***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Poco Pollo]

I believe she is a carrier. A guy I shared eggs w/ last year and I have been comparing notes and believe there are obvious carriers like Hercule, and more subtle, I believe she has the more subtle signs, but so did Rudy's mom.

She is going to be a pampered hen. Right now she's with a bunch of Brabanters that are about the same age. I will probably move all the pullets to their own space soon. The boys are starting to chest bump, so before their hormones are fully engaged, I want to give the girls a pen with a couple of nest boxes and a low roost.

@bardies Im so sorry about the skunk. That sounds awful. I hope that smell clears fast.

Woke up to 2 more babies

Soooo happy for little cuties. All 3 are in the brooder. Humidity has only gone up when I grab them and throw in a wet paper towel. But, I maybe have a problem with 1 egg. It was the one that was zipping last night and I was sure would be out "within the hour". Well no progress has been made, its about 3/4 of the way zipped around the shell, is that normal? Just taking a break or might need assistance? It hasn't been 24 hours from pipping yet.

@Poco Pollo Those are awesome art chick ideas. What grade do you teach? I sure hope the eggs do well, I would be pretty upset to buy stinky eggs. And what are you guys talking about carriers and the NN? Just curious. I love your goose any idea on gender? Ill be in touch in a few weeks if the goose is still looking for a home.

I teach middle school (6th, 7th, and 8th grade). I'm doing a dry hatch and will only add water when the eggs go into lockdown. The humidity in my classroom is so high that putting water in now is not necessary. I hatched in my room last year, and some of my students were able to watch as chicks emerged from their eggs. I am upset about the silkie eggs. I didn't pay a lot of money for the dozen, but when you consider that only a few were fresh enough to be viable, the individual price goes way up. I had not intended to spend four dollars per egg

. Kass gave me a wonderful NN rooster, Hercule. He and his carrier offspring will be a pet project for me next spring. I know my students would be beside themselves with pride and curiosity if I had a fully naked bird in my flock. They have seen Kass' photos of Rudy, and not one thought he was ugly. Fascinating, yes. He is a unique bird. I don't know the gender of my goose. He/She is up for adoption. My husband thought I'd have found a home for him/her before now. The angel wing puts people off. It's only cosmetic, but I guess not everyone rates personality over exterior beauty. Here are a few photos from the front and side. Maybe somebody on the thread can help determine gender.

@Poco Pollo How did I miss your pics??? So you didn't get invited to the Meeting of the Water Fowl? They're up to something, you better watch your back. Birds are sneaky little things

And Leon looks like such a stud! I'm so happy for him and can't ever thank you enough for giving him such a wonderful home. He was just being wasted here living with 11 of his brothers. And 1/2 his babies will be frizzles, that'd be so cool to have a chocolate frizzle with some of his wild colors thrown in! I'm so glad you have him )))

The goose calls secret meetings. I often stumble upon a group (runner ducks and Muskovies) behind a pen or under a tree. The goose will talk in a quiet voice, and the ducks answer with whispers. Sometimes the older capons will be included in the huddle. I wish I spoke goose. They are planning something big, and I don't like surprises. Leon is one happy dude. He is going to wear himself out hunting for treats for his ladies. Only one of the silkies is laying right now, so I won't set any eggs until two or three hens are laying. I'd like to set more than four or five eggs at a time, and I want to avoid staggered hatches.

 

[bardies]

Little chick was dead in the shell

I'm not exactly sure what happened but he had completely absorbed the yolk and was very much ready.

I should have asked last night but I didn't think it was abnormal. Arlo went outside and dug a hole and said his goodbyes.

Oh and these eggs are local, not shipped. I'm gonna start saving my pennies for catdance eggs soonish tho.

So if you breed Rudy with a carrier you would get 50% (not a perfect science I know) scaleless but all are carriers? Can you breed two scaleless together?

Catdance eggs are the best... I didn't get a good hatch rate - but that was when I was having hatching problems to begin with, so it was me, not the eggs.
Some more advice on assisting... I used to do the eggs on warm paper towels, but found that they got cold quickly. Now, I have a heating pad (on high) that I put my thin plastic working tray on. Seems to maintain temp better. Although, frankly, I don't know if it has ever made a difference either way. Loosing a chick that way really stinks and fills your mind with what ifs and I shoulda's. Truth is, you don't know, you didn't know, and did the best you could. We've been there, a lot of us. Hope that you are not beating yourself up too bad.

