Opa's place -Where an old rooster visits with friends

[typnslow]

Quote:
I am new to Chicken Keeping and to BYC
I would like to join in this thread if I may...

Let me introduce myself; I am Christie from North Alabama

I have six 5 week old girls (please let them all be girls)

 

[Opa]

Typnslow, I'm honored you want to join Opa's place. As a tribute to your joining I'm readnslow. I've met some really nice folks as a result of this site. I even discovered a daughter who lives in Scotland.

Thistle, I started with 39 eggs and on the 10th day when I candled I removed 12 clear eggs and realized that the turner wasn't operating. On day 18 I remove 3 with blood rings and as I continued to candle and find viable eggs the light quit working. Said the heck with it and put everything into lockdown. On the morning of day 21 I had 3 pips. By late evening 2 had hatched and the pip on the 3rd had grown no larger. Late on the afternoon of the 22nd day there were no additional pips and the one pipped egg had made no further progress but I could see movement. Normally I wouldn't open the incubator until the end of the 23rd day but since I was going out of town early (4am) the next morning I took the 2 and place them in a brooder. I watched the pipped egg for awhile and decided to open it. I found the chick was glued to the shell. Its head was stuck to its chest. I removed all the eggs from the incubator and misted the chick with warm water freeing up the adhering egg shell. I placed it back in the incubator and sat the remaining eggs outdoors.

Several hours later I went to check on the chick and found that its head was no longer stuck to its chest. I misted it again and placed it back in the incubator. Since I was going to be home two days later if the chick lived it would still be early enough to place it in the brooder. I needed to dispose of the now stone cold eggs. Out of curiousity I opened one egg and found a perfectly formed Vorwerk chick. I'm sure that many of the other eggs probably held fully developed chicks as well. Had I not removed them for the incubator they probably would have hatched. Evidently due to the malfunction this was a greatly delayed hatch.

I wound up with 2 bantam orpington chicks. I think one will be blue and the other a splash. The 3rd stuck chick didn't survive. I'm going to start another hatch of 41 bantam eggs and probably 36 Welsummer eggs on the 1st and there is no way will I be opening the incubator before 23 days have past or all the eggs have hatched.

When raising birds you often wonder if you are doing things right. Yesterday I was paid a great compliment and affirmation that I am doing things right with my birds. I had posted pictures of my Welsummer rooster and as result was contacted by the president of the Welsummers Club Of North American asking permission to use my picture on the website http://wcna.webs.com/cockeralsroosters.htm I don't think this good feeling will fade for a while.

 

[peepacheep]

Hello Opa, Could I join also? I have been a long time reader of your thread and a huge fan of your coconut pound cake. What a great recipe! Need to try pickled eggs soon.

 

[Ec_Prokta]

Good evening, all! My day alternated between awesome and horrible.

I had to watch my brothers, who decided it was the best day ever to pick on every request I asked of them and to scream a lot, for 6 straight hours. Also, I had an annoying cough throughout the whole day.

However, I did beat a tough boss in a video game and I got to talk to my not!boyfriend, and Mom got me my favorite noodle bowls!

to all!

Welcome, Peepacheep and Typnslow!

 

[Opa]

Sprite, I'm sure your mother appreciates your help with your brothers. I know I had to watch my little brothers many many many many years ago and sometimes I just knew that their sole purpose in life was to make mine miserable. However, it was necessary for me to help to allow my parents to do the many things they had to. Now I think back to those days and I know it taught me responsibility and made my brothers and I closer.

Peepacheep, of course you are welcome. A flock can never be to large.

 

[Ec_Prokta]

That's definitely what it's doing, Opa. I'm definitely more responsible now than when I didn't watch them as much. Although, they are rather loud...

 

[vanalpaca]

First 3 of 6 Wellies hatched and are just slightly different colors of chipmunk. One a bit blonder, One significantly gray/black toned in the shoulders.
3 more hatched and in the brooder too. Now there are more to compare, but colors are slightly varying. I'm suspicious that the 'kansas' roo may have been hatchery stock even if the flock was closed and it was 15-20 years along. That roo over a Grisham hen and over a Calicowood hen, then its son of the first RG over the Grisham hen and the father over the daughters from that first group. So his blood is across both lines, then again with the son and the daughters. It is good that the breeder is working with their bloodlines and their flock, but I'm thinking that there is too much variance in the brooder chicks coloring.

Of course, I have only seen GROWN UP Wellies in pictures. But I'm thinking the lighter one may be more red/brown feathers or even yellow hackle, the darker one more black.

This group is all banded with colored zip ties so I don't lose track of them.

It will be so nice to get some consistently colored chicks in. With Opa's roo being so well received, I am really hoping for some good looking Wellies.

This is all a big learning process for me. It has been interesting so far (even when supposedly buying breeder stock) to pop up hatchery birds in the lines and see the resulting hatches. Only 2 or 3 chicks from each dozen eggs and I won't know who is colored right until they have feathers in. So I am keeping track and taking lots of notes.

I'm betting everything I have in the brooder to date will be culled for local egg layers. Can't wait until ChickenStock! In fact, I picked up a cabbage today just to make sure I have the recipe right for that coleslaw with raisins.

I'm sure I'll still be here in the morning and tomorrow. This house was built after 1865 and hasn't been hit YET by a tornado........

Cheers, Bonnie

 

[peepacheep]

Thank-you for the warm welcome Ec_Prokta and Opa! Got one of the dogs bathed this evening, off to do a therapy dog visit at the hospital in the morning.

 

[Highlander]

Quote:
That's great! First pic on the page too! You must be really chuffed!

welcome peepacheep and typnslow.

 

[Opa]

Here are the two bantam orpington chicks I wound up with. Looks like on blue and one splash.