***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[DBerryhill]

Of 18 eggs that made it to lockdown, I have 15 hatched. I had to assist two that pipped at the wrong end, but it was scant assistance and they finished the job on their own. Some started early on day 19, some just hatched 5hours ago. Last night before bed I snatched all the hatched ones out. There were no open pips and all the chicks were dry. 12 chicks vs the remaining eggs was getting ugly...I snatched them out and got them in the brooder, then woke up to 3 more in the bator . The three remaining eggs have no pips. I have not seen any rocking. How long should I give these?
----edit to add: I was contemplating candling for movement when the newly hatched ones are fully dry if there are no pips.

 

[Ksane]

@SharkmanDan It just flat hasn't been warm enough & light enough for a long enough time for them to get into to laying good. Give them some time. I'm getting only a fraction of the eggs I get during the summer. My opinion only, but you're wasting money feeding expensive organic food and setting up lights on timers. Chickens need *sunlight in order to trigger their laying (that's going to open a can of worms).
Relax, unplug the timers, get some reasonably priced chicken feed & sit out there with your iced tea and enjoy them. Before long you'll have more eggs than you know what to do with.

 

[SharkmanDan]

@SharkmanDanRelax, unplug the timers, get some reasonably priced chicken feed & sit out there with your iced tea and enjoy them. Before long you'll have more eggs than you know what to do with.

On your sage advice, I'll try to do so. I'm just so darned anxious. Nearly everybody else, has been amazingly prolific. My Brown Leghorns, are still a bit sluggish, but, I'm not trying to breed them, as I have no rooster. I'm trying to locate another Spanish Marraduna Basque rooster, as the two I got from Poco Pollo each faced a different tragic fate. One was taken by a hawk, the other died of lymphoid leukosis. In the mean time, I've been getting more eggs than I can handle, and sending a couple hundred a week to be incubated. But, I want some of those Speckled Sussex's.
I guess I'm just too anxious.
Thank you for the admonition to take a chill pill.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

It is starting to get a little warmer in the evenings. I have one brown leghorn who likes to roost in a tree close to the coop. Last summer I discovered that I could get her down with my garden hose with the spray nozzle attached. Works every time (if you don't wait until it is really dark)!!!

 

[Poco Pollo]

On your sage advice, I'll try to do so. I'm just so darned anxious. Nearly everybody else, has been amazingly prolific. My Brown Leghorns, are still a bit sluggish, but, I'm not trying to breed them, as I have no rooster. I'm trying to locate another Spanish Marraduna Basque rooster, as the two I got from Poco Pollo each faced a different tragic fate. One was taken by a hawk, the other died of lymphoid leukosis. In the mean time, I've been getting more eggs than I can handle, and sending a couple hundred a week to be incubated. But, I want some of those Speckled Sussex's.
I guess I'm just too anxious.
Thank you for the admonition to take a chill pill.

I'm so sorry you lost your Basque roosters. Predators from the air and ground have taken quite a few here as well. I don't have any Basque left, or I'd be driving them to your place right now. I hope you area able to locate a rooster soon.

 

[Kassaundra]

I've got two broody girls setting on eggs now. The one thought about it and gave up when I gave her eggs about a week ago, now she thinks she is ready, so they will hatch about a week apart hope that doesn't complicate anything. Could have some naked to hatch this go round, never had a naked w/ a broody mom, not sure how that is going to work??? Hopefully she realizes it's a chick. I only have one green egger left (don't know which one she is) but she lays huge green eggs so I put as many as I had fresh enough of hers. Redoing pens and the like, so need to get busy on the new broody area.

 

[SharkmanDan]

I'm so sorry you lost your Basque roosters.  Predators from the air and ground have taken quite a few here as well.  I don't have any Basque left, or I'd be driving them to your place right now.  I hope you area able to locate a rooster soon.

Thank you, so much. I loved them both. Sherman, was a bit of a bully, but once he was necropsied, and I found out what killed him, I figure he was probably pretty uncomfortable.
Floyd, the sweet one, was the one that was killed defending the flock from a hawk. If I don't find one to buy, or trade for, there is a woman in NWA, with one, that is possibly interested in breeding her rooster, with my hens. I really rather find a few hens to trade to her, for him. We will see. But, again, thank you, Coral. I so much appreciate the chickens. They, and my Sussex's are definitely my favorite birds.

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote:
mine are just starting to lay again after a long vacation- i agree with mitzi, sometimes we can overdo everything, took me awhile just to relax and enjoy them-

 

[NanaKat]

I've got two broody girls setting on eggs now.  The one thought about it and gave up when I gave her eggs about a week ago, now she thinks she is ready, so they will hatch about a week apart hope that doesn't complicate anything.  Could have some naked to hatch this go round, never had a naked w/ a broody mom, not sure how that is going to work???  Hopefully she realizes it's a chick.  I only have one green egger left (don't know which one she is) but she lays huge green eggs so I put as many as I had fresh enough of hers.  Redoing pens and the like, so need to get busy on the new broody area.

Broody hens are abundant here too...two with chicks already and eight sitting on nests. Only four of those have eggs...two hens in each nest box...two pairs of Bantam hens diligently sharing the responsibility. The four others are lf and I am seriously cosidering giving them eggs.

@SharkmanDan It just flat hasn't been warm enough & light enough for a long enough time for them to get into to laying good. Give them some time. I'm getting only a fraction of the eggs I get during the summer. My opinion only, but you're wasting money feeding expensive organic food and setting up lights on timers. Chickens need *sunlight in order to trigger their laying (that's going to open a can of worms).
Relax, unplug the timers, get some reasonably priced chicken feed & sit out there with your iced tea and enjoy them. Before long you'll have more eggs than you know what to do with.

X 2

 

[NanaKat]

Moved 35 juveniles outside today.... Some had not been on the floor of the brooder room yet...much less ever been on grass. We were in stitches watching two of them standing in the grass on one foot. Then each would slowly set the other foot gingerly into the grass and immediately lift the other foot high up underneath their belly. A handful of cracked corn distracted them.
I got a good head count on the White Wyandotte (9), Delaware Bantam (12), Wyandotte (11), and Cochin (3).

Moved most of the Bantam roosters to the Bantam pen in the garden. The hens and pullets were thrilled to have the brooder room floor pretty much to themselves. Let the Blue hen and her chicks out of their pen to explore the brooder room floor too. Peace reigned supreme.

Moved 30 chicks from the big brooder cage to wall cages in the brooder room....more Wyandotte, bantam Delaware, Cochin and the d'Anvers.

And moved babies to the big brooder after cleaning it. More Cochin, Bantams and Delawares.

And now there are chicks hatching in the hatcher this evening.