November hatch-a-long

[igorsMistress]

We have several different kinds of coturnix from Myshire Farms---jumbo white wing pharaoh, jumbo Egyptian, and a mix that was described as feather sexable. I'm a bit embarrassed to say I ordered 75 eggs and received 90, many more than I need--though the eggs were shipped and I'm inexperienced at incubating so not expecting a huge hatch rate. Some folks who post on a regional FB page say they can't keep up with the demand for fertile eggs and chicks, so I'm hoping I can sell any extras.

Wow!! That’s a lot of eggs, but it’s great if you can sell the extras. Will you be keeping them for meat or eggs or both?

 

[TwoShepherds]

Wow!! That’s a lot of eggs, but it’s great if you can sell the extras. Will you be keeping them for meat or eggs or both?

Mostly for eggs and for fun, but the plan is to process the extra males if we can't sell them. It will be hard though, I'm sure we'll get attached, especially seeing them hatch.

 

[igorsMistress]

Mostly for eggs and for fun, but the plan is to process the extra males if we can't sell them. It will be hard though, I'm sure we'll get attached, especially seeing them hatch.

In my experience quail weren’t as easy to get attached to. I kept mine in an aviary though and didn’t interact much because they were food. Fun little birds though, good luck with your hatch! They are pretty resilient.

 

[kelseyk]

I am so sorry to hear about your chicken heartache! So sad, really hoping some hatch yet now I’m scared. Is there any chance it was Mareks? But I’m sure they would vaccinate on the GF farm...

The deathlayer eggs that I hatched were not directly from Greenfire. They were from someone on ebay. I observed my pullet for almost 3 weeks and her legs were very very slowly going paralyzed, but no signs of paralyzation anywhere else or any of the other signs of Marek's present. From the research that I have done, it looks like Marek's presents in the chicken doing more like the splits with the legs and also have wing and neck paralysis. My pullet would be more shakey in the legs and would just have to suddenly sit and then would fall over to one side and sit their for a while before getting back up. When she would run around, she would put her wings out just slightly to keep her balance. She ate and drank really well too. In my deathlayer research, I also found that they need lots of protein (sounds like a lot of people on the deathlayer group feed game bird feed). I also found that some leg problems can also be due to vitamin deficiencies. The only other chicken that is showing any signs of any kind of neuro issue (out of my 50+ birds) is it's hatching mate. I would think if it was Marek's, that I would have seen other chickens getting sick by now....It was 2-3 weeks ago that I put the pullet down and she spent at least 3 weeks with the chickens before I pulled her out as I could not tell if something was actually wrong or if she was just playing like the other "littles". So between that and what I have heard about the "leg issue" that deathlayers have, I am leaning pretty close to the genetic neuro issue.

 

[LadyCraig]

The deathlayer eggs that I hatched were not directly from Greenfire. They were from someone on ebay. I observed my pullet for almost 3 weeks and her legs were very very slowly going paralyzed, but no signs of paralyzation anywhere else or any of the other signs of Marek's present. From the research that I have done, it looks like Marek's presents in the chicken doing more like the splits with the legs and also have wing and neck paralysis. My pullet would be more shakey in the legs and would just have to suddenly sit and then would fall over to one side and sit their for a while before getting back up. When she would run around, she would put her wings out just slightly to keep her balance. She ate and drank really well too. In my deathlayer research, I also found that they need lots of protein (sounds like a lot of people on the deathlayer group feed game bird feed). I also found that some leg problems can also be due to vitamin deficiencies. The only other chicken that is showing any signs of any kind of neuro issue (out of my 50+ birds) is it's hatching mate. I would think if it was Marek's, that I would have seen other chickens getting sick by now....It was 2-3 weeks ago that I put the pullet down and she spent at least 3 weeks with the chickens before I pulled her out as I could not tell if something was actually wrong or if she was just playing like the other "littles". So between that and what I have heard about the "leg issue" that deathlayers have, I am leaning pretty close to the genetic neuro issue.

That sounds so sad! Sigh! So sorry. Is this type of information typically so obscure? Or just because it’s a new to US breed? I did read that they prefer to free range; could the birds have supplemented their own diets for lacking nutrients this way?
I just lost my father in-law last week, and the chicks and egg hatching has kinda been my happy distraction....I sure hope things don’t go pear shaped! I really appreciate the info that you’ve shared.

 

[kelseyk]

That sounds so sad! Sigh! So sorry. Is this type of information typically so obscure? Or just because it’s a new to US breed? I did read that they prefer to free range; could the birds have supplemented their own diets for lacking nutrients this way?
I just lost my father in-law last week, and the chicks and egg hatching has kinda been my happy distraction....I sure hope things don’t go pear shaped! I really appreciate the info that you’ve shared.

I am not sure why the "bad" side of the deathlayers is so hard to find. My guess would be because it is so rare and people don't want to hinder getting it established.

My chickens get all flock crumbles, scratch grains, and have a huge day run where they can forage. So they should be getting everything they need.

So sorry to hear about your father-in-law.I totally understand the hatching and chicks being a happy place. That is what my hatching and chicks have been as well (and then it turned into a business plan). We have been having behavioral issues with our teen daughter for the last year plus. It was my get away from all the yelling and fights as well as the depression brought on from it and the whole covid thing. I hope you have a great hatch so you have a nice little bit of happy!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Well by midday the next day a pullet and roo was in her coop and she must have been booted out and I found her sitting on 1 egg.. Not sure if the nest of eggs are still viable? I put her back on her nest and secured fencing around her coop area so the others can't bother her again. Hopefully the eggs she sat on overnight are ok!

I candled eggs today and 4 were yolkers for sure so I cracked them...Unfortunately my 2 boys must not have done there job yet again!!
So 9 left now out of 13 she was on. The others I couldnt see veins but they looked like a solid colour so that means a chick inside?? They weren't clear with blob of yolk under light.

 

[Araucana Nest]

I am not sure why the "bad" side of the deathlayers is so hard to find. My guess would be because it is so rare and people don't want to hinder getting it established.

My chickens get all flock crumbles, scratch grains, and have a huge day run where they can forage. So they should be getting everything they need.

So sorry to hear about your father-in-law.I totally understand the hatching and chicks being a happy place. That is what my hatching and chicks have been as well (and then it turned into a business plan). We have been having behavioral issues with our teen daughter for the last year plus. It was my get away from all the yelling and fights as well as the depression brought on from it and the whole covid thing. I hope you have a great hatch so you have a nice little bit of happy!

 

[The Cave]

I candled eggs today and 4 were yolkers for sure so I cracked them...Unfortunately my 2 boys must not have done there job yet again!!
So 9 left now out of 13 she was on. The others I couldnt see veins but they looked like a solid colour so that means a chick inside?? They weren't clear with blob of yolk under light.

What day are they on? Sorry if I missed that, I candled mine around 6 days and saw veins and the little embryo in the middle. I had another one hatch this morning! It pipped last night at 11pm, stayed up till 1am and decided it was time to get some sleep....I swear they know when its bed time for me and like to play magic tricks. Woke up to a baby chick!

 

[Chookwagn]

I thought I'd chip in with my hatches for Nov

have had a broody hatching eggs and i could hear cheeping last night so shes got something there
I have 6 Bantam wyandotte eggs in lockdown now
12 Golden pheasant eggs hatching 15th
11 Cochin Frizzle x eggs hatching 22nd

should be a busy month!