Morning All,
I want to go out today and pick up a hygrometer for this incubator today but really don't feel like making the drive all the way out to Walmart. I was out that way yesterday for about 4 hours and really don't want to drag the kids back out again today. I hate bringing my kids to the larger stores with me. Wonder if Tru-Value or Nightingale's up in Tully will have one. That would be a much quicker drive for me.
Checked on Stella today, it's day 21 for those eggs she's sitting on. She's getting kinda feisty now that it's closer to the hatch date so I don't try to move her to get a peek at the eggs. I figure if I hear peeping they hatched. Didn't hear much today, but then again the silkie coop is right next to her and those chicks - even at 12 weeks old are still cheeping like chicks! So that was distracting me while I was trying to listen.
Speaking of those silkie chicks, I haven't said anything yet because I was so upset over this and blamed myself, but I'm down from 4 to 3 now. They were all doing fine, all living together with the adults under one roof. Well the day I decided to let them out with the big girls, Duncan, the silkie roo was chasing after everyone, even the chicks. Never did it while he was in the coop with them because they have been fine up until this point. Well I was outside with them all and all of a sudden I saw Duncan try to climb onto one of the chicks - the smallest one of the group. He quickly got off, the chick seemed ok, but apparently wasn't. I went up to the coop later in the evening to lock them and found it laying on the floor of the run, lifeless. I was so upset that I had lost yet another one of these chicks. I should have never let them out. Now Duncan is in the bigger girls since they do a good job of fending for themselves when he tries to mate with them. They turn right around, fluff out their feathers and he backs down. But this is why I questioned keeping him separated from the flock. I don't want to get rid of him because I need him for breeding. He's fine with the bigger girls, so I'm thinking I'll just leave him with them when I want to give the silkie hens a break.
I've finally decided which lav chick I'd like to keep. Just don't know who is a roo and hen still. None are showing any signs of comb development. They're all flat above their beaks.
Sorry about your eggs in the incubator by the way...that's really too bad. I think you need a hygrometer, I bought one for $8 on 
