Maine

[quailtrail]

Quailtrail, I forgot to mention you can also put the egg up to your ear and tap on it. If the chick has broken through the membrane, it will chirp!

I had a hatch that I was sure was finished. There were just a last few dud eggs in there, but one that I tapped on chirped loudly and scared me half to death!

I figured I was still ok and trying not to panic. I even had my stethoscope out against the incubator trying to see if I could hear anything lol

 

[lazy gardener]

Q.T. What temp did you incubate at in your still air? I know 99.5 is the target for forced air, though I prefer 100 myself. I know that still air is higher than that. Perhaps 101? I hope you get some action soon.

I threw a couple of worms in the brooder this afternoon. Some of the braver chicks came over and looked at them, trilled at them, then backed away. Finally, one of them picked a worm up... and the chase was on. They were so busy chasing each other that it didn't matter whether the chasee had a piece of worm in his mouth, or a piece of pine shaving. If one was running, there were 3 more in hot pursuit!

 

[quailtrail]

Q.T.  What temp did you incubate at in your still air?  I know 99.5 is the target for forced air, though I prefer 100 myself.  I know that still air is higher than that.  Perhaps 101?  I hope you get some action soon.

I threw a couple of worms in the brooder this afternoon.  Some of the braver chicks came over and looked at them, trilled at them, then backed away.  Finally, one of them picked a worm up... and the chase was on.  They were so busy chasing each other that it didn't matter whether the chasee had a piece of worm in his mouth, or a piece of pine shaving.  If one was running, there were 3 more in hot pursuit! 

99.5-100.5 so maybe they will be late then???

 

[lazy gardener]

Yep! There's still hope!!! Keep us posted.

 

[quailtrail]

Yep!  There's still hope!!!  Keep us posted.

I hope so!!!! DD has the brooder all set and ready to go. I bet its tomorrow as I have to work and then have girl's night and will be away for the night.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Fingers crossed for you, QT!

 

[CoopChick719]

Adventures in Chickeneering!! Went to close up the coop and noticed runny egg on the roost then noticed a very soft shell protruding from the hen's vent--one of my 4 RIR's. Came inside to check BYC on 1st Aid procedures. As I'm prepping hot water jugs to give her a bath in the garage, DH brought home Subway for dinner. He says, "Eat your dinner, she's not going anywhere!" Finish dinner, go to garage, found rubbermaid tote--dirty, washed tote. Realized she'll need to stay in garage for the night under heat--find large dog crate, go to coop get heat lamp & shavings. Finally go to coop to get hen--CAN'T REMEMBER which one it was!! Checked everyone's vent with flashlight--No shell! Turn on lights in coop--wake everyone up--still can't find her. In process of checking all vents, the latex gloves I'm wearing are ripped up. One of the hens grabs a piece & eats it before I could get to it. So now I have 1 who's eaten a piece of latex and 1 who might still be egg bound but the one I think it is also has a runny nose.

I just set up a brooder box in the garage for the 30 chicks coming next week. I didn't want Miss Runny Nose in the garage anywhere near the brooder. So now I'm sweaty, dirty, worried & frustrated. Decided to give everyone Tylan tomorrow and called it a day!

 

[MustardTiger]

All the brassica except four, all the strawberry seedlings, all the peppers but one, most of the sunflowers, all the basil and most of the cucumbers were all eaten today by the chickens. Nearly everything I had out in the seedling trays enjoying some sunshine and wind. I just about gave up right then and there when I saw it. I reseeded all the cells and trays, then went out to the garden and put some Mangels and favas in. I started to clean another large pen in the barn but my toddler wasn't having that. I banded a few birds and cleaned out brooders. I let some bantam cochins out to enjoy the sun in a closed pen so the large fowl don't heckle them. So much more to do... I can't find the Ivermectin and I know I just used it a few days ago! One cockerel is feeling thin and we found a few mites on the Cochins already. Having tied up the hair of the two Polish Caps a few days ago I got an egg today! That was quick. I swear, they can't see the sunlight to know its Spring. My Favorelle hatch was good, 11 out of 12 eggs hatched. I have black Javas coming, due tomorrow, for a little project here. The Swedish Flower Hens didn't do well in the mail. Almost all the cells were detached. The ducks are laying and the geese are laying. New gander coming this weekend. Even the Muscovies are starting to show some signs of mating. All five of the apple trees I grafted last year are still alive and budding. Now.... if I can just find time to finish the pens and three more grafts I have waiting in the frig. Its Spring, alright!!

That sucks about the seeds. My cat ate tons of my lettuce and brassica seedlings last year. She will not leave any plants alone!

Hooray for eggs though!

 

[yankeehill]

Today is going to be a beautiful day! I am itching to clean out the chicken coop, but it's too wet to get the tractor down there, and we don't have a wheelbarrow, so that will have to wait.

Breakfast is done, eaten, and cleaned up! One boy is at the dairy working while the other is off with his dad. Although the little ones are supposed to be making beds, I do hear them playing ALOT!

I'm in the process of washing laundry, and so desperately would LOVE to hang some out to dry...but we took down our clothes line last fall since it was in the way. Our yard is still mostly snow, so we will have to wait a few weeks to put up a new one.

On the chicken front...we are getting about 6 eggs a day! CRAZY! To think I went all winter having to buy eggs, and now there is an abundance. The ducks and geese are laying well also!

Ya'll have a great day and get out and enjoy that sun! Tomorrow is supposed to be raining.

 

[ashandvine]

That sucks about the seeds. My cat ate tons of my lettuce and brassica seedlings last year. She will not leave any plants alone!

Hooray for eggs though!

I have some wheat grass seed here if you want to try to distract her with that. I never heard of a cat eating lettuce before! I now have to buy onions and the issue there is sought out and ordered a special storage variety which I never find in sets. And the strawberries take forever!

New gander coming today though. Java eggs at the PO