Second time around - Ameraucana eggs !

[Spinster_Sister]

I have been fighting the urge to hatch more chickens for 3 months..but it is very difficult to do! I used the excuse that I purchased the IncuCube and needed to incubate something to test it out. Now that my two pullets are outside and I am not as paranoid about them being outside, I won an Ebay auction for 6 Ameraucana eggs. I received 7 in good shape, although two appear to be a bit porous. I have read that Ameraucanas are quite rare and more likely I have Easter Egger eggs but I am satisfied with that.
The eggs are large and heavy...nice blue and blue/green tint and they are finally in my Hovabator starting at 5pm PT today. Is anybody else setting eggs this weekend? If so, let's stay in touch and welcome new life three weeks from now. For those with EEs or Ameraucanas, how soon can you tell which sex you have?

 

[Illia]

I'm setting Tolbunt Polish eggs this weekend but I have Ameraucanas hatching right now.

Yes, it is quite true that you most likely have EE eggs.

- About sexing, it depends on if you have EEs or Ameraucanas, and with Ameraucanas it depends on color. - For example, my Blue Wheatens hatching right now are going to be sexable at about 3 weeks once their wing feathers are fully out. With my previously hatched Blue and Black Ameraucanas, I wait even longer to see who gets the bigger, redder comb.

For EEs - It's all about feather color in most occasions.

 

[Spinster_Sister]

I just visited your bearded babes site and i Love it!! You are so lucky to have such a great spread! Your LaManchas are so cute!!! This may sound stupid, but since they have no ears, how are their ear canals, do they get mites easier?

 

[Illia]

Thanks.

Actually, they have less problems with insects than our Nubian - But sometimes a LaMancha can have ear secretion issues, where the wax may crust at the tip of the ear, and you have to clean it off.

Those eggs look nice! There's no true way telling if they're really Ameraucana or EE eggs with just photos of the eggs in that color, but they do indeed look too big to be Ameraucana eggs.

 

[Kansaseq]

I also set eggs this weekend; 6 Barnevelder and 6 Olive Eggers, to keep my 5 Blue Slate turkey eggs company. The Slates were shipped, so have no idea if they will hatch, so to easy my disappointment if they don't, set the others from my own flock. I started out with Easter Eggers and love them. Beautiful, hearty birds that lay a rainbow of colored eggs. My kids are due May 7, fingers crossed.

 

[littledirtlane]

Hi there!

In 21 days I hope to have 5 Leghorn chicks...I just put them in today...most likely they will not hatch, I don't have an incubator or a chicken old enough to set, so I have rigged up some sort of thing...It is possible, the temp is at 99.5 in there - haha...My very nice neighbor gave them to me this evening and I didn't want them to go to waste! So maybe we can share stories and milestones! I could use some help with candling maybe....I have no clue what I am doing...thank God I was more experienced with my human children -

 

[Kansaseq]

What do you have them in? Are you providing humidity?
I'm no candling genius, but it's not too hard. I use a small maglite. Turn off the lights in the room, and hold the light right up to the egg so you can see inside. After day 7 you should start to see veining that will tell you they are developing. As you get closer to the hatch, the chick will take up most of the egg and you won't be able to see anything except the air sac.

 

[littledirtlane]

I have them in a straining basket with my heat lamp over them - haha...it is metal, but a lightweight metal, it heats up, but not enough to cook the eggs. Inside is a dishcloth and the eggs are wrapped in a washcloth on top of the dishcloth and I have a small container (condiment cup) full of water inside the washcloth next to the eggs and the cloth is slightly damp. I just spritzed the top one time...so there it is, my concoction. The lady down the street hatches her eggs in the window sill of her home (in the sill during the day and under a heat lamp at night), yeah, I have seen it...so maybe, just maybe I have a chance...Thanks for the info on candling...oh, and I just bid on a bator on ebay...I figured I was pretty pathetic and I might as well...when my babies are big enough I am going to let them hatch their young the old fashioned way (only because I want to watch them be mommies), so I just bought a small bator for now...I am curious to see if my "ghetto bator" works...lol...it's worth a shot!

 

[Kansaseq]

Well, you never know! Are you turning the eggs? Also, Leghorns are not known for being broody, so you may need that bator for the future. I'm very curious to see how your hatch goes

 

[momma's chickens]

I set the 12 Ameraucana eggs I won from Dipsy Doodle Doo guessing game contest, plus I purchased 5 black and blue barred rock eggs from her. I also set a buff / rhode island red for a friend and four of my BBS Orpingtons eggs. I have two buffs in that pen also though. 20 eggs are in there cooking.