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

[moetrout]

I am confused. I see quite a few hatchers starting "lockdown" today. We aren't supposed to do that until tomorrow right?

Some of us started early. If you started on March 17th then lockdown for you is tomorrow 4/4.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I locked down today only because I won't get a chance to for another 24 hrs. I'd rather do it early.

Looks like out of the 30 eggs I had shipped I'm still at 25 eggs. I pulled 5 eggs on day 10 that were all clear. Everything else developed.

Hot diggity dog.

 

[ronott1]

So some of my eggs are completely dark aside from the air sac. I'm just assuming they are good. And then I have some that are not dark except for a small area where I can see the baby and I see it moving. So I know it's alive and thriving. But it just seems like a lot of liquid in there. Do they just double in size the last few days or is something wrong???

It's really hard to tell what your are seeing in the egg. Shell color and position of the chick act kind of like looking at things under water. The air cell grows fast. The egg loses water when the chick pips. What looks like water could be the membrane or even feathers

The view of what is in the egg changes as you turn it.

I don't think they double in size but they do absorb the egg sack. That explains the round belly in a previous post. The egg sack is like eating a three day meal for them.

Happy hatching!

Ron

 

[happyhensny]

You are correct.

Phew! I thought I got the dates messed up, wouldn't be the first time. Last year I had chicks hatching while I had the turner still on. I have a Brinsea so they didn't get hurt, but still.

 

[debs_flock]

I bought a group of lakenvelder chicks a couple of weeks ago and there was one chick in the batch that was obviously different. The markings were very similar, but this chick was different. It was blacker, where lakenvelder chicks are more dark gray. As it got older, the differences became more obvious. It was starting to look more like a penguin.

So what is it? I know this should probably be on the "what am I forum", but this is practically the only thread I come to anymore and this is where everyone hangs out. I'm guessing maybe an ancona, but the breeder only lists RC. Mottled java? They do list them, but it looks too dark when I compare to pictures on feathersite.








The legs and feet are mottled, fairly bright yellow on the bottoms of the feet.



The chick is about two weeks old.

Deb

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Here's my Short Story Contest Entry:


My name is Hoppy. I’m a Speckled Sussex hen.

I was born in a hatchery. After hatching all I wanted to do was rest (hatching is hard work!), but I kept getting moved along and touched by strangers. Oh and I was vaccinated, too. Twice. The inhumanity of it all! In case you think I’m making it all up, the horrors I experienced have been documented in Dirty Jobs: Chick Sexer. Check it out. That Mike Rowe is cute, but not as cute as the chicks.

Anyway, I digress. As if that wasn’t bad enough, then I was shoved into a box with 30 other chicks. It was quite tight in there and none of the others were Speckled Sussex chicks. There was one that was quite scary looking - lacking feathers on its neck and all. Some even had hairy legs!

The dark, cramped box we were in was loudly jostled. I couldn’t tell what was going on but at one point in the journey, another chick fell hard on my leg. I could feel it snap and I had a lot of pain. If I had to bet on it I’d say it was that shifty freaky looking naked neck thing that injured me. But that’s just a hunch.

By the time the box was opened up I was quite delirious from the pain in my leg. I was the last chick taken out of the box. The clueless woman who unpacked me started to cry when she saw me. I guess I didn’t look so hot. Traveling will do that to you. But I sure was happy to get out of that box and into a nice warm brooder where I could finally rest.

Unfortunately, there was still no rest for this chick. I was still in a lot of pain from my leg and those ill-behaved non-Speckled Sussex chicks kept messing with me. Mom (the clueless woman who unpacked me) cleaned, medicated and wrapped my leg. Unfortunately one day I struggled while she was changing my bandages and she accidentally cut the tip of one of my toes off, and on my good leg too! Some chicks just have all the luck.

Eventually I recovered from my injuries. I have a cute little scar on the back of my bad leg where it was broken. My toe kinda grew back, too, but the nail grows down sideways and then curls back upwards. Mom calls it my digger-toe. I’m very happy I survived the ordeal and to this day Mom feels bad for me and gives me extra treats. I don’t have to run and fight for them like the rest of the flock. I’m a lady.

I don't have anything to complain about here except the weather. I’m always trying to sneak back into the house in the winter, because I know it’s warmer in there. If you talk to my Mom can you put a good word in for me? You can always guilt her with my digger-toe.


Upon arrival:



It's a lonely life as a convalescent chick:



My digger-toe (excuse the severe case of poop-foot)



GET ME OUTTA THIS WEATHER! I WANT TO BE A HOUSE CHICKEN!

 

[Wisher1000]

So I've already PMed this to crazypetlady, but here's my story for the contest. I don't much like it, but I am my worst critic after all.

The Problem With Poultry​

Very nice, Raz!

 

[crazyeggs]

19/24 have made it to lockdown
Now the waiting begins: pop

 

[ChestnutRidge]

I've totally missed out on this year's thread, I must say.

I wish you the best of luck with your hatch and your health.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230764586013&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160 Here you go. Best shipping price I have found.

Thanks for the link!

The chart I am using says today is lockdown. Skyline, the Breeder that sold me the eggs says they hatch a day early too, so my eggs on in lockdown.

Oi! Good to know. I set my Basques on the Thursday before we were to set, so I am expecting them on this Thursday. I locked down on Monday.
I just bought some fluff today, and I am getting chick feed tomorrow after work. Yikes, I need to clean & set up the brooder.
This is going way too fast!

To all those who wished me good luck in my Uni entrance exams as a mature student: it worked! I scored 133 out of a scaled score of 50 to 150, and came in the 96th percentile!! Wow, where the hell was that when I was sitting my exams at 18?!?

Congratulations!!!

I reassured him we were fine and so was my car. I told him we didn't need to call the cops or insurance or anything and he was so relieved but I could tell he was so shaken up and embarrassed. Poor guy.

You are kind.

Thank you.

Egg Art Contest, entry #2...............

That is AWESOME.

What skill!!!

 

[Razadia]

Very nice, Raz!

Thanks Wisher!