May 2020 Hatch-A-Long

[kelseyk]

get them! they're wonderful chickens!

I really think I might. But then I HAVE to stop buying......after I get Call Duck eggs. Lol! I am going to have to build a new chicken shed now.

 

[kelseyk]

Have you guys heard of the concept of nail sexing? It works in exotics and flying birds idk if it does chickens but I would think so. Someone here with known genders could give it a shot and let us know maybe lol. I’ve done every bird I know DNA on in my aviary and it’s matched up. Check it out

I have done the ring test (similar only uses a ring....or in my case a flat washer) but have heard and tested opposite - that back and forth is a female and circle is a Male. It was 100% right on my first 9 chicks @ 3 weeks of age but nowhere near correct on my 6 day olds I did 2 years ago. I am trying it just for fun on my chicks this year and @ 2 weeks it predicted 14 pullets and 4 cockerels. I noticed one of my "pullet" BCM's getting quite a comb so re-tested them all and now have a prediction of 9 pulleys and 9 cockerels. I am starting to wonder if when holding them at a young age, if my magnatism is more powerful and overrides the chicks. So today I think I am going to put my 2 week old silkies in a plastic cup on a non magnetic surface and try it.

 

[Knighstar679]

I remember reading on this hatch-a-long that someone has Death Layers. I was wondering if i could ask you some questions about them.

How easy have you found them to keep?
Do they go Broody?
What are the personalities like of the Roosters?
ANything else you would like to share about them?

 

[FortCluck]

I remember reading on this hatch-a-long that someone has Death Layers. I was wondering if i could ask you some questions about them.

How easy have you found them to keep?
Do they go Broody?
What are the personalities like of the Roosters?
ANything else you would like to share about them?

That would be me...

I have two roosters no females so unsure if they go broody. My roosters are very mellow, docile, and very curious. They're very protective of their girls. They're good for dual purpose (eggs and meat). I got mine for free from a friend who ordered a bunch of them and split them with her boyfriend. He got mostly all females and she got all roosters. I have zero complaints about my roosters. They mate my girls and care for them. They are gentle with mating and don't seem to do any feather damage. Mine are about a year old I think.v

They throw amazing colors when crossing them with other breeds especially with a gold or white hen.

My friend has females and they lay almost every day and they're fairly large eggs. The females are definitely eye candy and so aren't the roosters.

 

[Knighstar679]

That would be me...

I have two roosters no females so unsure if they go broody. My roosters are very mellow, docile, and very curious. They're very protective of their girls. They're good for dual purpose (eggs and meat). I got mine for free from a friend who ordered a bunch of them and split them with her boyfriend. He got mostly all females and she got all roosters. I have zero complaints about my roosters. They mate my girls and care for them. They are gentle with mating and don't seem to do any feather damage. Mine are about a year old I think.v

They throw amazing colors when crossing them with other breeds especially with a gold or white hen.

My friend has females and they lay almost every day and they're fairly large eggs. The females are definitely eye candy and so aren't the roosters.

Thanks so much for the response. I am looking at getting some hatching eggs of either Brahma because who wouldn’t like a two foot tall chicken, and death layers because they are a rare breed and I like helping rare breeds.

 

[kelseyk]

My hubby is actually okay with me building a new (bigger) chicken shed, as long as he doesn't have to do any of the work! I thought I would get a definite no.

Got a message back from the ebay seller on the OE eggs. She did drop them at the post office on the 28th of April and the post office she dropped them off at did set on them until the 1st of May. She said that they were collected the morning that she mailed them. So crossing my fingers that they get here tomorrow as they will already be a week old.

 

[CindyinSD]

My hubby is actually okay with me building a new (bigger) chicken shed, as long as he doesn't have to do any of the work! I thought I would get a definite no.

Got a message back from the ebay seller on the OE eggs. She did drop them at the post office on the 28th of April and the post office she dropped them off at did set on them until the 1st of May. She said that they were collected the morning that she mailed them. So crossing my fingers that they get here tomorrow as they will already be a week old.

A week old isn't that bad, though a week old *and* shipped is kind of two strikes. I've got some of my own eggs that ended up sitting for a couple weeks before I used them, and everything that wasn't clear seems to be cooking along beautifully. I guess I'd worry more about the actual shipping than the eggs being a week old. It's not ideal, but there's a good chance it will work out well.

 

[FortCluck]

We are making a run just for my baby chicks with their own coop! I cannot wait.

 

[Tbjenkins2007]

Ok. I officially have all of my incubators going at the same time. Had a mishap so had to wait a few days for the third one.

In incubator 1: 15 turkey eggs-they are heritage mixes (bourbon red Tom with a gray and a bronze hen)
In incubator 2 and 3: backyard mixes with lots of variety from my neighbors!

72 chicken eggs in total and 15 turkeys. Incubator 1 and 2 will hatch around the same time and 3 will hatch a few days after the first... kind of give me a breather between hatches, since hatch day is my favorite

 

[Knighstar679]

First two tiny babies from my black East Indie.