May 2020 Hatch-A-Long

[Knighstar679]

Oh I didn't realize they were tiny ducks! Yay! I can't wait to see pictures!

I have fallen in love with the tiny bantam breeds of ducks. I still like Welsh Harliquin and Cayuga for layers to eat eggs, but to enjoy as a flock the little ducks are what I really like. Their personalities are soooo huge for such tiny ducks.

My flock by the end of this year will be mainly Black East Indie, Aztec, with a few call ducks, then my welsh layers.

 

[BreezyBre]

Just setting some eggs I had shipped in and I know shipped eggs it's a toss up . My last hatch on a shipped two dozen I got 8 ,one passed after hatch sadly but I'm okay with 7 . I bought 32 lol this time ( Bresse ) and my incubator only holds 27 so my broody girl Barbara is going to hatch the extra for me . Fingers crossed we get a good hatch I'm really excited about this new breed ! I think they are going to be a bit bigger than I imagined because the eggs are gigantic lol all between 65-70 grams

 

[BreezyBre]

I guess maybe if I would have waited a little bit longer to butcher them there would have been more meat on him, but there wasn't much meat at 18 weeks. Even the pullets that were 20 weeks old didn't have very much meat either when I gave them to my friend.

I want a dual-purpose cross that puts meat on, but it doesn't take forever.

The breast meat on the Jersey giant cross was very thin, but the Easter Egger had a very thick breast.

Feel free to share pictures

Have you thought about getting into heritage breeds ? I have Barbizeaux and just got some Bresse those are excellent meat /layers . My first time with Bresse but I can get my Barbizeaux to weight in about 3- 4 month max I'm still farting around with feed ratio's since you can't really stuff them 24/7 but they certainly are tasty and worth the wait.

 

[FortCluck]

I know they're dirty, but What are these chicks?

I got them from Tractor Supply for $0.50 a piece along with silkies for the same price. The manager is amazing!

He said that they sent them as white rocks or leghorns, but I know they are not either because they have feathered legs.

 

[BreezyBre]

I know they're dirty, but What are these chicks?

I got them from Tractor Supply for $0.50 a piece along with silkies for the same price. The manager is amazing!

He said that they sent them as white rocks or leghorns, but I know they are not either because they have feathered legs.

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I'm not good at this but I throw a guess lolol Brahma ?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

First time mommy...surrogate mom.

Beautiful!!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

HATCHING DAY!
From 48, 42 made it to lockdown (although 3 have big X on them which means I thought they had died already, but didn't want to chance throwing out a chick-since its my first time)
I have 19 in the brooder, 2 zipping, 9 more pipped.
My little arm bracelets that my kids and I painted with nail polish (in 8 different designs so I could tell who is who, plus male and female) didn't work, because the nail polish cracked right off the straw as soon as I opened it up.
Plus, the straws were way too tiny! Chick have bigger legs than I remember.... So I am so glad I had an extra bag of "big slurp straws" that I bought for when the chicks got older... LOL so made new bracelet cuffs for them as they hatched, and moved over 2 or 3 at a time. All seems to be going well.

I am hoping I am around the half way mark, as I am secretly aiming for 35 chicks... but will be happy with 30..

Yeah, very exciting!!!

 

[Vantic]

Have you thought about getting into heritage breeds ? I have Barbizeaux and just got some Bresse those are excellent meat /layers . My first time with Bresse but I can get my Barbizeaux to weight in about 3- 4 month max I'm still farting around with feed ratio's since you can't really stuff them 24/7 but they certainly are tasty and worth the wait.

I would be interested to know how the two breeds compare when you get to that point, raising ease and of course flavor.

I have some Delaware and Dorking coming later in the year. I am trying to wean off ConishX.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

What cuties!!!
Well, I guess momma instinct woke me up (its almost 3 in the morning). Came to check on my hatch..a few more waiting to go into the brooder, so I tagged them and let them join the fun.
It seems cruel to have this bright heat lamp on the chicks at night- not that they are having trouble sleeping... LOL I have to keep tapping the brooder to make sure no one is dead- they are all asleep.- but I am surprised they give off so much light, I thought it would be more red, darker.
I will inspect everyone leg and body parts tomorrow. Does anyone here try and sex their chicks? cant be that hard, can it? Would be nice to learn how.....and be good at it.

Sounds like you are having a great hatch! Vent sexing of chicks is a difficult skill; we can usually tell sex by 4-8 weeks by comb development.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

We have chicks!!! Most dramatic and late hatch I have ever experienced! View attachment 2118768View attachment 2118769View attachment 2118770

I had a look last night and only one had hatched.. this was the end of day 21 so I was worried to say the least!
I then saw the hen pecking at an egg that had pipped and she had taken 60% of the shell off and eating it and the chick was just inside the white membrane but seemed struggling to get out.. against what I had read, I just felt an urge to help.. so helped delicately pull some of the membrane away. This morning the chick was fluffed up and seemed great.. and a few more had hatched too. So I have 5 but one hatched this morning and seems to be a bit behind the others in terms of strength and keeping up with mum.

Now I wait for my first time broody who is sitting on another 4 from this batch of Swedish Flower Hen eggs.. day 20 today... fingers crossed!!

Congratulations!!! Those are the most adorable pictures!!!