Larkwell Valley (2023)

[troyer]

Are they duck eggs?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Are they duck eggs?

Nope. Not yet. Despite my Phoenix pullet's best effort to trick me, the ducklings are a wee bit too young to lay yet. Probably in another 5 or 6 months

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Here ya go, @Overo Mare.

She's the one that had a half and half black and blue feather on her back

 

[Painted Calls]

Here ya go, @Overo Mare.
View attachment 3486724View attachment 3486725View attachment 3486726
She's the one that had a half and half black and blue feather on her back

Love her!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Odysseus is such a good rooster with his flock. We were giving the birds pinkies and fuzzies we found while cleaning out nests, and while the other males would snatch them up for themselves, he found one and called until one of the ladies came over to take it

 

[JacinLarkwell]

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Sad day today, Giggles ended up passing away last night.

He started slowing down the day before yesterday, which usually ends up meaning their time is close here. He was moved where he could eat in peace and still watch other birds, and didn't wake up this morning.

His sister is still going strong, and is laying now, but ilbe lying if I say that I'm not upset about losing my little buddy

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Processing day on Friday hopefully. I have 3 I really want to get done to open up more cage space. Depending on how I feel after those 3 and what time it is, I may do my 3 silkie culls too. I have 5 total, but I've had 3 selerated out for a while now, and 2 of those have bad beaks, so I would like to do them sooner than later.

Mice got the last chick the white Phoenix and Java were raising, so they're being little balls of hormones right now. Won't be letting the white hatch more out. It's a shame, she was a great mom before, but she completely blew this last batch after they hatched. I'm wondering if she might have mental issues since the raccoon attack last summer. She raised a batch after that just fine, but it might have just taken a few months for any issues to grow to this point.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@Overo Mare

Look who was putting on a show and giving herself away

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Incubator eggs:
Looked like 6 won't hatch (1 or 2 didn't develop, the others were definitely blood rings), and 3-5 I couldn't tell. The rest seemed pretty healthy.

Of the controls, 3 are going strong, and 1 never started.



I will say, for shipped eggs, it's not too bad compared to my broody clutches. Yes, apples to cantaloupe here, but out of a dozen under one of my hens, I'd probably get between 7 and 9 chicks, so following that, 18 would probably be about what I'm seeing so far, out of eggs that weren't jostled nearly as much or as old (not saying yours were old, Colt).
I'm honestly more shocked my one control never even developed. But I just grabbed the 4 cleanest eggs that I'd neglected to grab for a while, so it might have been pretty old.

My silkie is on 7 that started about the same time, if I can get batteries for my candler, I'll check those tomorrow and see how they look. I'm expecting 1 or 2 to be duds, possibly more. It's been so warm here, and Cheese just goes limp on them until I move her to get some food, water and to take any extras out before going back on for another almost 24 hours.