LeasureChix and Quail_Antwerp Admitting we have a problem hatchalong...

[Quail_Antwerp]

Oh no!! I am so sorry for you both!! I hope you both see refunds soon.

I was thinking about order a Sportsman or an incubator from Dickeys in a few weeks. My DH is having his garage built in 2 weeks so I need to wait and see how much we have going out on that before I spend $600 on an incubator.

I mailed the payment out for my trio this morning, and the post office assured me it would arrive in 2 days, so I'm not sure when my trio will ship.

I enjoy the hatching process, but there are some breeds I'm just going to go straight for chicks on, like Silver Penciled Wyandottes. I emailed Duane Urch last night and he emailed back and has some available. YAY.

I did an early candling - I saw teeny tiny embroy's with little teeny tiny beating hearts in my Bantam Welsummer eggs! and good veining!! Same with the Barred Buff Cochin eggs I set.

Sadly, my lavender ameracaunas are not looking good. I found one that was cracked in the 'bator, so I tossed it and another had some bubbly looking stuff in side that didn't look good at all so I tossed it as well. No veining or embryos visible yet, but it is still very early, so I'll candle them all again in a few days and see what's what.

 

[LeasureChix]

I'm sorry about your lav ameracaunas. Bubbly looking stuff? Broken air cell or something else? I've had eggs come with broken air cells. Don't you just LOVE seeing the first signs of life? I have been having great fun watching the development. I think more so now because I had so many disappointments lately. In the past 2 years I had really taken good hatch rates for granted. Other than old or infertile eggs, or poor PO handling, I had pretty good luck. Even 78% the first time I hatched silkie eggs.

Now that I'm paying $495 for a maybe incubator, I kinda wish I had gone with a GQF or some other name brand from the beginning. I used to think peeps were absolutely nuts to pay so much money for an incubator. Now, well I guess I just acknowledge that I'm every bit that nuts! I'm still hoping that Paypal or my credit card company will reimburse the first payment. I'm wondering if anyone got their money back.

Aly, will you be able to set eggs on the 24th (1 week from today) for the Valentines Day Hatch? I should have about 6-8 dozen I think. Any doubts about my addiction should now be totally out the window.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I can probably get Silver Dorking eggs from my friend Becca to set 1 week from today.

Yea, I think the air cells in the Lav Amer eggs are damaged. The one I tossed looked like bacteria growing in it, and I know that's not from a dirty incubator because the incubator is brand new!

A friend of mine was talking about Salmon Faverolles on her blog this morning and I think she's convinced me to get some again

 

[LeasureChix]

You should join the V'day hatch thread! You would be a welcome addition! I think the Salmon Faverolles are beautiful! Are you thinking LF or bantams? I know you like the little guys.

I need to get my NYD peepers out of my office. They are outgrowing their second brooder and I am going to need the space. I have CatDance silkies, Bargain Marans and 5 PearlySue dark brahmas. The DB's are a little younger but they all get along.

Don't you just hate bad air cells? I have no sense of smell so I won't know if eggs go rotten. I was hit by a car many years ago while riding my horse. I can smell some things every once in a while but most the time, nothing.

It's time to start collecting eggs to ship for the January swap. This is my first time shipping eggs. It's almost like sending the kids on the school bus for the first time.

 

[LeasureChix]

Aly, are you on Facebook? There is a poultry bid site created last week to offer an auction site alternative. I'm sure you needed another source to feed our shared addiction.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Yes, i'm on fb.

As for Salmon Favs, probably both. I'm working on getting the BLRW in Bantams as well. I like the idea of having a LF variety and their bantam counterpart

but it's not an addiciton. Nope. I can quit anytime I want.....

 

[LeasureChix]

yeah, uh huh, I can quit anytime too! Actually, I hadn't hatched anything in many months. I like your idea, big and little of the same breed. Too cute! I got my 12 new Dark Brahma chicks in the mail today. SO cute! They are kinda noisy though.

My Bad Azz silkie eggs are going into lockdown tomorrow. I candled yesterday, it didn't seem like they were far enough along but they are still swimming around. I had 3 quitters. Not bad out of 17. I had set 6 of my own silkie eggs too, only 3 are still kicking. I have a bunch due next weekend too but we'll be at the Stockton show & the PBR in Sacramento. FUN FUN FUN!

So I'm not sure.... is our problem purchasing eggs..... (I bought 2 dozen more yesterday) or incubating eggs............. (I have 3 LG bators going) .............. or buying/owning chickens (added the 12 more DB's today) ?????

How are your eggs doing Aly??

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Oooh I wanna go to PBR!!

My eggs are doing good! Well, the ones from gamebirdsonly are! out of 16 eggs 13 have definite chicks swimming around, 2 are maybes, and 1 was clear so I tossed it.

My own eggs from my trio of Barred Buff Cochins are developing well, too.

The Ameracauna eggs from eBay are a total bust I think.

But I have more eggs coming soon - more Bantam Welsummer from gamebirdsonly and the project chocolate Ameracauna eggs from pips&peeps.

For me, I like the idea of having a few special breeds that I'm working to improve upon/preserve...but I also need a good mixed up layer flock for eating eggs. and we have a large family, so we definitely need a large laying flock to feed us all!

I went ahead and orderd some LF Salmon Favs. These are from a hatchery so probably just going to be a layer flock, not a breeder pen of birds.

We're planning to build a large 28x40 barn in March, and I get one side for poultry pens and we're going to have a stall and separate milking area for my coming milk goat.

 

[LeasureChix]

Oh Aly, I'm so jealous! I need a barn, well no, I need a HUGE barn, a shop for DH, multiple chicken houses.... I could go on. We have 10 acres, pretty flat with a creek but no outbuildings. I have some makeshift coops and shelters but we need some big solid structures. It probably won't be this year for the big stuff but I'm hoping to at least get some better chicken facilities. Especially since I'm hatching so many chickens.

We have 8 goats but 7 are wethers. I love goats but they are to eat the stuff that the horses don't want to eat. We also have a llama, an emu and a 1/2 zebra.

I need to go collect eggs and make sure my chicklets aren't drowning out there. We are at the bottom edge of the storm and it's been raining steady. Lots of standing water.

I'm glad you have so many eggs doing well. You'll have to find some more Lav Am's. If you want to go with LF, try Mike. Mine are doing real well. Maybe he has more available.

Have an awesome day!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

You have an emu?!

Now I am jealous!! I'd love to have a pair of emus!

The barn is something that's been in the planning for awhile, but we've just been able to afford this year. My dh is also getting is garage. Actually the garage is first. The garage kit will be here end of this month and built as early as next month.

I ended up babysitting today as the school sent my friend's kid home early. I had to go pick her up and I am beyond ready for them to come and get her!