October-hatch-along 2019

[Kat MacK]

I use coconut oil to moisten the membrane..put it gently with cotton/earbuds. It provided electrolytes as well and helps to see if there are any veins.

Definitely stealing this. Six more mixed large fowl due to hatch on Thursday!

 

[Kat MacK]

Our little OD made it out the rest of the way last night on its own and is doing well ...except it's lonely. The other two eggs didn't hatch, as I was half expecting. That's why I started some additional ( large fowl EEs - all I could get on short notice) eggs as soon as I could so we would have a couple more chicks. Fingers crossed that at least a couple of them hatch on Thursday . Otherwise I will have to hunt down a couple of chicks locally, which is looking like a challenge right now.

 

[Maiahr]

A chicken tractor is a movable run that sometimes has a coop and you move it across the yard so that the chickens get new fresh grass everyday...
We are making quail cages too for mating quail. We are using PVC board for those and setting them on 5 foot high tables so they're at eye level.

I WANT A CHICKEN TRACTOR!!!
I have moveable cages now like yours, but I move them by hand. Can you send me pictures of the railings and the wheels? Now, do you have wild animals there? Can they dig under the cage? We have and I need to enclose the birds somewhere during the night... Even though wild animals are so aggressive that one of my neighbors got back from work the other day and found his chicken legs in the backyard.. argh!

I need to learn how to identify why my eggs didn't hatch . I think it's called an egg topsy

Yes and there is an article here on the website somewhere called Hatching Failures. I can't find it from my phone, but Google it.

20/33 in the brooder, took them out this morning. I have some more pips.. I am happy so far.

 

[SSSophie]

I was NOT planning on hatching eggs this month seeing as we have over 200 chickens right now and really need yet another coop for my august babies. However, my white leghorn hen had other ideas. She does not like to stay in the run with the other chickens and I allow her freedom. Her name is Lake Ann. My dominate rooster is Albert, another white leghorn. He is the only rooster I know of that mates her. Its always a hunt for her eggs. While cleaning our yard and rearranging our chicken areas about a week and a half ago my hubby discovered a nest full of her eggs. He put them in a basket and brought them inside. Lake Ann was devastated. She was making horrible noises looking for her eggs the rest of the evening. I was irritated because I knew she had been sitting on them and now he had moved them. I was not sure if we should put her somewhere with them and see if she would sit on them again or how to proceed. We ended up pulling the incubator back out. There were 12 eggs. 10 were fertile and developing, they look like they may hatch somewhere around the 30th. Gotta love some surprise chicken math!!! These chickens seriously need to go to auction. 200 birds ALL under a year, most under six months. I go to work to feed them right now.... LOL

 

[Maiahr]

View attachment 1941633
Our little OD made it out the rest of the way last night on its own and is doing well ...except it's lonely.

I had a chick like that except with me there was only one fertile egg and it hatched. She was alone for 10 days untill the other hatch hatched. She slept in my bed..

 

[Maiahr]

23/33 I am happy. I couldn't resist posting a picture of the pinguin and the Missy that already has make up! Is there anyone experienced in wing sexing cross breeds (Heinz 57)?

 

[FortCluck]

I WANT A CHICKEN TRACTOR!!!
I have moveable cages now like yours, but I move them by hand. Can you send me pictures of the railings and the wheels? Now, do you have wild animals there? Can they dig under the cage? We have and I need to enclose the birds somewhere during the night... Even though wild animals are so aggressive that one of my neighbors got back from work the other day and found his chicken legs in the backyard.. argh!


Yes and there is an article here on the website somewhere called Hatching Failures. I can't find it from my phone, but Google it.

20/33 in the brooder, took them out this morning. I have some more pips.. I am happy so far.

You can always do a chicken tractor inside electric fencing, that's what most do. I haven't seen the need for electric fencing yet.

 

[Maiahr]

Right, electric fencing won't save me from these animals.. I don't know their names in English so I am posting pictures. Plus rats.

 

[FortCluck]

Right, electric fencing won't save me from these animals.. I don't know their names in English so I am posting pictures. Plus rats.

I've seen electric fencing keep out mostly everything, but we have big predators here. Coyote, Fox, bobcats, pumas, and bear. I've seen some racoons and opossums, but the neighbors dog hunts them down or chases them out.

 

[FortCluck]

I was NOT planning on hatching eggs this month seeing as we have over 200 chickens right now and really need yet another coop for my august babies. However, my white leghorn hen had other ideas. She does not like to stay in the run with the other chickens and I allow her freedom. Her name is Lake Ann. My dominate rooster is Albert, another white leghorn. He is the only rooster I know of that mates her. Its always a hunt for her eggs. While cleaning our yard and rearranging our chicken areas about a week and a half ago my hubby discovered a nest full of her eggs. He put them in a basket and brought them inside. Lake Ann was devastated. She was making horrible noises looking for her eggs the rest of the evening. I was irritated because I knew she had been sitting on them and now he had moved them. I was not sure if we should put her somewhere with them and see if she would sit on them again or how to proceed. We ended up pulling the incubator back out. There were 12 eggs. 10 were fertile and developing, they look like they may hatch somewhere around the 30th. Gotta love some surprise chicken math!!! These chickens seriously need to go to auction. 200 birds ALL under a year, most under six months. I go to work to feed them right now.... LOL

I don't know how you manage 200 do you bring all your chickens to auction?