Set eggs February 12th! Hatch a long with me!

[speckledhen]

The D'Anvers are fertile little critters and they are so super easy to candle. I could have candled them days ago and would have if they were all I had in the bator. I don't really need more large breeds, just wanted another Barred Rock or two from my Stukel line Rocks. Cross your fingers that I get one pullet from this!

Sorry about the egg you dropped. I'm always afraid I'll do that.

 

[Squawkbox]

Sorry to hear about the egg! I think I am going to take out all but the 18, they just aren't doing a thing. I hate having so many not growing, I have no idea what is wrong with my orp but I definitely won't be putting her eggs in again.

 

[Squawkbox]

Just cracked the duds and now have 18 in, all doing well. The ones that were duds from the Orp had tiny embryos that quit. The ones (3 or 4) from the other hens weren't fertilized.

 

[NYRIR]

@speckledhen I will hope for you to get your pullet! I am starting this year with big plans! I will be trying my hand at bantam blue/ black/ splash cochins.I had no idea they were broody little things until I got researching. (I know, DUH....should have done that first!) Anyway, I love the look of cochins and want to give it a whirl. I am also going to breed a few silkies from a black roo x white hens. I will also be hatching out some Delawares. This should be all... for chickens...

I'm excited this year since I actually am starting to formulate a plan ahead of time!

It is sad, though, as tomorrow I am selling my MF D'Uccle pair and some other assorted banties to purify the flock.They were only posted for 24 hours!! I just don't have enough room to keep them all, sigh, so I have to choose breeds.

People have told me it would come to a point when you have to decide on your favorites and go with those....guess I'm working on it, but man, will I miss those little D'Uccles!


@squawkbox Here's hoping for the 18 left

I personally have not had any fertility issues...YET. But expect to as my chickens age a bit, and as I get more experience with poultry. I only have 2 years under my belt!!

Thanks for the condolences everyone!

 

[Squawkbox]

I also love the Cochins!! It's funny that you mention it, but I have never had a broody Cochin yet! Ugh! I had one black Orp and that is the only time, just once

.


This white Orp is from a batch that I got from this one lady. I got 3 Orps and 3 Cochins, there is something drastically wrong with every single one, that has led me to cull all but the white Orp and that buff Cochin I posted a picture of a few pages back..they are next in line I hate to say it. It's crazy the issues these poor birds have.
My chicks and eggs are all from the new batch that are all great.

 

[NYRIR]

Hmmm... do you think it was from her not introducing new blood to her flock? Or was it poor nutrition and such?
Lol @ No broodies! I had quite a few this past spring but only one hatchery BJG was successful and that wasn't until the fall. She hatched 8 chicks.
How many chickens do you have, and how long have you had chickens?
I have roughly 95 chickens....

funny that "chicken math"....was supposed to be 26....

 

[speckledhen]

My lavender banty Cochin, Shadow, is turning 4 years old in April and she's been broody exactly one time. She was a great mother, but not a hint of broodiness since that first time. I wish she'd raise one more brood, though. Not sure how much her being a hatchery girl has to do with that.

NYRIR, make sure your Delaware rooster you keep has plenty of hens. My own Isaac has 24 and has no trouble keeping them all fertile, even at 3 years old. And they are best suited to free ranging. Mine get into trouble if they are penned up too much, even though I have just two Dellie hens left in that flock.

 

[seclusionfarms]

only day two, im so impatient lol

 

[Squawkbox]

That is what I suspect, no new blood. They have wierd deformities, no coordination/clumsy, horrible pecking skills (if I hold something in the palm of my hand, say a worm etc they peck at least 20 times before they finally get it). The roos that I used to have (they were culled) did not know how to breed the hens and would just lay under them instead. A few of the hens had/have only laid eggs only a handful of times at 2 years old. And, now the white hen's eggs won't incubate, they grow for a few days and die. Just a useless mess.

Right now, I have 6 hens (4 useful ones) and one roo (and the 6 chicks and 18 eggs lol). I am looking to get more and have been for a while but am having such a hard time to find Cochins in my area it isn't even funny. The faulty batch was my first go at chickens, so 2 years.
I can't even imagine having almost 100 chickens!! What do you do with them all?? You must get more eggs than you can handle.

Quote:

Hmmm... do you think it was from her not introducing new blood to her flock? Or was it poor nutrition and such?
Lol @ No broodies! I had quite a few this past spring but only one hatchery BJG was successful and that wasn't until the fall. She hatched 8 chicks.
How many chickens do you have, and how long have you had chickens?
I have roughly 95 chickens....

funny that "chicken math"....was supposed to be 26....

 

[NYRIR]

My lavender banty Cochin, Shadow, is turning 4 years old in April and she's been broody exactly one time. She was a great mother, but not a hint of broodiness since that first time. I wish she'd raise one more brood, though. Not sure how much her being a hatchery girl has to do with that.

NYRIR, make sure your Delaware rooster you keep has plenty of hens. My own Isaac has 24 and has no trouble keeping them all fertile, even at 3 years old. And they are best suited to free ranging. Mine get into trouble if they are penned up too much, even though I have just two Dellie hens left in that flock.

Really? I'll have to see what happens. I have 10 hens for him, If I need more, I'll have to hatch them out. I free range but not during egg collecting season. Then it's all the Dellies together. Good to know, though, and I'll be watching behavior more closely.They are hatchery stock so it may be different?