NY chicken lover!!!!

I was told to wait 28 days ..That was today . We opened them all to see what they looked like .
All dead . one looked fully developed ...all the rest were all smaller sized or mostly yolk .
I would like to try again ...It was kind of heart breaking that none of them made it .
I'm pretty sure both of mine are dead. Day 23 today, no noise or anything. Candled this morning and there was no movement near the air cell at all. Really don't want to open them up, that'll gross me out. LOL I'm not sure how much space is supposed to be left between the chick and the air cell but there was a tiny bit of space and there was no movement from the chick. Something went wrong. At least there were only two eggs and not ten. Upsetting but I still have 8 outside the broodies are sitting on, one of which should be hatching any day now. Can't wait to go check Stella's next today to see if I hear any peeping!
 
Breella is your lil one making noises? My son was worried too when one developed a larger redder comb, but at 16 Weeks we have no crows, odd noises but no crowing. So at best only time will tell. Do you have more from that hatch? I have six but 5 are all white and one has slight color like a few freckles down her back.
I have one more from the same red bin the same day and she is a deeper red, a lot less white.
I do. They got their chicks from Mt. Healthy. Don't ask me how I know.
wink.png
I could hug you! I looked at their photos of Dark Brahmas and BrahMutt looks a lot like their Roosters! He was in the assorted Banty bin with my mutant silkie. I still dont know what he may be crossed with because everything i read say Brahma chickens mature slowly but this guy had red comb and waddles at 5-6 weeks old and his green sheen over his feathers was visable by 7-8 weeks.

22 weeks is a common age for the first egg. Molting before that time is just loss of juvenile feathers and adult feathers growing in.
Thank you, I thought I read earlier somewhere but I am new and that is why I defer to the judgment of the more experienced here.

I'll look at mine which are same age but for most part looks same as mine. I'll compare all my wattles to yours and comb. I have 6 that look like it.
My darker red one doesnt have as much waddle/comb growth or color. I wish they were as pale as my leghorns because I have little doubt to the gender of those girls.
Good morning all, I was able to do a little bit of gardening last night, hopefully more today. I def gotta now the lawn! And hopefully get some homework done.

Nutty Good luck with the eggs, I'm glad your doing very well after your surgery. Did I hear that right three boys graduated and three more to go? Wow well congrats on getting them off to college!

Gramma Sorry about the eggs, hopefully your next batch will work out.
I hope I can salvage my garden!
 
Wait a second, Rancher, they dont have Silkie or Silkie crosses listed for sale. I cant find anything on any "assorted Bantams" I may just write to them and ask.
 
Last edited:
How old, typically, do chicks/ducks become when the hen decides they are on their own? I have absolutely no luck at all with broody hens. It has been their first year but every single one has killed any chick that hatches. I only found 2 in time. Hopefully next year and I'll have a better set up so they aren't up so high.

What breeds do you have. Some are better mothers than others. BR's and Dominiques that I've had will get in your face if you go near their chicks. My BR hen would whack me in the back of the legs as I went by sometimes.

My Dels however don't seem to mind babies running around in the run. They are all in together. Even George. So far so good.
 
Good morning all, I was able to do a little bit of gardening last night, hopefully more today. I def gotta now the lawn! And hopefully get some homework done.

Nutty Good luck with the eggs, I'm glad your doing very well after your surgery. Did I hear that right three boys graduated and three more to go? Wow well congrats on getting them off to college!

Gramma Sorry about the eggs, hopefully your next batch will work out.


Actually close it is 2 boys and 1 girl that has graduated . I have 6 total 1 girl who is my oldest and she is 24 a nurse married has 2 babies and is due for number 3 in August, the rest of mine are all boys oldest son is 21 and is stationed in Hawaii with the Marines, the next child is 18 and he is graduating this Saturday and will be going to SUNY Plattsburgh where he is majoring to be a physics / chemistry teacher. The rest who will be at home are boys also and the are ages 16, 15, & the baby is 12
 
Nutty - glad your shoulder is doing well.
yippiechickie.gif
Dr's try to generalize, and of course if he tells you the worst and things go well you are sure to be happy.

Gramma - Sorry about your hatch. Things do get better as you practice and learn a technique that works for you. If you need eggs come and see me. Dels and EE's seem to be the easiest for me to hatch. Just give me a heads up by a few days, so I can set them aside.

Everyone else - If I have not sent you the PP article on hatching send me your e- mail and I'll send it on.

Two things I learned I was doing wrong.

1. You must place your incubator in a room with a consistent 70* - 80* temp. A room that is warm during the day and cooler at night is not good. Low traffic. Not a room where folks are always walking by causing breezes. I use my small office with the door closed.

I also prefer to hatch in late winter when the heat is on, cuz I think that keeps the room temp even through out the hatch time. I can't say for sure, but I do like to get the new chicks to laying age before the frost is on the pumpkin.

B. Humidity 35% til day 16, then upped to 55% til day 19, then upped again to 65% til hatch. The humidity of the room can affect the humidity in your incubator.

(of course there will be those who have other techniques but this works well for me)


Bree - What the hatcheries offer to private customers may be different from what they sell to the stores. I was told that TSC does not pick what they will get. They get what the hatchery decides to send. Certainly they can't afford to sell them as cheap as they do and make a profit if they pay the same to the hatchery as we do.

That's why you are wise to purchase chicks from TSC.

Take care folks, sun is shining good time to clean those coops.


Rancher
 
Last edited:
400


This was my mothers day gift but it was only 2" tall a months worth of compost and rain it's almost 3ft and it turn out to be a climber so I need to build something for it climb on. I wish I knew what kind of plant it is it's a bean of some sort. It was a class project my sons fourth grade class, handed to me in pint milk carton. The best and only mothers day gift and now I get to show it off! And suggestions on how to keep it going strong more than welcome.
 
yte4u
What breeds do you have. Some are better mothers than others. BR's and Dominiques that I've had will get in your face if you go near their chicks. My BR hen would whack me in the back of the legs as I went by sometimes.

My Dels however don't seem to mind babies running around in the run. They are all in together. Even George. So far so good.
The broody's that have killed their young are Black Copper Marans and EE's. I had a sizzle sit for a very, very long time but our temps were consistently below 10 for a long time. She might have succeeded if I had left her alone. Both BCM and EE literally ate the hatched chicks. They were so gross!
 
Quote:
I wonder what causes a hen to kill her chicks...I have chicks due to hatch in the next few days *fingers crossed* and she is first time broody so I'm a little worried. She is in the corner of a shed with only her friend another silkie and my unstable drunken roo. I just have my fingers crossed that I have a good hatch and she doesn't kill them.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom