Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[debs_flock]

I received my prize today for the invention contest................................THANKS!!!

Deb

 

[Cynthia12]

I remember as a kid looking into the big window at the 5 and dime store back in the ummm..will sometime earlier years..loved looking at all of those different colored chicks. This was in VA. A loong time ago. My Aunt got a chick, it turned into a really mean rooster. Then it turned up on the table one night..fully cooked of course. Boy, could my grandma cook chicken!

 

[Wisher1000]

It's Day 14! We are 2/3rds of the way there!

This looks NOTHING like my eggs when I candle them................oh dear...................

 

[Arielle]

Bad news today, my two chicken-puppies in training killed two of my chickens this morning and my baby goose is missing.

So sorry! I occasionally have a chicken fly over a tall fence into my dog pen. My angel will be spitting out feathers by the time I can intervene. An oddly comical moment during a horrendous event. Training is a long process. Perhaps do not leave pups unattended until they are older and reliable. Sorry for your loss.

Agreed, title is perfect!

Quote:
Beautiful!!

Quote:
I better go candle . . . I'm a little worried .

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Debsflock: is that a baby Dane in your baby pics? We've got a blue Dane, but bred harls out of a black before, they are indeed a sweet breed.

A K Michelle, I talked to a breeder about Great Pyr pups today, and she told me that they might eat my chickens... What do you think? My dogs are great with the chooks, even the baby chicks, I would think a new pup brought into our mix would mimic their behavior.

Cynthia12: I thought I counted 12 chicks in that pic, is that where you got your screen name? Wow! I'm glad your Yorkie is okay, we've got one who is a great help at rounding up chickens.

Getting some work done in Jersey, am here overnight, am REALLY hoping that the 21 yr old is rolling that EMU egg.

SCG: Sorry about Bad Betty, sounds like you did a great job helping her cross over. I wish you could come name all our chooks, you have such great names.

Dsqard: did you get your bees yet? We get our first Nuc in about two weeks and a split in late May. These are our first hives, I was surprised to hear that you should have at least two, in case you lose the queen. I hope we get honey, been quite an expensive endeavor thus far.

 

[ronott1]

Wisher1000,

Don't worry so much about what you see in the egg. Some shells are just to dark to see into. Check on the air cell and watch for wheeping and smell.

Ron

Quote:

 

[failla525]

I am looking for links to really helpful candling photos and instructions. I've looked at several and am not sure I'm reading my eggs properly. I candled on day 13 and out of 52 eggs set, I only took out two I was sure were not developing. There were some that were too dark to see into and a few I wasn't sure about.

I will probably candle again tomorrow night (day 16) and want to be sure I know what I'm doing!

This is my first hatch!

Also, when do you recommend lockdown? My day one technically started Friday night, instead of Saturday ... so my day 18 technically starts Monday night???

Thanks!

 

[rarely bored]

Gerrymander's Adventures
a short story
starring Gerrymander
and Filibuster Feline

​

What a beautiful day, mused Gerrymander as she pleasantly honked at her people. What fun it shall be at the creek today! She waddled at her very own pace down the hill. Her people wandered about as Gerrymander lowered herself in the creek and began eating the yummy blades of grass and delicate plant shoots. While she was eating, Boy #2 climbed a tree. She began bathing and Boy #1 began throwing acorns at Boy #2. Oh I sooo love to splash, sighed Gerrymander as she lowered her head under the water and then took off, full speed ahead with her large wings beating the surface of the water, and then her body would submerge, only to come back up to the surface, going so fast, throwing water everywhere! Boys 1 and 2 began laughing at her antics, but her feelings were not hurt, no sireee! But wait! Where did the boys momma go?? She was down here when I began my bath. Humph, well I was done with the bath anyway, lets find out where that woman went.
Gerrymander climbs out of the creek and enters the horse pasture. Oh, there's momma, she is working on the horses fence line again, expanding the pasture and tightening up the wires. Hey, there is the boy's dad sitting on a rock. I want to sit on the rock, thought Gerrymander, there is another rock next to dad, let me see if I can climb it. Oh, that spot is too high, how about this side? Yes, I can climb that side! Errr, ummph, phew, I'm up. Gerrymander looks around from the 2 foot high rock. Oh, is this all there is to see? I don't get it. Gerrymander hops off the rock and wanders up the hill.
Filibuster brazenly walks down the hill to where the humans are, and then drops down in a dead pile in front of dad. Dad reaches down and pets Filibuster and asked him how his day is. Filibuster, being a cat, enjoys the petting but doesn't answer. Gerrymander clacks in annoyance at the ill manners of Filibuster, even she, a silly goose knows it is polite to answer back, no matter how stupid the question is. She continues climbing to the top of the pasture.
Momma is back down by the fence line, the boys are coming away from the creek to see how well momma is doing and dad has been lead away by Filibuster to the creek.
All is good in the world thinks Gerrymander and with a joyous honk she begins to run down the hill. What fun it is to run! She flaps her wings as she runs, the ground falls away from her feet, and look, look she is flying!!!! (We won't tell Gerrymander it is because the ground slopes down rather steeply there.) Gerrymander loves the feeling of flying, fully extending her neck when:

splooonk

she comes to a dead stop. She can't believe it. Her beautiful flight ended?? Abruptly?? Momma is laughing, Boy #1 is laughing. Boy #2 is laughing. Gerrymander could cry, if her neck wasn't pinned. All of a sudden momma comes running, and pulls at something which has caught her neck. Poor Gerrymander stands there with a puzzled look on her face as she tries to figure out if her neck was hurt, when she realizes it wasn't, she slowly heads back to her chicken flock. They won't laugh at her.

Momma giggles as she observes the two parallel pvc pipes coming straight out of the ground which the former owner of the land had placed. Why they remained, and what the odds are of Gerrymander's head entering the 2 inch gap between the poles shall remain unknown.

and Filibuster:​

​

 

[Wisher1000]

I went to the feed store and on the way home, had to figure out what I was going to tell DH concerning the two Royal Palm poults in the box on the seat next to me. I walked in and said, "Hey, Honey, I got you something!" They are now HIS turkeys and the ones from the hatch (which he doesn't know about yet) will be mine!

Poor man.......

 

[Papa Brooder]

If you set eggs fri night, I think you would lock down this coming tuesday night. I set my eggs on Thurs night (day before you), I will put mine into lockdown on monday night. Only my second hatch... so, grain of salt.

I am looking for links to really helpful candling photos and instructions. I've looked at several and am not sure I'm reading my eggs properly. I candled on day 13 and out of 52 eggs set, I only took out two I was sure were not developing. There were some that were too dark to see into and a few I wasn't sure about.

I will probably candle again tomorrow night (day 16) and want to be sure I know what I'm doing!

This is my first hatch!

Also, when do you recommend lockdown? My day one technically started Friday night, instead of Saturday ... so my day 18 technically starts Monday night???

Thanks!