March 2023 hatch-a-long

[junior67]

My hatch is officially done! 25 new babies! I cleaned out the incubator (& bought a second…tee-hee!) and will set another bunch on Fri or Sat (or both!) New bator is supposed to arrive Fri, so i May wait til Sat for that group so I can run it for a few hours.

OOOOOOOOOOO so you will be in the Easter HAL!!!!!!! Think it said to set on 3/18 but that would hatch the day before Easter so maybe that is when they are thinking??

 

[Backyard Divas]

Took some individual pics. Going to try , and follow how each one grows/changes, especially since I don't know what breeds they are/come from (mostly mixes I believe).
View attachment 3430947View attachment 3430948View attachment 3430950View attachment 3430951View attachment 3430952View attachment 3430953This one's got fuzzy legs and 5 toes.
View attachment 3430958View attachment 3430959
View attachment 3430960View attachment 3430949And finally, Zombie.

Love it! I look forward to seeing the posts! I did that with a fall hatch of mine, trying to figure out which were pullets and which were cockerels. The girls from that hatch are just starting to lay, which is exciting too. One I gave away lays a pretty cream colored egg, the two I kept lay pinky buff colored eggs. The funny thing is the big pullet ( I think she is a GDL X BO cross, think really big and fluffy) has been laying almost every day since she started on the 5th but the eggs are smaller than PeeWee, the other one that was the slowest maturing and smallest of the lot (she looked a lot like your 4th chick shown, all black as a chick) lays a huge egg for a pullet but I've only gotten two so far (started laying on the 8th). I had set 7, 6 hatched, 3/3 pullet to cockerel ratio. I had to cull the cockerels. So sad I couldn't find them homes in time.

I've never seen a five toed chick before. That's pretty freaky! Any idea what the parental gene pool consisted of?

 

[junior67]

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that... It would only be a few extra days... BUT, can I wait that long?!?

I'll see how many eggs I end up getting.

Like iluveggers said the HAL allows a few days before and after I believe. And they say eggs are good for a couple weeks but not sure how old they will be before you get them. You don't want to take a chance. Maybe ask in the HAL if you set them on Tue/Wed if it is close enough you could still join in????

 

[Canadian Wind]

Like iluveggers said the HAL allows a few days before and after I believe. And they say eggs are good for a couple weeks but not sure how old they will be before you get them. You don't want to take a chance. Maybe ask in the HAL if you set them on Tue/Wed if it is close enough you could still join in????

Just looked at the description, and they need to hatch on the 8th of April, the day BEFORE Easter. So, set time for chickens is the 18th Mar. The eggs will be fairly fresh. Maybe I'll wait a bit on them, and just set the bantams early, since I know she's been holding those eggs.

 

[junior67]

Just looked at the description, and they need to hatch on the 8th of April, the day BEFORE Easter. So, set time for chickens is the 18th Mar. The eggs will be fairly fresh. Maybe I'll wait a bit on them, and just set the bantams early, since I know she's been holding those eggs.

ok. I knew set day was the 18th so hatch would be the 8th which threw me off a bit. hahaaa. I have a very TIGHT schedule so hoping mine hatch EARLY on day 21 this time. hahaaa. Since the 17th is day 21 and I need them to fluff so I can move them on out and clean my incubator and get the others in....... (and I am not home from early am to around 3-5pm on the 18th) so not a ton of time to get it cleaned and up and running again. LOL

 

[BobMcDuff]

Love it! I look forward to seeing the posts! I did that with a fall hatch of mine, trying to figure out which were pullets and which were cockerels. The girls from that hatch are just starting to lay, which is exciting too. One I gave away lays a pretty cream colored egg, the two I kept lay pinky buff colored eggs. The funny thing is the big pullet ( I think she is a GDL X BO cross, think really big and fluffy) has been laying almost every day since she started on the 5th but the eggs are smaller than PeeWee, the other one that was the slowest maturing and smallest of the lot (she looked a lot like your 4th chick shown, all black as a chick) lays a huge egg for a pullet but I've only gotten two so far (started laying on the 8th). I had set 7, 6 hatched, 3/3 pullet to cockerel ratio. I had to cull the cockerels. So sad I couldn't find them homes in time.

I've never seen a five toed chick before. That's pretty freaky! Any idea what the parental gene pool consisted of?

When I asked my co-worker original when getting the eggs he just blanket stated "Easter Eggers". Talking to him a little more sounds like he might have had a Leghorn under a Marans roo, and when I said about the fluffy footed one he said might be his Polish.

Ultimately I kind of like the idea of not knowing a little more though, keeps you guessing and lets the chicks surprise you themselves.

I'm just sad that I think one of the eggs that didn't make it might have been a victim of the chick that hatched next to it. When the chick hatched it started flailing all over and ultimately turned the egg upside down. When I checked after the hatch the unhatched egg looked as though it only needed to pip and absorb the rest of the yolk, it was otherwise looking good to my untrained eye.

 

[junior67]

I'm just sad that I think one of the eggs that didn't make it might have been a victim of the chick that hatched next to it. When the chick hatched it started flailing all over and ultimately turned the egg upside down. When I checked after the hatch the unhatched egg looked as though it only needed to pip and absorb the rest of the yolk, it was otherwise looking good to my untrained eye.

sometimes it happens. It is normal for the baby chicks to roll their siblings all around in the eggs and it normally won't effect them from hatching. I have had them fly them around after a pip, after internal pip etc. One of my hatches for whatever reason a couple of the chicks kept "rolling" over this one egg. they would go to walk and just stumble into this one egg then topple over it rolling it while they went. It is like chick bowling. LOL

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

Took some individual pics. Going to try , and follow how each one grows/changes, especially since I don't know what breeds they are/come from (mostly mixes I believe).
View attachment 3430947View attachment 3430948View attachment 3430950View attachment 3430951View attachment 3430952View attachment 3430953This one's got fuzzy legs and 5 toes.
View attachment 3430958View attachment 3430959
View attachment 3430960View attachment 3430949And finally, Zombie.

Much respect - that must’ve taken a couple minutes! They are great pictures and such a nice variety! Did I see a little Cemani in there?

 

[BobMcDuff]

Much respect - that must’ve taken a couple minutes! They are great pictures and such a nice variety! Did I see a little Cemani in there?

I took them all out of the brooder for a few minutes while I changed out the bedding (tomorrow I'm switching to the wood shaving though). Made it easy to take their pics as I was putting them back 1 at a time.

I was wondering myself about the Cemani possibility. I'll have to ask if he has any because that chick is completely black.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

I've got 12 so far!! I'll wait another day or two before I call it good on the remaining eggs. Eleven are in the brooder, one more just hatched an hour or so ago. I'll try to take pictures tomorrow. All healthy with no issues!!!

Congratulations