Set eggs 4/6, EDD 4/27 & 4/28...wanna hatch with me??

[loopy12]

Amy: I've heard that its not a problem about her nesting high with regards to it being too high for chicks. As soon as she's ready to leave the nest move them all out together to ground level and should be ok - she'll know that the chicks won;t go back up there at bedtime and will compromise then.
But, yes, I think better to move her now if you can. Last year when my other hens got upset with a broody I moved her nest, the hay the eggs and everything into a pet carrier, put her in and shut her in there for a few hours. I then moved the pet carrier to the shed and opened the door by which point she'd got used to the move. It worked well because after that, during the day I would leave the door open and she'd go out for her daily walkabout, and when the chicks hatched they all slept in there, and I'd shut them in at night, but the whole time the other hens could see her so she was still part of the flock.
Not sure if that helps at all, but thats what I do...

Fairybee: so sorry about your gosling. I think ducks are harder than chicks and geese even harder again. The extra week makes a big difference to potential mortality I think. So far my pekin duck eggs have been easy, but they weren't shipped. Try local duck eggs and then come back to geese later - sounds like a good plan.

I just went to top up the brinsea's water troughs and could smell a rotten egg. I sniffed out and discarded two and then candled a bit and took out another 2 definite duds. I think at least another 4 are bad but will leave the for now as they don't smell.

I actually only saw movement in two of the cayuga eggs (out of 12)

They all have really dodgy aircells. They extend part way down the side of the egg

They had a really rough time in shipping and I'm now doubting that I'll even get 2 to hatch

All my pekin duck eggs look fab though.
I'm not sure what to do, temoted to bid on some more now as I now have space for another dozen cayugas in the bator.

The random 5 mystery chicken eggs that came with the duck eggs have gone into lockdown yesterday and I saw movement in 2, but again they have dodgy air cells so

I rehomed my rooster this week as he was worrying me because he'd taken to stalking and pecking at my 2 year old, so he had to go, so no more fertile eggs from my girls for a while.

How's everyone's easter chicks doing? They're so funny at this point!
I have decided to part with 6 of my 15 and have someone coming tomorrow to get them

Think I will let them have two blue cochins, 2 blue orpingtons, an easter egger and that chick that I didn't know what it was

And thats about it from here...

Still sulky about the cayugas. I WANT cayugas.

As it happens I live 2 miles, yes 2 miles from Cayuga lake that they were named after, but can I get cayuga duck eggs locally? NO.

Going to browse ebay for replacement eggs now...

 

[kelliepulido]

ok candled just now 11 duds out of 84 eggs not bad

 

[raimnel]

Thanks thanks for the info on the broody..........
she now has 2 eggs under her. one of hers and one blk/blue silkie
I candled them all and here it is...............
14 eggs
2 from my favorite EE, Carmel ~

6 from my splash silkie, Splash ~ 5

1

6 from my black/blue silkie, Sparkles ~ 5

1

isn't that weird? it's like the eggs are keeping it even or something

Sorry Loopy bout ur duckies

and sorry fairybee bout ur goosie

 

[raimnel]

Kellie 84 eggs????

:O)

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

Dang Loopy! Wish I lived near ya! Id love the cochins and blue orps!!

My Easter chicks doing good. Getting big quick

Lost a silkie today but it wasnt one of my hatchlings. It was 1 of the 6 whites I got at TSC. I had moved it out of the brooder because it didnt seem it had grown and I was worried it wasnt getting to eat since it was so tiny compared to the rest. And then this morning I didnt think it looked good at all.......died late this afternoon

 

[daniellenoel]

congrats to all of you with little chicks..
I unfortunately do not think we will have any
Our eggs seemed to have gotten too mishandled in the mail, when they arrived, 4 were cracked/broken.. Needless to say we put the rest in. (20)
When we have candled, we see very little and what looks like floating air sacs. I took 5 out yesterday, 2 were "weeping" and the other 3 had a definate blood ring
So now we have 15 in there but am losing faith... sad this morning, I went to check on the incubator and the power had gone off, temp down to 78. We got the power working again but I am assuming it was off all night to drop that much,
Temp and humidity are now 99.6 and 42% but is there any hope???
I am doing this with my class of 2nd graders and I would hate to have some disformed chicks....
What are anyone thoughts???
I am planning on starting over with some local eggs next week (my principal ordered a small incubator for me to transfer the few current eggs which may have a chick into)
Then we will use the Brinsea to start again

I am so sad sad I wish we have better luck.
Now that we have had the temp drop low for a long period of time, I think this could be the worst fate..

Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[loopy12]

Daniellenoel: sounds like your plan is a good one - transfer out the eggs you have at the moment and start afresh with local eggs for the kids' project.
Don't give up hope for the ones you have that experienced the temp drop, I read exactly that somewhere else on this forum earlier this evening - their temp dropped to 75 overnight when the incubator was unplugged but when they candled a few days later most had survived it...hang in there...

Clothdiaperingmom:

I love the blue ones too - I will be keeping the one blue orp "Ash", one black (I think its going to be black its currently mostly dark gray and black) orp "Smokey", the palest of the blue cochins and a splash cochin, 2 BLRWs "Fergus" and "Delia", my easter egger "Maple", a WLRC "Onion", and my only BCM "Gracie". Gracie is the sweetest chick - never squirms or peeps in terror...just sits still for hugs...I adore her! DD's favorite is Onion - I think its because she's the only yellow chick so she can spot her easily. Can't believe how big their wings are now.
With the other 6 gone I'll be able to tell the cochins apart and give them names.
One of the cochins looks smaller than the others, and having read about your TSC chick I'm a little concerned but the cochins cae from 2 different breeders so it may just be a parentage thing

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

Danielle....my bator was off all day this past Thursday. I found out after being gone all day and the temp was 74.8.
That night was day 10 and candling day. I didnt have much hope after candling, but I left ones that werent obvious clears and bloodrings.
Then I candled a couple the next night and they were moving! YAY!
I guess the low temp just slows their metabolizm. So I think they will be ok.

Most of mine in the bator were shipped too. The lady (Soaring Chick) I got them from did a wonderful job packing! But wow, the PO must have just thrown them around. I have never had so many clears and detached aircells

And Soaring Chick is having a much better time with her eggs then I am, but hers werent shipped.

Good luck

 

[loopy12]

Shipping just seems to be luck on how well they are treated...my first lot were just fine and actually the shipped eggs did better than the ones I picked up by car half an hour away.
I think I will look for something with cayuga eggs within this or an adjacent state so they travel less.

 

[Fairybee]

the 4 silkies still going strong and they where shipped there growing really well i will agree with who ever said it i cant remeber who it is a little unnerving to see the eye jiggling around when you candle it