Michigan Hatchers! What'cha got cookin?

[gladahmae]

YAAAY CHICKIES!

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

Oh I love these babies! I got home last night and heard faint chirping in my other incubator! I now have 13 Narrangansett turkey eggs and 4 mixed ducks eggs in lockdown. Wooohoooo!

I have no idea where I am going to put these when they hatch, silly me!!!!

 

[gladahmae]

I have no idea where I am going to put these when they hatch, silly me!!!!

ME EITHER! I put all 6 of my houdan/wyandotte eggs under my MEAN broody today (she almost breaks the skin pecking/biting at you if you go NEAR her) and 4 or 5 (each) silkie eggs under my other 2 broody silkies. I'm hoping to move my mean broody and the broody ameraucana tonight (tried the Amer. this morning and it did NOT go well) and then give the ameraucana some am/ee x marans eggs to hatch. I'm also considering trying to get my cuckoo marans hen to hatch out some of my other wyandotte (or orp, I can't tell their eggs apart) mix chicks out but she was a broody failure last year.

I had 42 eggs in this batch, and I only had 2 clears from the ones I pulled out today. Last hatch ALL of the ameraucana mix eggs hatched. And I think I have about 10-15 of those in the incubator right now.

How many chicks do you think I could get away with having each one take care of? I would LOVE to NOT have to put chicks in the brooder in the basement, but I don't know if they could each realistically take 10 chicks.....I KNOW none of them could cover 10 eggs effectively....

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

I have only had a broody hatch out her own chicks 2 times. Once last year she hatched 4 and then this year another hatched 3 chicks out. We have a silkie sitting on 4 eggs right now. I'm not sure how many chicks a momma can actually take care of. Perhaps someone else knows????

Chicken math and chicken fever!

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Hi, everyone. I bought my first pair of silkies and the hen was a laying machine for about a month. I took nine of her eggs to a local guy who incubates for .50 per hatched egg!! Anyway, he candled on day 10 and only 3 were viable. The 3 are due to hatch tomorrow. Then my BO went broody and I purchased marans and a couple OE eggs to put under her. They gave me 18 eggs for a doz purchase. I chose to put 13 under her, and we're down to 10 eggs now and on day 15. I know I have some alive, but the darker marans are hard to candle, so I have my fingers crossed. And the little egg laying machine blue silkie went broody, so I put 5 of her own eggs under her and when I candled on day 5, only 2 were alive, so she is sitting on just 2 and we're on day 6. It's looking like I'll definitely have some chicks!! :yiipchick

I candled the marans eggs tonight and was able to tell that they were all alive, but one. I could see it sloshing around, so I cracked it open in a baggie to confirm and thank goodness it was a dud. So now I'm down to 9 under the BO. The silkie is still devoted to her two eggs. Then tonight I discovered that my other BO seems to be broody, too. Mmmm, I say to myself. Maybe I can do some rearranging so that I won't have to brood the incubator silkie chicks that I'm hopefully getting on Friday from the 50 cent guy mentioned above. I'm considering putting the two day 6 silkie eggs under the new broody and slip the day old silkie chicks under the silkie broody. Or maybe I should slip the silkie eggs under the confirmed broody who is sitting on the marans eggs at day 15...just until I can confirm the new BO broody is for real. Aaah, the possibilities!

 

[gladahmae]

Sooo, if my eggs started hatching 2 days early last time, and it's day 17 today, I should probably start stalking the incubator, right?


No. Seriously. I want to.


BUT I did lower the temperature setting by half a degree since the last hatch was so early. I don't think I'm going to move any of my Broodies unless the mamas can't handle the other hens. I feel like if I was going to move them that last night was kind of my chance. Don't want to risk breaking them at this point, or distressing them to the point that they break eggs. Broody pens are all set up just in case though.

Going to move 6 or so eggs out if the incubator and under my Ameraucana hen so she stops trying to steal the nest box from my Wyandotte girl. Apparently her golf balls aren't good enough.

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Here's a pic of my day-old splash over blue silkie chicks. I have the mom and dad to these chicks and took 9 eggs to someone who advertised to hatch them for 50 cents each!! Well, out of 9 eggs, only these three little gems hatched!! Sooo worth $1.50, don't you think? Love them!

 

[mindylee]

Here's a pic of my day-old splash over blue silkie chicks. I have the mom and dad to these chicks and took 9 eggs to someone who advertised to hatch them for 50 cents each!! Well, out of 9 eggs, only these three little gems hatched!! Sooo worth $1.50, don't you think? Love them!

Awwwwww!

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

Here's a pic of my day-old splash over blue silkie chicks. I have the mom and dad to these chicks and took 9 eggs to someone who advertised to hatch them for 50 cents each!! Well, out of 9 eggs, only these three little gems hatched!! Sooo worth $1.50, don't you think? Love them!

So fluffy and BE-autiful!

 

[jlynnet]

My broody experience hasn't gone well at all. I put 7 Polish chicks under my Orpington. She took right to them. Problem was the big roo and the other hen. He wasn't careful and the hen was mean. We lost 2 and 3 got injured, so I took the remainder today. Momma and babies aren't too happy. Next time the roo will be removed.