***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[mjgigax]

Sorry for the bad hatch. I wonder what is going on w/ the hatches this year??? Broodies are having issues w/ it to not just incubator hatches.

I had bad hatches last year. I don't want to jinx it but this year is good so far. I had trouble maintaining temps in my hatcher last year so I got a multi-turn for it and now it is doing a lot better.
15/ 26 Marans hatched today, 7 more are pipping.
12/14 OEs, 2 more pipped
2/2 Orpington! - finally - for a couple of weeks none were fertile, was beginning to wonder if I need to pluck cushion feathers.
2/5 Showgirls (hatched with one more pipped) - they both are Show girls, no Silkies yet.

My parents have always joked that farming is a form of gambling. Weather, prices..... a whole lot out of our control.
I always laugh extra hard when I hear them say that because they are conservative folks that would never bet money on a poker game, a horse or put money in a slot machine.

 

[NanaKat]

[@=/u/66877/Kassaundra]@Kassaundra[/@] sorry to hear of your loss.


Dry incubation peeps, do you think the crazy long days of rain (and therefore high humidity) would be enough to mess up a hatch? I had two excellent totally dry hatches. Then the one due yesterday resulted in 4 (out of 16) dead in shell just like I was getting before with "normal" incubation. MY eggs went from 100% to 75% hatch rate! I thought I was done setting for the season, but I guess I'm going with one more...

This last weekend's hatch was a doozey for me, too.  Lots of Dead In Shell chicks- in my CABINET incubator that keeps temp and humidity like a rock.  The really weird thing?  Lots of deformities in the hatched and unhatched ones- missing eyes, crossbeaks, umbelical hernias, etc.  Way more than I normally see.  Across several breeds.  Typically I would say it was caused by temperature issues, but I *know* the temps were perfect, and they hatched RIGHT on time.  So I guess I just wait and see if this next hatch is just as bad. 

Those are really unusual hatch results!

Sorry for the bad hatch.  I wonder what is going on w/ the hatches this year???  Broodies are having issues w/ it to not just incubator hatches.

I've had Brodie's with no eggs hatching and others with nice hatches.

 

[mjgigax]

I've been reluctant to let my Broodies hatch any eggs since I have such good luck with my incubator, but this is Daisy and she's done a great job for a first timer! I think she hatched 7 out of 12.

She has an amazing crest! -(that is what the feathers on the top of her head is called, right?)

 

[NanaKat]

How do you tell the difference between a Columbian rock and a delaware. I've got 2 but to me the breeds look just alike..

A Columbian Rock will have nice black feathers with a sharp white edge on the neck cape and tail. The body profile will be bowl shaped with the legs centered. Wing tips will also have the nice edging. The sycle feathers on the cock bird will be solid black. His saddle will have black tips edged in white. The hens tail will also have solid black feather under the white edged feathers. Her tail will also gently slope upwards at about a 15 degree angle from her collar.

Delawares have barred feathers on their necks and tails. The body profile is slightly boat shaped with the legs back of center. The hens do have a first layer of white edged feathers on their tails but the barring on the neck is a true give away. Her tail will be held at a 45 degree angle from a horizontal back. The cock bird's tail is totally barred as is his neck. His saddle is totally white.

Both breeds have red faces, white ears, but the Delaware comb is larger and the wattles are longer. Both have bright yellow legs. They each carry their wings at a nice horizontal line.

The Barring is the main difference for Delawares.

 

[NanaKat]

My Columbian Wyandotte are hatching! So far there are five hatched with four more pipped. This hatch is 42 eggs and is predominantly Columbian, a few White Wyandotte, a few Buckeye and six Bantam. Two Buckeye have hatched.

 

[MrsDickey]

A Columbian Rock will have nice black feathers with a sharp white edge on the neck cape and tail. The body profile will be bowl shaped with the legs centered. Wing tips will also have the nice edging. The sycle feathers on the cock bird will be solid black. His saddle will have black tips edged in white. The hens tail will also have solid black feather under the white edged feathers. Her tail will also gently slope upwards at about a 15 degree angle from her collar.

Delawares have barred feathers on their necks and tails. The body profile is slightly boat shaped with the legs back of center. The hens do have a first layer of white edged feathers on their tails but the barring on the neck is a true give away. Her tail will be held at a 45 degree angle from a horizontal back. The cock bird's tail is totally barred as is his neck. His saddle is totally white.

Both breeds have red faces, white ears, but the Delaware comb is larger and the wattles are longer. Both have bright yellow legs. They each carry their wings at a nice horizontal line.

The Barring is the main difference for Delawares.

Mine are about 2 and a half months old and both are pullets. So I need to look for the barring in the neck to know which breed I have?

 

[Nelli D]

Cool beans. He's yours. You want him in tact not caponized right? I'll post some newer pics hopefully tomorrow. I may be able to meet you part way, I've been wanting to make a trip to the Myriad Gardens.

Yes intact, that would be awesome if we could meet up. Let me know if you do come this way.

 

[Kassaundra]

Yes intact, that would be awesome if we could meet up. Let me know if you do come this way.

I'll see what my husband's schedule is like for when we will be heading that way, it will probably definitely be a Mon - Wend (my days off). I couldn't get any pics today b/c of the rain.

 

[YardBirdMom]

Hello to everyone!

I've spent the last couple of hours catching up on post's starting from 22 days ago til the latest post.
I have to get here more often lol

Congrats to the new hatchlings many of you have had. Kass, I'm sorry for your recent loss.

I'll be glad when the storm season is over. My cousin lost her house in last week's tornado. Luckily she and her family were in a storm shelter and not inside when it hit. Houses can be rebuilt!

On to chicken news; I enjoyed reading all the info about chicks, hatching, broody hens, and giving them babies they didn't hatch.

Guess I'm lucky and have two good hens. One hatched a chick and I just put more in with her & she immediately took to them. The other wouldn't stop sitting so I bought 3 chicks for her & stuck them under her in my brooder pen. I bought one of those wooden nesting boxes at a feed store, it resembles the ones in my coop, and had her on ceramic eggs for a couple of days. Then one afternoon I stuffed the babies under her. She didn't really respond, as in she just puffed up and continued to sit, and the next day I took her eggs after dark. Today she's off the nest doing the "food song" to them and cuddling them under her when she rests.

I am IN love with baby chicks that are cared for by a mama hen. It's the most precious thing I've ever seen

But, it put me in a pickle for space with ALL the rain we've had. Even though my run is covered and the west side is covered it's still gotten too wet for babies. Soooo, hubby and I added a 6x10 coop/run we bought from a Mennonite gentleman down the road. That solved my space issue AND will give me a spot to put some girls I'll be getting soon.

Ya'll weren't kidding when you said chickens were an addiction

Hugs 'n prayers to those that want them and need them.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote: yes. That would be the determining factor.