My first attempt...

[Mavrk]

Yeah... I have a rooster...

Funny, I was going to post this question as well until I read further down the post. Good luck

 

[TMNfarm]

I just got home from work and went to check the eggs... This morning all was well. I got to the coop to find the nest boxes with the clutches of eggs in them didn't have their hens... Both hens were sitting in the other two nest boxes. Their eggs were cold to the touch. It's about 40 degrees outside. My daughter said when she let the horses out, probably around 6 hours ago, they were sitting on their eggs. I put them back on their eggs, but I'm worried now because they were cold... I guess all I can do is wait... Should I move the, into the kennel building into their own little brooder type boxes??

 

[TMNfarm]

I got my candler today!! We got home pretty late, but I couldn't resist checking out a few eggs... I checked 3 of Prim's eggs. They should be at day 7. I could clearly see embrionic movement!!! It was SO cool!! I had the kids come down to the coop so I could show them. I did 2 of Butterscotch's eggs. Hers are only at day 5, but I could see some good veins, and we thought we saw some faint movement as well. Tomorrow, I'm going to take a notebook out and candle all of the eggs and record what we see... This is just way too much fun!!!

oh my gosh... I'm such a chicken geek... What a dork... (I use that word as a term of endearment. I used to call my wonderful late husband a dork all the time. I even have a charm on my bracelet that says "I love dorks")

 

[tadpole98]

I just got home from work and went to check the eggs... This morning all was well. I got to the coop to find the nest boxes with the clutches of eggs in them didn't have their hens... Both hens were sitting in the other two nest boxes. Their eggs were cold to the touch. It's about 40 degrees outside. My daughter said when she let the horses out, probably around 6 hours ago, they were sitting on their eggs. I put them back on their eggs, but I'm worried now because they were cold... I guess all I can do is wait... Should I move the, into the kennel building into their own little brooder type boxes??

I would still try to let her sit on them, when you candle you will see if they are still okay

 

[TMNfarm]

After what I felt was a very disappointing candling last night, I almost gave up on most of my eggs, but I candled them again tonight , and all 12 are alive and moving!! Woo Hoo!!!

 

[sumi]

That's great! Hope they continue to thrive.

 

[TMNfarm]

Boxes are all set up in the kennel building, have heat lamps warming the nest boxes now... Just have to wait for this evening to move them. I hope they like their new digs!!

 

[TMNfarm]

Success!!! I have 5 babies so far! Prim's 6th egg is due to hatch tomorrow. The first 5 hatched this morning, right on time... The chicks are adorable! All of them are black (Daddy is an Ancona), but one has yellow streaks on its face and 3 of them have a really pretty gold color on their faces. I'll try to get pics and post them.

Butterscotch's eggs are due on Wed & Fri...

I read somewhere about sexing them at a day old by the wing feathers... Can anyone refresh my memory on that?

 

[TMNfarm]

Chick #6 hatched this morning!! So that's 100% of my first batch! I read up on the feather sexing. According to their feathers, 4 of them are cockerels and only 2 are pullets. I also read that not all breed can be sexed by their feathers... All 4 of the ones that looked like cockerels are the ones with the gold faces... I'm hoping I'm wrong!

 

[Pele]

Chick #6 hatched this morning!! So that's 100% of my first batch! I read up on the feather sexing. According to their feathers, 4 of them are cockerels and only 2 are pullets. I also read that not all breed can be sexed by their feathers... All 4 of the ones that looked like cockerels are the ones with the gold faces... I'm hoping I'm wrong!

That approach to gender identification only works on birds that have been genetically manipulated to express gender in that manner. It's common in commercial hatcheries, where the genetic line has been refined for easy identification. If you do not have a breed specifically bred for feather ID, then you cannot use that method reliably.