July Hatch-a-Long (including 4th of July hatch-a-long)

[slbenter]

BTW, I never heard of BCM eggs needing higher humidity. I received at least 4 of those from MPC, plus I set another 4 in the Brinsea 28 from an ebay purchase, they are in with Delaware/Leghorns and a bunch of EE's and/or Ameracunas. My humidity is set for 38% and the unit perfectly holds that. The humidity in the house is higher, and I have the vents, or at least one of them, open all the way.
Now I'm reading these BCM's need higher. Like, how much higher? I took a look at one of them yesterday (day 5) and I'm fairly sure I saw veining, even through the dark brown shell.
I know that's no guarantee of a live chick in 2 weeks though, so someone please tell me that all my BCM eggs aren't doomed.

 

[CindyinSD]

I could save up for a little to do that (I don't need that much egg space right now, but if i get addicted like all of you....



I have not thought of that. That is an interesting option, and I will for sure be looking into it. The stress of moving to a new home wouldn't "turn them off"?

I had a girl who kept sitting in one coop but it was a communal laying box--not suitable for nesting. I moved her to a portable broody coop in with another flock up on the hill and gave her five eggs. She hatched them all and is doing very well taking care of them. Not everything will work on every bird of course, but It's worth a try.

I cleaned out the shed where another broody had chicks. I should have done it before they hatched because the geese have been staying there and it was getting stinky, but there were so many other things... anyway, she started pecking her chicks little heads when I brought the new bedding in. I had to take them and now she's in there squawking like her heart's broke. I feel bad, but I already tried to give them back twice. I'm pretty sure she'd kill them if I were to leave them there.

There are two other broodies in the shed and the door is closed enough to let (rather small) chickens in & out, but exclude geese. The goslings don't need it any more--they've all been sleeping in the run (protected with electric fence) anyway.

 

[kelseyk]

BTW, I never heard of BCM eggs needing higher humidity. I received at least 4 of those from MPC, plus I set another 4 in the Brinsea 28 from an ebay purchase, they are in with Delaware/Leghorns and a bunch of EE's and/or Ameracunas. My humidity is set for 38% and the unit perfectly holds that. The humidity in the house is higher, and I have the vents, or at least one of them, open all the way.
Now I'm reading these BCM's need higher. Like, how much higher? I took a look at one of them yesterday (day 5) and I'm fairly sure I saw veining, even through the dark brown shell.
I know that's no guarantee of a live chick in 2 weeks though, so someone please tell me that all my BCM eggs aren't doomed.

I have hatched all my marana with the same humidity as all my other eggs and they have done just fine.

 

[CindyinSD]

Update on my shipped eggs;
Day Seven. Candled and weighed all 47 eggs.
Cream Legbar- 8 out of 15 viable, 2 DIS, 5 unsure
Bielefelder- 11 out of 14 viable, 3 unsure
Black Copper Maran (eBay)- 0 out of 6 viable, 6 unsure
Black Copper Maran (Omega Hills)- 3 out of 12 viable, 9 unsure
Average weight loss is 5%. Right on target. I've been running the humidity between 40%-45% and for now that seems to be doing just fine. I'm disapointed that the Black Copper Marans appear to have such a low rate of viability but it's still early and it's still very hard to see inside the shells on most of them. Cross my fingers. Overall though, nearly half of the eggs are definitely alive and that's what I expected even though I hope for more. I'll check progress again next week. BTW... the new brooder is nearly set up!

I haven't hatched BCMs, but from reading the hatch-a-longs, it seems like they're kind of tricky, and not that good of a frrtility rate. I would say it's because of being shipped (and that is doubtless a factor) but it just seems like *everyone* has trouble with them. Is it possible that they've been bred so intensely with primarily shell color in mind that they're just deficient in other ways (such as fertility, hatchability, vigor...)? I love the deep, dark eggs, but they fade over the laying season and through the hen's lifespan. I'm just not sure it's worth it.

 

[chickiebaby1]

I have hatched all my marana with the same humidity as all my other eggs and they have done just fine.

I have hatched all my marana with the same humidity as all my other eggs and they have done just fine.

You sound like me. I have so many chicks that I am trying to grow out so that I have them for next year. I’m doing salmon faverolle, silkies (different colors), beilefelder, blue astrolorp, olive Eggers, necked neck, Java’s and lavender Orpingtons along with d’uccle and barnyard bantams and large fowl. The only adults I have right now are the Java’s and silky. I do have 3 adult faverolles but no rooster. Right now I am incubating silky/faverolles mix and they are turning out super cute. Almost can’t tell they have any silky in them.

 

[CindyinSD]

Me too!



You guys are talking me into it.



Ducks are the best, in spite of the mess!



I got some feed store Pekins to be a buddy to my lone April hatcher. They are truly impressive how fast they grow and very sweet, but have shown me what duck mess can be in all of its glory and given me a new appreciation for my lighter and not AS messy harlies. Love them!

They're meat birds, bred to grow fast and convert feed efficiently. CX chickens and BBW turkeys are also mellow and sweet and super messy. Angus cattle may or may not be friendly (the ones that hang about our fence-line are pretty wild), but from (gently) herding them away after they've done with the water, I can tell you their stinks ten times as much as my Highlands. It's watery and sloppy and huge. Those cattle always have diarrhea. They're like CX cattle. Maybe it's like that with all specialty meat animals.

