JUNE - JULY HATCH-ALONG!!!!!!!

[jolenesdad]

The hens do choose actually! They can eject sperm from the roosters they don't want to father their chicks. Pretty neat discovery, as we assume since they get forcefully mated they don't have any power. But nature finds a way for both sexes to select the best genes.
https://www.livescience.com/15828-chickens-eject-sperm.html

I shifted some eggs around to different incubators, removed quitters & infertile eggs, and put 6 turkey eggs on lockdown! Peacock & quail eggs to go on lockdown in a couple of days and chickens will go on lockdown next weekend. The smiley face Olive Egger is the one that was developing before I set it in the incubator and so far development still looks good so I'm keeping an eye on it so I can decide when to put it on lockdown as well!

My friend also called me with an SOS because her Turkey was killed so I now have 5 more turkey eggs that I just set and I'll check for viability in a few days.
The incubators are busy at my house! lol

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I can’t wait for the pea chicks. What color are they??? Omg and turkeys. I want a turkey so bad, but I’ve heard they imprint REALLY strongly.

Quick update on my harlequins. I had saw a waterer idea on here that was new to me that I wanted to try. It was a Tupperware dish with a hole cut in the lid. Never again. I found my duckling with the wonky leg drowned in it. I was absolutely horrified.
Two ducklings went to a new home today, and Mama duck took in the remaining two without a hitch. I thought she might as I was holding one yesterday and when it was peeping she came running out looking for babies. They're pretty happy. And I don't have to brood them!!


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Oh no I’m so sorry!!!! I lost a duckling in the milk jug waterer this week. My hole was just slightly too big, she tried to climb in, got stuck, and toppled it over and drowned. In two minutes. Ugh. Yesterday I picked up a slow/interactive dog bowl feeder and I’m using that for water. Such a bummer, and now I’m really determined to come up with the best solutions for brooding ducklings.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I can’t wait for the pea chicks. What color are they??? Omg and turkeys. I want a turkey so bad, but I’ve heard they imprint REALLY strongly.

The eggs I have came from different pens but they will be Blue, Blue Pied, White, or Purple so it will be a surprise!

The guy with ducklings following him around is concerned about imprinting?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Rotten eggs and overdue are concerning signs... I'd try to candle a few of them if I were you. Since there are so many, they might not have sat properly on them, allowing some of them to be cooled for periods.

Good thing the incubated ones are doing well!

I know right!!! It would all be SO MUCH EASIER if I could touch their eggs! I suspect that the guineas have a good chance of abandoning their nest (and seriously attacking me, and being convinced that their coop is unsafe) if I touch their nest at all. I have slowly worked up to where they now know that I know where their nest is, but they still give a nervous alarm call when they see that I can see them... It’s likely that if I start messing with their nest at all, then they will abandon it. If I decide to go that route, then I at least want the incubator open so I can transfer any viable eggs to it... However, I’m not even sure that I want to go that route, because my main goals of that nest were keep the guineas from laying more outdoor nests, which were attracting predators, and to integrate chicks from within the flock... If those goals won’t be met, then I don’t know that it’s worth disrupting them and convincing them that the coop is an unsafe place to nest in order to collect what are likely to be a bunch of bad eggs. I’ll probably try posting this on the guinea forum, but that’s a small group that hasn’t really known what will happen with my unusual flock and unusual choices I’ve made...

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

The guy with ducklings following him around is concerned about imprinting?

I’m also finding this statement pretty funny!!! What’s the behavior of those ducks like, anyway??? Are they still super friendly? Contented with themselves when you’re not around?

 

[Enigmius]

I can’t wait for the pea chicks. What color are they??? Omg and turkeys. I want a turkey so bad, but I’ve heard they imprint REALLY strongly.


Oh no I’m so sorry!!!! I lost a duckling in the milk jug waterer this week. My hole was just slightly too big, she tried to climb in, got stuck, and toppled it over and drowned. In two minutes. Ugh. Yesterday I picked up a slow/interactive dog bowl feeder and I’m using that for water. Such a bummer, and now I’m really determined to come up with the best solutions for brooding ducklings.

This would be great, but it is probably too big for a brooder space.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

This would be great, but it is probably too big for a brooder space.

Nice! And looks quite safe as well!

 

[jolenesdad]

The eggs I have came from different pens but they will be Blue, Blue Pied, White, or Purple so it will be a surprise!

The guy with ducklings following him around is concerned about imprinting?

Baaaaahahahahaha.

No, I mean, I love to eat turkey. And I’m not ready for that GIGANTIC personal conflict of omg can I ever eat a turkey again?

 

[jolenesdad]

I’m also finding this statement pretty funny!!! What’s the behavior of those ducks like, anyway??? Are they still super friendly? Contented with themselves when you’re not around?

Yes they’re totally content. That’s supposedly the thing Holderread says about ducks. They won’t imprint on people OVER other ducks, they’ll imprint along side imprinting with ducks.

And as they reach sexual maturity their human imprint goes away.

So I kind of think they just see me as a friend. There’s a couple that I think are truly imprinted they don’t evEr really run from me, unless they’re all scattering anyway then they join in the scatter. The open front brooder and black soldier fly larvae have been super important.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Yes they’re totally content. That’s supposedly the thing Holderread says about ducks. They won’t imprint on people OVER other ducks, they’ll imprint along side imprinting with ducks.

And as they reach sexual maturity their human imprint goes away.

So I kind of think they just see me as a friend. There’s a couple that I think are truly imprinted they don’t evEr really run from me, unless they’re all scattering anyway then they join in the scatter. The open front brooder and black soldier fly larvae have been super important.

Where do you get your soldier fly larvae from? I got some from Grubbly’s and all of my poultry love it, but it’s so expensive!!! Do you have a pic of the open front brooder? I like the concept but am currently using a rubbermaid tote brooder...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Baaaaahahahahaha.

No, I mean, I love to eat turkey. And I’m not ready for that GIGANTIC personal conflict of omg can I ever eat a turkey again?

Oooooh, yeah I'm actually debating that myself right now. I've seen plenty of turkeys but I never actually spent time with one until I went to take pictures of the goslings I hatched. My friend free ranges all of her poultry together and while I was keeping my distance from the geese that wanted to protect their new babies, two turkeys came up behind me and let me pet them without complaint...how am I going to raise that for Thanksgiving!?