MAY 2016 "Land of the Free Because of the brave!" Hatch-a-Long Hosted by, Mike & Sally

[sasafras4u2]

My peafowl eggs came in e They all made it! Need to check their air cells still but they're resting at the moment, I'll be popping them into the incubator tomorrow. So I guess that means if there's a June hatch-a-long I'll be in that one too, lol.

i want peafowl eggs and sebastopol eggs too!!!!!! And maybe some silver call duck eggs oh oh and .....mmm

 

[sasafras4u2]

So im getting a dozen silkie eggs. A dozen MPC reshipped eggs. (3 BLRW,3 CCLB,3 EE,3 SBEL) And a dozen croads (because mine croaked) lol (the shipper is replacing my order for cost of shipping only) chicken peeps are great peeps! All to be shipped on June 7th so im all in if there is a june hatch a long.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote:

So I went out and bought 3 new multi color packages of Sharpies "just" for marking eggs. I had the primary marker colors Black, blue, red and green. But I've been using colored zip ties to mark each hatch different, so I bought markers that matched the zip ties. But now I have markers that don't have zip ties to match all the colors in the markers...lol. So I'm looking for colored zip ties that match the new markers...lol.

What is everybody's best way of marking chickens to keep track of individual birds within a hatch, yet keep track of that hatch as well?? Something with numbers and different colors or something that one can write numbers/letters in different colors??

I'm really missing the way I was able to use to keep track of my sheep. Because they were registered purebreds, they had to be double tagged with tags that had your farm letters, the number and the letter of the year. But I wasn't going to catch each animal just to look at the tag and match it to records...so I used the father's color for the back of the tag, the mother's color for the front and all my numbers started with the number of that year. 2004 animals were numbered 401-499. (Who can remember the letter of the year 5 years back...not me...lol) I could see at a glance which line was the offspring was from and know the year instantly.

I'm looking at different leg bands...not interested in wing bands that puncture. Was thinking of wide plain elastic that could fit over the wing and fit nice at the base of the wing....information could be written on the band. Haven't found what I'm thinking of yet...

@ChickenCanoe

Paddler has a great system.

LEG BANDS ideas for ID chicks: post #5609
Chickencanoes chick/chicken Identification practices post #25833

@Sally Sunshine @ChickenCanoe

Wow, the whole queen bee ID thing is very cool! I love the stuff I learn on here.
I never thought about needing to I.D. queens!

Thanks for all the information! I will take that under advisement. I have a major assortment of rubber bands for hatch chicks, and of course the zip ties I already mentioned, plus marking paint. (many of my girls look the same...lol)

I am wondering/thinking/considering about trying the below types of elastics to sit at the base of the wing IF I can find a size of band that fits and isn't irritating to the bird. ID/info could be written on the elastic. It'd be like a tag, sort of.

 

[Jessimom]

Hello everyone!! Cute photos!! Great saves!! Sorry for the DIS and after lock down deaths. Sounds like a lot going on!!!

In this house, we had 2 sets of locked down eggs that didn't do so well.

The set that was mine, the dozen eggs that made a side trip from WA to AL, back to CA had 10 that didn't hatch. For the two other sets of eggs, I ended up with 6 blue eggs, 5 Cochin eggs that didn't hatch. I was able to find some of the hatched egg shells that were legible. I had 3 Maran, 1 Gold Laced Brahma, 2 Blue Partridge Brahma, 2 Blue Birchen Brahma, 2 Biefelders, 1 dark green egg and 6 silkies - along with 6 others I didn't have shells for. A total of 23 chicks out of 54 originally set.

For Gotro17's eggs. The 60 eggs we set, only 40 made it to lock down, but only 17 hatched. 9 Lavender Orpington and 8 Cochin. Of the 40 that made it to lock down 15 of 20 of the eggs that started life in my Brinsea hatched and only 2 of 20 that started in the Hovabator. I did eggtopsies on 10 of the eggs. The Marans that I couldn't see in, about half were infertile or died within days of incubation, the other half were late DIS - they didn't absorb ANY yolk. A couple of the questionable ones that I left in at lock down were earlier DIS. In the Hovabator, the temp jumped around day 15. I think it must have done more damage than I thought.

I have Fly Tyer eggs (shipped) and a bunch of my eggs - silkies and backyard EE mix eggs. I just got 30 eggs from TJchickens (6 Seramas,4 bantam EE, 6 Silver Sebrights, 5 Golden Sebrights, 5 Golden Neck D'uccle and 4 Mille Fleur D'uccle. I will set these with 16 silkie, and 30 backyard EE mix eggs.

Can anyone tell me the best way to hatch the Seramas?

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote: X 2!!

Other than the 20 perfect eggs

I have one with a small crack in the shell in the air cell... That might be an issue I think only in that bacteria could get in? I didn't notice early and then well now it's now and the bird seems fine and maybe it's fine. I also have one with a wonky air cell. I guess it's possible that it sat upside down for a few days before going in because my husband was Incharge of collecting at a point and has a hard time telling pointy end from well the other... So I will post a pic of that, perhaps some of you have thoughts on it?

I haven't had any luck yet with eggs that have a crack...yet. Mine usually develop part way, then I can see the veins begin to atrophy...and then the embryo dies.