Congrats on the other three!

 

[bardies]

She is going to be a pampered hen. Right now she's with a bunch of Brabanters that are about the same age. I will probably move all the pullets to their own space soon. The boys are starting to chest bump, so before their hormones are fully engaged, I want to give the girls a pen with a couple of nest boxes and a low roost.


I teach middle school (6th, 7th, and 8th grade). I'm doing a dry hatch and will only add water when the eggs go into lockdown. The humidity in my classroom is so high that putting water in now is not necessary. I hatched in my room last year, and some of my students were able to watch as chicks emerged from their eggs. I am upset about the silkie eggs. I didn't pay a lot of money for the dozen, but when you consider that only a few were fresh enough to be viable, the individual price goes way up. I had not intended to spend four dollars per egg

. Kass gave me a wonderful NN rooster, Hercule. He and his carrier offspring will be a pet project for me next spring. I know my students would be beside themselves with pride and curiosity if I had a fully naked bird in my flock. They have seen Kass' photos of Rudy, and not one thought he was ugly. Fascinating, yes. He is a unique bird. I don't know the gender of my goose. He/She is up for adoption. My husband thought I'd have found a home for him/her before now. The angel wing puts people off. It's only cosmetic, but I guess not everyone rates personality over exterior beauty. Here are a few photos from the front and side. Maybe somebody on the thread can help determine gender.





The goose calls secret meetings. I often stumble upon a group (runner ducks and Muskovies) behind a pen or under a tree. The goose will talk in a quiet voice, and the ducks answer with whispers. Sometimes the older capons will be included in the huddle. I wish I spoke goose. They are planning something big, and I don't like surprises. Leon is one happy dude. He is going to wear himself out hunting for treats for his ladies. Only one of the silkies is laying right now, so I won't set any eggs until two or three hens are laying. I'd like to set more than four or five eggs at a time, and I want to avoid staggered hatches.

I wonder if The Doctor could translate goose? Kass, has Dr Who ever translated or spoke with earth animals besides ourselves? @Kassaundra

 

[ashtree]

Catdance eggs are the best... I didn't get a good hatch rate - but that was when I was having hatching problems to begin with, so it was me, not the eggs. Some more advice on assisting... I used to do the eggs on warm paper towels, but found that they got cold quickly. Now, I have a heating pad (on high) that I put my thin plastic working tray on. Seems to maintain temp better. Although, frankly, I don't know if it has ever made a difference either way. Loosing a chick that way really stinks and fills your mind with what ifs and I shoulda's. Truth is, you don't know, you didn't know, and did the best you could. We've been there, a lot of us. Hope that you are not beating yourself up too bad. Congrats on the other three!

I'm not stressing it too much. It definitely was sad but I knew going into this that it would be a learning process. Even Arlo handled it well. We have 4 now. And the catdance I got from you is one of my favorite girls. She's just a riot. She really thinks she's the queen out there, and I have to agree. I dream of a yard full of bossy birdies

She is going to be a pampered hen. Right now she's with a bunch of Brabanters that are about the same age. I will probably move all the pullets to their own space soon. The boys are starting to chest bump, so before their hormones are fully engaged, I want to give the girls a pen with a couple of nest boxes and a low roost. I teach middle school (6th, 7th, and 8th grade). I'm doing a dry hatch and will only add water when the eggs go into lockdown. The humidity in my classroom is so high that putting water in now is not necessary. I hatched in my room last year, and some of my students were able to watch as chicks emerged from their eggs. I am upset about the silkie eggs. I didn't pay a lot of money for the dozen, but when you consider that only a few were fresh enough to be viable, the individual price goes way up. I had not intended to spend four dollars per egg . Kass gave me a wonderful NN rooster, Hercule. He and his carrier offspring will be a pet project for me next spring. I know my students would be beside themselves with pride and curiosity if I had a fully naked bird in my flock. They have seen Kass' photos of Rudy, and not one thought he was ugly. Fascinating, yes. He is a unique bird. I don't know the gender of my goose. He/She is up for adoption. My husband thought I'd have found a home for him/her before now. The angel wing puts people off. It's only cosmetic, but I guess not everyone rates personality over exterior beauty. Here are a few photos from the front and side. Maybe somebody on the thread can help determine gender. The goose calls secret meetings. I often stumble upon a group (runner ducks and Muskovies) behind a pen or under a tree. The goose will talk in a quiet voice, and the ducks answer with whispers. Sometimes the older capons will be included in the huddle. I wish I spoke goose. They are planning something big, and I don't like surprises. Leon is one happy dude. He is going to wear himself out hunting for treats for his ladies. Only one of the silkies is laying right now, so I won't set any eggs until two or three hens are laying. I'd like to set more than four or five eggs at a time, and I want to avoid staggered hatches.

