other news, all 6 wheatens have now hatched. Last one came out a couple mins after 9. Decided to candle the other 2 silvers that didn't hatch...both were dead
I'm so sorry about the silvers.In other news, all 6 wheatens have now hatched. Last one came out a couple mins after 9. Decided to candle the other 2 silvers that didn't hatch...both were dead
It's especially rough when you get them all the way to lockdown and then they die in the shell for whatever unknown reason.
Yiippeeeeeee! Go babies!
She wasn't very nice. Thanks though. Her name was Quigley and the roo Cora (we could tell them apart, but not gender). Now Cora is Mr. Marston. I figured... Don't know if you saw, but I dropped a guinea egg in this thread. Any chicken shell would have been demolished. The membranes must be pretty tough.Aw, sorry about your Guinea hen.
I think the eggs will do okay, though. Guineas take a little longer to hatch anyway (typically 25 to 28 days), and after the chicken eggs all hatch, you'll be able to up the humidity a little more for them...they tend to have harder shells and tougher membranes than chicken eggs.
Got it. I've become interested in quail for meat. Do you keep them in super small separate enclosurs, or in like a real coop and let them free range, or what?
