Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[OneMountainAcres]

Hey:

Just came back in after checking on the chooks and letting the dog out....its freaking nasty out there......cold cuts through multiply layers in minutes...dog said lets go in???? tough night to be a chook......

I can't stand weather this cold! I tucked in the flock hours ago, right after they went in. Now, I'm just avoiding taking the dogs out for the last time tonight until the last possible moment. I don't like the cold and don't handle it well at all!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Put 95 eggs into lockdown tonight, now I have something to watch when the snow hits.

If anyone would like some cute little chicks . . . . . . .

I only like ugly chicks.... Do they even exist?

good luck and enjoy! It's so much fun watching them hatch

my hatch ended with 19 babies. I know I was impatient but I was fairly certain the rest of the eggs were dead. I candled each one and did a float test to each. No movement, no sign of life. I very carefully and slowly pipped them, one at a time and checked each egg. Out of the 18 left, 4 made it full term. One was Mal positioned, one had pipped internally but never made it through the shell (I'm assuming it suffocated), one looked like it pipped through a blood vessel and bled out, and one had a severe cross beak and never had a chance of getting out. The rest were quitters at various stages.

@dheltzel as far as the shipped egg experiment goes, Marans did great! All of them had some form of developement. Only one was an early quitter and the other that didn't hatch was one of the unfortunate full term ones. The Rhodebars didn't do so well. They developed great until the last couple days. They all looked good at lockdown but all quit shortly after (all but 2). One hatched great, no problems and the one I had to help.

I was rather worried about this little guy but his little toes are straightening out, he seems to have found his balance and was even showing some interest in food already. The welsummers also didn't do well. Most developed at least some (2 died full term) but only one hatched. The CCL, one hatched great and super fast, the other quit somewhere around 16-17 days.

Overall, I'm thrilled with the babies I got they are quite the enthusiastic bunch and are eating and drinking already. The little splash ameraucana is already starting to grow in the feathers on the tips of her wings!

lousy pic but I had to blow it up. She doesn't stand still long enough for a close up lol

Congrats! Looks like a great success!

 

[emorems0]

So I am a little north of Pittsburgh, and my lovely and courageous daughter is recovering from a serious illness. I want to take the leap into chicken ownership again. Once I get my coop and run, is there anyone nearby where I could buy some pullets? Doesn't really matter what breed, although my daughter thinks silkies are cute... I am thinking of 5 chickens to start (and I am going to resist chicken math). Of course, still have to convince hubby, but I guess I could be like Alaskan and hide the coop in the woods...

I can't help with birds, we are hoping we have a broody this Spring so we can expand our flock, but they only just started laying so I don't really know... this is all new to me. I am north of Pittsburgh too... northwest actually, in Beaver County. Where are you guys located?

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

My Mama hen laid an egg three days in a row. Maybe she's trying to tell me something? (Like get me outta this house!)

 

[dheltzel]

I can't help with birds, we are hoping we have a broody this Spring so we can expand our flock, but they only just started laying so I don't really know... this is all new to me. I am north of Pittsburgh too... northwest actually, in Beaver County. Where are you guys located?

I've got broodies bustin' out all over! Those hens have no sense, anyone can tell it's too cold.

I've got a broody Welsummer, at least she keeps the other hen's eggs warm until we can collect them. Another silkie cross goes broody all the time, but if you move her she quits, then as soon as you put her back . . .

Seriously, the only way I think a hen will go broody is when she's convinced you don't want her to.

 

[chippysmom327]

Hey guys! I've been lurking as often as I can but school is getting really intense right now. I've pretty much been running on E this week, and starting pool class this week isn't helping. Especially since I have it at 8 in the morning. Nothing like a refreshing swim in a crazy cold pool first period when you only got about 4 hours of sleep from studying all night for your Honors Biology test. Any who...

Does anyone want some pearl grey guineas? I have 5 available; 2 males, 3 females. 6 months old. Please PM me if interested. Guinea fowl just aren't for me.

 

[oletymer]

So, when I went to bed last night, thete were 4 babies in the 'bator. I woke up this morning at 4:45 and they're were 6. Now it's almost 7:30 and I'm up to 11! They are just popping out fast!
So far:
3 ameraucanas
1 Welsummer
1 Rhodebar
1 CCL
5 BCM
pretty happy right now

yay

 

[oletymer]

Just pulled the last 12 and cleaned the bator...27 out of 39 hatched but have 2 with spred legs

, what a hatch,

 

[fisherlady]

just checked my bator...got 6 pippers out of 39....early birds ! my son think 22 will hatch ,im voting for 30, feel free to post your
hatch vote. the bator is my home made from a cooler and all the temps have stayed the same through out ,

Just pulled the last 12 and cleaned the bator...27 out of 39 hatched but have 2 with spred legs

, what a hatch,

great hatch! What do I win for guessing the right #?

 

[fisherlady]

Good luck on both of your hatches!

Oletymer... I am voting for 27..... what are you hatching this time?