 

[FortCluck]

They're meat birds, bred to grow fast and convert feed efficiently. CX chickens and BBW turkeys are also mellow and sweet and super messy. Angus cattle may or may not be friendly (the ones that hang about our fence-line are pretty wild), but from (gently) herding them away after they've done with the water, I can tell you their stinks ten times as much as my Highlands. It's watery and sloppy and huge. Those cattle always have diarrhea. They're like CX cattle. Maybe it's like that with all specialty meat animals.

Do you use highlands for meat?

 

[kelseyk]

They're meat birds, bred to grow fast and convert feed efficiently. CX chickens and BBW turkeys are also mellow and sweet and super messy. Angus cattle may or may not be friendly (the ones that hang about our fence-line are pretty wild), but from (gently) herding them away after they've done with the water, I can tell you their stinks ten times as much as my Highlands. It's watery and sloppy and huge. Those cattle always have diarrhea. They're like CX cattle. Maybe it's like that with all specialty meat animals.

For the cattle, it is probably more their diet. Our Angus/Gelbvieh cross cattle stinks 100 times worse and is super sloppy when they are on really green pasture. A balance of hay and corn feed is completely opposite. What is the grass like up there right now?

 

[CindyinSD]

I do and don’t have ducks and geese! I don’t personally own any. Never wanted to deal with the baby mess and we don’t have any ponds or anything! My neighbor however has a momma duck with 9 ducklings and 7 baby geese that make a beeline for my yard as soon as he lets them out in the morning! Don’t know what the appeal is in my yard. I don’t let my chickens free range at the moment do to predators but these little buttheads are here every day and boy do they make a yucky mess! They poop way more than any of my chickens ever did and it’s huge. It’s like walking in a minefield anytime I want to go outside. And they have found their way into my garage which is great! Had to use a shovel last night to get rid of all there poo! gonna have to get something to keep them out until we can get a garage door.

Look up field fencing in your local diy store or farm store. We've been putting up the 47" tall and it's dead easy. (We already have barbed wire but we're just putting it on right over-top.) You don't need a lot of wooden posts (maybe just the corners) because it pretty much holds itself up. T-posts work just fine. When you consider the cost for 3-4 strand barbed wire, the two are pretty comparable, but the field fence is SO much better.

One thing though... if you ever plan on turkeys don't get the Red Brand. They'll see that substantial-looking red top edge and consider it a roost. Then they'll hop down on the wrong side and you'll have to go rescue them.

 

[AgnesGray]

You mean you want me to actually count them! Doesn't that go against all chicken math rules? Lol!

Right now in the large run I have 11 ducks (1 each of 11 different breeds), My farm store hens (1 Australorpe, 2 Barred Rock, 2 RIR, 2 Buckeye, and 5 EEs), and 2 Silkies and 1 Frizzled Tolbunt Polish that I hatched last year, and my Buff Orpington Roo.Then what chicks I have hatched this year that are also in that run ({cockerels and pullets combined} 3 BCM, 1 Silver Spitzhauben, 3 Bielefelders, 6 Sapphire Gem/Lavender Orpington cross, 9 Barnyard mix from my flock, 5 silkies, 3 Svart Hona, 9 Gold Appenzeller, and 2 Delaware). In my brooder tanks I have 2 Gold neck d'Uccle, 3 OEs, 3 Wheaten Marans, 5 Lavender Orpington and 9 ringneck pheasants. In the Hatcher and Incubators I have Frizzle Tolbunt Polish/Buff Orpington cross, Melanistic pheasant, Call Duck, Blue Birchen Marans (a batch for me and a batch for a friend), Opal Legbar, Salmon Faverolle, more silkies, Bresse, Welsummer, and Speckled Sussex. On the way are Double Blue laced Barnevelder and CCL. Then I have the bachelor pad with 1 EE rooster and 4 Tolbunt Polish roosters. I may be hatching some more BCMs, Isbars, d'Uccles, and OEs yet.

My plan is to keep the farm store hens, all the silkies, and then try and get 2 pullets and 1 cockerel of all the other breeds (except my barnyard crosses). The rest will get sold at POL, as roosters, or eaten. I want to hatch and sell day old chicks and/or older chicks from the new breeds as you can't find them anywhere around here as well as crosses from the new breeds....everyone has farmstore breeds here. I will also sell eating eggs from the groups I am not breeding at the time (only have plans for 3-4 breeding pens - roosters will be in the bachelor pad until needed). The Bresse flock will be in it's own pen though with roosters and hens together all the time. I already have 2 people that have said they want to buy chicks from me next year. I am excited about my new "stay at home" business.

Wow, awesome flock! And you're right... counting them breaks the rules!!! Hahaha!! I was just going through my chicken spreadsheet and updating with all of the newbies as well as what's in the incubator and I try to block out the line number on the left. Have lots of chickens!!

They're meat birds, bred to grow fast and convert feed efficiently. CX chickens and BBW turkeys are also mellow and sweet and super messy. Angus cattle may or may not be friendly (the ones that hang about our fence-line are pretty wild), but from (gently) herding them away after they've done with the water, I can tell you their stinks ten times as much as my Highlands. It's watery and sloppy and huge. Those cattle always have diarrhea. They're like CX cattle. Maybe it's like that with all specialty meat animals.

Wonder what their diet is? That makes such a big difference in poop quality and smell.