Official Christmas Hatch! c'mon and join

[pedro24]

hope they hatch good luck

 

[dickies chics]

i set 4 serama eggs in my bator on the 4th then put 4 more in over the next couple of days. hoping for a hatch around xmas.

 

[neferset]

Quote:
My very favorite are the Heritage Delawares. I have never seen such friendly and curious little creatures! They are the coolest ever! When all the other breeds (chicks) run for the corners to hide ... the Delawares come and climb up my arm! They have been the most fun. Even my family members notice it and comment about it. Delawares are listed as, "critical," on the endangered list. I hope to help change that! These are a must have chicken!

I love the jumbo sized eggs of the White Faced Black Spanish. Also listed on the critical list!

Jersey Giants are simply a gotta have chicken for me! I can hardly wait to see them full grown. Listed in the third catagory, "watch," on the endangered list.

...

What are your favorites, and why?

I've wanted to try Delawares since seeing an add that said "Delaware Giant Chickens" and something else suggested broodiness...That's a lot of surface area a hen can cover. Hearing that they are sweet too...They sound perfect. Actually, I wouldn't mind helping out with the critical and endangered list. I need to set up for it, though. With so many breeds, I'd want to be able to section off areas and try to keep the endangered ones pure.

My current favorite has to be the Buff Orpington. My guy commented just the other day that he would love to have 20 or so of our Buffy. She's friendly and she's pretty and a decent egg layer too. I also have to say I love the little fluff ball silkies and sizzles, but mine need to finish growing up for me to get a real idea of how they are. Last year my best buddy was a white Japanese rooster. We started hanging out when the poke berries were ripening. Every day, I'd pluck a bunch for him and he'd get the red juice smeared on his beak. He looked just like he was wearing lipstick, from the moment they ripened until the plants withered.

 

[sangel4you]

ok everybody...SO here we are day 5, and we candeled our 15 RIRxwhite Leghorn eggs tonight...there's good news and bad news...
Good news: ALL 15 HAD VEINING!!!
Bad news: I am VERY concerned because all of the air sacs seems to be taking up half of the egg. What does that mean, and how can I fix it??? I will try to upload a (sorry but verrrrrry) very crummy pic in a few...

ok so here it is, and as I said it's a bad pic, and you can't even see the veining because it's not the same flashlight we used to candle (this is DS toys story flashlight that is dying) but you can see what I mean about the spacing. They are all like this... :-( Somebody help!

 

[neferset]

Which end of the egg am I looking at? From the photo it looks like the big end is dark, there is no air cell visible yet, and the mass of the egg is floating near the big end. If I am looking at the small end, forgive me the mistake.

 

[sangel4you]

now that I think about it you're right... Shouldnt there be an air sac though? And would I see veining if it wasn't developing? because the veining is VERY obvious... hm now I'm even more concerned...

ETA: after reinspecting one of the eggs and holding it with the large end DOWN toward my flashlight, I do notice a Small air sac at the end, and then my dark area with the veining (I actually see a dark spot in the dark spot very pin pointish- maybe the eye?) but between the dark area and my air sac is clear fluid I guess...this is normal? eg. layered like this: small air sac, clear "fluid", dark area with veining and dime sized even darker area with black pin point in it...
if this is normal, is it normal for the embryo to not be fixed in one part of the egg yet? Sorry about all of the questions...

 

[sekinkead]

Since I am so new to chickens I can't say that I have a favorite yet. I would like to get some Delawares, Chanteclers and Jersey Giants and the kids want some Australorps to. We currently have 2 LF Buckeyes, 3 bantam Buckeyes, 4 red sex links, 1 RIR, 1 Partridge Rock, and 4 bantam cochins. We want to stick with the heritage endangered breeds and help bring them back and get people interested in them.

 

[neferset]

Quote:
Yes, that's all very normal. Don't turn the eggs large end down very much if you can help it, though. Early on especially, things are pretty fragile or so I understand.

The air sack can be extremely small for the first couple of days or more. Just keep your humidity where it needs to be and it will enlarge at the right rate.

 

[sangel4you]

ok well humidity has varied a good bit but it's been anywhere from 30-55%. I have been trying to keep it in the 40's but usually within 8 hours of me being at work or sleeping or at school it has changed. I don't want to err to high, but I think I am going to aim more for low 50s so it doesn't drop so drastically...
Thanks

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
YAY! I agree! I really hope to make a small impact on increasing the population of any Heritage endangered breed I have! It's just the right thing to do, in my mind.