October Hatch-A-Long 2017

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

The TJ eggs and the SBEL look to be a bust. Not a thing on early candling at 3.5 days. Some frighteningly clear. Took the liberty of ordering up 15+ assorted Marans eggs to compensate.

The local eggs are all showing signs of life. So 8 Welsummers, 2 OE and 3 Welsummer crosses are working it well.

Oh, yay! More chickens. Can't go wrong. Especially with Marans chickens.

 

[Peep_Show]

We're hoping for a couple of Marans, but we've got the high-altitude handicap on hatching dark eggs. They just don't get enough oxygen. I'm hoping to have alleviated some of that by ordering from someone who's a mere 2500 feet lower in elevation (vs. 5000 feet at sea level.) For shipped eggs, they're the highest in elevation that I've found. (Ideally, finding a breeder in CO would be perfect!)

If the Marans are a bust I may just have to order chicks, which as you can imagine breaks a hatchaholic's spirit.

 

[Sam and ELLA]

Here’s a day 12 update.

 

[Peep_Show]

The embryo is almost waving at you!

 

[Harmony Fowl]

So I called about my shipped eggs. For whatever reason, the breeder thought they were to be shipped this week and was going to ship them tomorrow. Since this was their error, they said I could delay my order until my incubator is empty, so it looks like I’ll be joining the November hatchalong too. The best outcome I could have hoped for, given that they didn’t show up on time.

 

[Poultrybreeder]

This is off topic , but I am going to try working to create a new breed,what do you think I should cross together

 

[Harmony Fowl]

This is off topic , but I am going to try working to create a new breed,what do you think I should cross together

I think that's a super fun off topic! I recently thought about the same thing. I'd like to take breeds that have some kind of connection to our family, in our case, Andalusians, Buckeyes and Dominiques. No plans to really do it, but it would be a fun little project to come up with our own breed/variety/mix.

 

[Poultrybreeder]

I want them to have the bearded gene, but lay tan eggs. I don't mind color or crests, so maybe I'll throw my bearded polishes in as part of the project.

 

[lawson1986]

Going to put 12 silkie eggs in the bator later this week, and my one broody silkie hen is sitting on another clutch of 12 fertile silkie eggs as well ...going to be a busy fall/winter here

 

[lawson1986]

It was even better in person, better than Prozac

When I first looked at the heating plates they were so expensive! I think they were at or over $100. For me that might as well be a million dollars, lol.

But man, what a great concept!

It looks like they're pricing them more reasonably now, unless the ones on amazon are knock-offs.

Im excited to see how the plate works for you! I'll definitely keep y'all posted!

I got one of the heat plate "brooders" earlier this summer from amazon for about $40, it was so worth it to not worry about my babies, and the fire hazard that is the heat lamp when I wasnt home. The babies really likes running underneath it, and jumping on it, and pooing on it... I will never use the heat lampmethod again!