But others have had success and I think with yours just being at the end of the air cell...it may have a definite chance. I hope it does it!!

Please let us know how it makes out. I'd love to know the results!

Had to toss 5 splash silkie eggs last night as I set them..rolling air cells. I've tried before with them. They never start. So, away they went.

Oh no! That's sucks.

So sorry to hear about your eggs.

I candled eggs on Tuesday night and removed many clears and quitters. I noticed that the 10 Brown Leghorn eggs looked like they were more developed that the others. Sue took them from a broody hen, so we knew they had started to develop, but we weren't for sure how long she had been sitting & broody may have still been adding other hens eggs to her nest.
As Bill & I were tucking in chickens & chicks last night, I finally got to witness the chick crow- Bill saw & heard him do it at 3 weeks old, but I never did. That finally got our 4 mo old BCM roo going, and now he's crowing too!
So, I went to check on the bator as it was beeping due to low humidity. I lifted the lid to find 2 fluffy Brown Leghorns staring at me! Yikes! We quickly unplugged the turner as it began to tilt with one little guy's head between the rails- just in time! Candled all eggs quickly, moved CLBs, OEs and a few less developed eggs to another bator which was already going and had just enough room.
So, surprise, we have BLHs! There were 7 out this morning and the others are pipped! Pics when I get home tonight! Shortest incubation ever- thanks to the broody!

Ok, i look terrible but the photo in general is too funny not to share.

That's an awesome pic!!!
And so cute!!!

My peafowl eggs came in

They all made it! Need to check their air cells still but they're resting at the moment, I'll be popping them into the incubator tomorrow. So I guess that means if there's a June hatch-a-long I'll be in that one too, lol.

Eeeeek!! I've got a first time broody!!

She's 4 and as far as I know has never went broody a day in her life!! Now I'm all excited and have no idea what to do

That's awesome! I'm totally new to broodies...but I'm learning quickly..lol.
Pretty difficult to put broodies together from different hatch times. And once they have their chicks...pretty hard to add a new one. (I just tried today...lol)

I've just had four set and hatch chicks...and two more are setting.
I let them set on golf balls for a few days/nights before giving them any eggs.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

@Jessimom sorry about the losses but it sounds like a lot of new eggies coming in!!

I want sebrights someday

Best to ask the pro about serama
@Sally Sunshine

 

[Wickedchicken6]

@Jessimom sorry about the losses but it sounds like a lot of new eggies coming in!!

I want sebrights someday

Best to ask the pro about serama
@Sally Sunshine

Sorry to hear of the losses too!

Sebrights are gorgeous.

I can see a few eggs being brought in here to outcross...so I'm interested in hearing info too!

 

[chanamarie]

Today was Day 10 for me, so I candled mine again (6 LF Cochins, 6 EE, 6 Ameracaunas). I *think* they're developing ok (this is my first time doing this!). All except one (which didn't look good on Day 7) had a larger air cell than last time (though some not that much larger?), blood vessels, and were dark on the pointy end. And they all felt heavier than the 'bad' one. Should I leave the bad one in to see or chuck it?

Anything else I should be doing? Next day for candling will be Tuesday (day 14).

 

[wabbit1964]

Today was Day 10 for me, so I candled mine again (6 LF Cochins, 6 EE, 6 Ameracaunas). I *think* they're developing ok (this is my first time doing this!). All except one (which didn't look good on Day 7) had a larger air cell than last time (though some not that much larger?), blood vessels, and were dark on the pointy end. And they all felt heavier than the 'bad' one. Should I leave the bad one in to see or chuck it?

Anything else I should be doing? Next day for candling will be Tuesday (day 14).

any smell from the 'bad one'? I might just leave it until the next candle unless it stinks.

 

[RoodyRodchester]

[COLOR=4B0082]  X 2!!    [/COLOR]


I haven't had any luck yet with eggs that have a crack...yet. Mine usually develop part way, then I can see the veins begin to atrophy...and then the embryo dies.

[COLOR=4B0082]But others have had success and I think with yours just being at the end of the air cell...it may have a definite chance. I hope it does it!!  [/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]Please let us know how it makes out. I'd love to know the results![/COLOR]

[COLOR=4B0082]Oh no! That's sucks.[/COLOR]  
[COLOR=4B0082]So sorry to hear about your eggs.[/COLOR]




[COLOR=4B0082]That's an awesome pic!!!  [/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]And so cute!!! [/COLOR]




 :yiipchick [COLOR=4B0082]That's awesome!  I'm totally new to broodies...but I'm learning quickly..lol.  [/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]Pretty difficult to put broodies together from different hatch times. And once they have their chicks...pretty hard to add a new one. (I just tried today...lol)[/COLOR]

[COLOR=4B0082]I've just had four set and hatch chicks...and two more are setting.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]I let them set on golf balls for a few days/nights before giving them any eggs. [/COLOR]

I hadn't collected eggs in a few days because I was running out of room in the fridge and in the incubator. And yesterday I caught her sitting on the eggs and she got very verbal when I went to get them. So I left them and her. I didn't check to see if she was sitting on them before bed because I ended up hurting my knee and was resting all evening. But she was on them all day today but I just saw her out so in not sure what she's doing. Maybe just a quick break. Guess I will see in a little bit. She's a leghorn so I didn't think she'd ever go broody.