I love middle schoolers! And I love that you're giving them this experience. Has the goose ever been around dogs? Would she hate my Pyrenees? I'd really like her. But it's gonna be a few weeks. Are you in the Tulsa area? I'm thinking about getting SFH eggs from @cathiesue. Maybe I could coordinate to do them both in a few weekends. My husband loves the SFHs. He's asked for more. I guess he saw them eating maggots, big points in his book!

 

[NanaKat]

Love all the pictures of sunsets and chicks and assorted animals.

Going out to do a little in the garden. I want to get turnip seeds in before Tuesday's showers.

I moved two incubator hatched large fowl chicks to the brooder with the older quail since they are now the same size. There are two tiny Bantams still in the house brooder with 4 teeny tiny quail babies. One of them is a Blue Rosecomb chick and the other is a Delaware. It is the only Blue that has hatched so I want to keep it in the brooder.

Momma bantys in the barn will be ready to go in the floor pen with their chicks this evening. Both mothers are now in the same cage with all 6 chicks that survived the hatch. These babies are d'Anvers, Delaware and maybe two Brown Red. I don't want anything to happen to these and want the mothers to raise them...The little chicks can slip thru a 1 x 1 inch hole so I'll have to surround the pen with either screens or 1/2 x 1 inch hardware wire.

Had a predator take a large Buckeye cockerel last night..left the body but ate the head and chest. We will set up the traps and secure the juveniles inside the double fencing tonight.

 

[Kyzmette]

Dang Nanakat, to take a big roo like that it would have to be a pretty aggressive raccoon, weasel or opossum.

Check out the colors on these Swedish Flower/Cream Legbar crosses. They're going to be gorgeous when they mature. These are the two I'd like to get to Sharkman Dan, and I have three more that are a little younger. They should lay a light green egg.

 

[Kassaundra]

Little chick was dead in the shell

I'm not exactly sure what happened but he had completely absorbed the yolk and was very much ready.

I should have asked last night but I didn't think it was abnormal. Arlo went outside and dug a hole and said his goodbyes.

Oh and these eggs are local, not shipped. I'm gonna start saving my pennies for catdance eggs soonish tho.

So if you breed Rudy with a carrier you would get 50% (not a perfect science I know) scaleless but all are carriers? Can you breed two scaleless together?

Yes as far as I understand it is a straight inherited gene. It is hard to get many real answers so few people to ask. For Rudy and any other ScSc I am likely going to have to learn a new skill set. Chicken molester.

 

[Kassaundra]

I wonder if The Doctor could translate goose? Kass, has Dr Who ever translated or spoke with earth animals besides ourselves? @Kassaundra

Yes the The Doctor has spoke horse, and baby, and I think dog. There may have been a couple others.

 

[Ksane]

@ashtree Very sad about the chick. I've had that happen many times. Some chicks are just going to die no matter what you do or don't do. Some hit a blood vessel while they're pecking their way out and die. I suppose some just didn't form right. That's what I meant when I said I usually ended up with 3 out of 4 of the ones in lockdown hatching. It's good for Arlo to deal with it like he did. I can't count the number of Junebug and RolyPoly funerals we had when my youngest son was little

I got this 2' x 3' x 4 1/2'' tall "cat cage" on Craigslist 3 wks ago for $40, it even has wheels on the bottom. It had my Ringneck Dove's name written all over it (which is Dora the 'Splora BTW). So i fixed it up for her with silk plants & perches. She has a bath bowl in the bottom. Doves are ground birds so they do better without wire floors in their cages. So the bottom has sand and Dove/Pigeon grit and minerals spread all over the bottom. She loves it. We've had a Dove in the house for over 8 yrs now, I can't imagine not having one and hear their pretty voices. On top of her cage is one of the Serama cages.

 

[ashtree]

WOW thats a beautiful set up @Ksane Looks like all your pets are living the life.

We have 5 babies now, 1 more egg pipped, another not doing anything (yet

), we're on day 20 now. Im really hoping for more than 4 hours of sleep tonight! Tomorrow is a busy day.