September 2023 Hatch-A-Long

[Canadian Wind]

I thought I'd joined this. Did I not join this? Well, I'm joining now.

Muscovy eggs under mom due to hatch this week most probably. *fingers crossed* Going to keep my eye on this girl, she's the one who lost most of her brood last Spring by letting them get trampled. Grrrrr. Maybe she'll learn this time around.

This will certainly be the last eggs of the year. I am not going through winter with chickens or, powers forbid, *ducks* inside!!!

 

[gimmie birdies]

I pulled a bunch of clear eggs day 7. I have 21 developing eggs.

 

[Canadian Wind]

My broody Muscovy refused to come out to eat today, so I brought food to her. If she's locking down, the babies should be here soon!

 

[BuckeyeFoodie]

Well, unfortunately for me a fox got into my coop Friday night and killed off not just five of my eight laying hens, but to add insult to injury the Silkie section was unlocked and my entire Silkie breeding flock and grow-outs were massacred as well (around 30 birds).

Fortunately my show birds and chicks on heat are safe in their cages, so I'm not starting back completely at zero, and very luckily I hadn't given away all the eggs I'd collected over the past two weeks yet...

In case anyone was wondering, you CAN stuff 44 Silkie eggs into a NR360 without the turner.

I already have an incubator with 27 due to hatch 9.09, and now 44 due 9.23.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Well, unfortunately for me a fox got into my coop Friday night and killed off not just five of my eight laying hens, but to add insult to injury the Silkie section was unlocked and my entire Silkie breeding flock and grow-outs were massacred as well (around 30 birds).

Fortunately my show birds and chicks on heat are safe in their cages, so I'm not starting back completely at zero, and very luckily I hadn't given away all the eggs I'd collected over the past two weeks yet...

In case anyone was wondering, you CAN stuff 44 Silkie eggs into a NR360 without the turner.

I already have an incubator with 27 due to hatch 9.09, and now 44 due 9.23.

That must have been heartbreaking!!!

 

[BuckeyeFoodie]

That must have been heartbreaking!!!

It was. Unfortunately, it's the second time this year it's happened, but back in the winter it only got a few of my layers, not my Silkies. I've amped up my coop security, and I'm calling a friend that can legally trap. Hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I hope your hatch turns out well.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Welp, still nothing from the Muscovy nest, and mom got out to eat and drink. They aren't due until the 5th, but that's just a guess on my part.

 

[AusHen]

all 13 Silkie eggs developed, so far one quit which had the worst air cell. I also stuck another roughly dozen of my eggs in at the same time and if memory serves me well enough all those are developing. I also have a dozen Marans arriving tomorrow, mixed varieties so hoping for more whites and maybe cuckoo

 

[BuckeyeFoodie]

I hope your hatch turns out well.

Thank you! I'm really hoping for good outcomes.

I checked the eggs due to hatch in a week, and it looks like 21 out of 27 are developing, although I had some abnormal air cells I'm a little worried about - I'm dry incubating as our relative humidity has been stupid high, and the cells shouldnt be that big yet.

Too soon to say about the monster group of 44, but some of those eggs were 15 days old, so I wouldn't be surprised if they are nonviable.