Setting 41 on 6-15, 7-8, 7-31, and 8-23 feel free to join in at any time

[scflock]

I don't want NT to think I'm saying I can hatch anything. I have a good incubator and my own supply of fertile eggs. I'm just trying to offer what has worked for me

 

[rossfam06]

I know.

 

[WVduckchick]

Mother Nature is such an important factor and we cannot control that!

 

[NTBugtraq]

Well, enough dramatics for a little while...let's get back to having some fun. One thing that is neat this time is that I get to chew gum and smoke at the same time. With 2 more-or-less automatic bators running more or less the same eggs, I get a side-by-side comparison. They are running identically (temperature and humidity) during the first 18 days, and even day 19 will only be 0.5F difference in temperature. So day 1-19 has been where I have had almost all of my deaths (excepting the hatch I kept the chicks in the bator for 3 days, but even that hatch had late deaths in the eggs).

Now if the problem is with the nutrients my layers have had, then both should have something like 50% late deaths. If I get somewhat better than that, then it wasn't necessarily all nutrient oriented...and that will be good to hear. Regardless, I have put my layer flock back on layer mash with just a little scratch thrown in. One thing I was told at a feed mill yesterday is that if I had them on too low a nutrient food the hens should've started to molt. They haven't...

I had been feeding my 10 week olds layer mash, but have switched them to a grower/finisher.

My 34 1 and 2 week olds are doing great in the brooder, and seem very happy together. I hope to have the 1 week olds still in the brooders when I introduce whatever comes out of these 2 latest sets. I think introducing older birds to younger birds might help them accept more younger birds in the future.

Meanwhile, in other news...one of my 10 week old roosters managed to make his way into the layer flock pen. He looked identical to the red sexlink layers, and while he was in the young chicken pen his comb made it clear he was a roo, when mixed in with the 3 yr-old hens he looked just like another hen. He must of got in yesterday, as this morning I discovered him frantically trying to find a way back into the young chicken run, so I grabbed him up and threw him back in. There he instantly got picked on, and I discovered he had been wounded around his anus and was bleeding. I decided I would cull him and use him to try caponizing. Well, that didn't go well as the sun was too bright and I could not get a good view inside the cavity after the initial incision. Not having a place prepared inside to do the caponizing, I decided I would try dressing him (he was dead all the while I was fumbling around, fwiw). So I managed to skin him, dress him out, wash, and bag him. He's now in the fridge resting for 3 days. Dogs all got treats in the process of course.

So after a week of many failures (including caponizing attempt today), it ends with 1 definitely positive thing. I can dress a chicken for myself!!

Meanwhile, hanging 10,000 garlic is no small task...;-] I am finding more salvageable garlic amongst what I have already picked and have decided much of the small stuff will become seed for next year. Not ideal, but the genetics are there and there's no reason a small clove won't produce a big bulb next year if I get the soil dynamics fixed.

I am on day 4 of my 2 sets of 40, 3 more days and I will draw air sacs, candle, and weigh. I am really hoping this time I see lots of distinct veining so as to cull the clears. Everyone else who are hatching give us an update, what day are you on, what are you hatching, fertility rates...Let's get back to having fun.

 

[WVduckchick]

Sounds much better! It should be fun.

My good news... I have gotten 1 egg a day since last Monday, and got 3 today! Yeah! Girls are doing well!

 

[NTBugtraq]

Sounds much better! It should be fun.

My good news... I have gotten 1 egg a day since last Monday, and got 3 today! Yeah! Girls are doing well!

How many layers do you have?? And what breed?

 

[WVduckchick]

8 golden comets are 18 weeks. 10 lavender orps (7 hens/3 roos) - 13 weeks old so they aren't laying yet. 2 silkies, somewhere around 22 weeks. I think one of my eggs today may have been from one of them.

 

[NTBugtraq]

8 golden comets are 18 weeks. 10 lavender orps (7 hens/3 roos) - 13 weeks old so they aren't laying yet. 2 silkies, somewhere around 22 weeks. I think one of my eggs today may have been from one of them.

Are you looking at these eggs to hatch, or eat?

 

[NTBugtraq]

8 golden comets are 18 weeks. 10 lavender orps (7 hens/3 roos) - 13 weeks old so they aren't laying yet. 2 silkies, somewhere around 22 weeks. I think one of my eggs today may have been from one of them.

I know I was thrilled to get the first eggs outta my new layers. Back then, never had any idea I would be incubating, just very happy to get eggs.

 

[WalnutHill]

I have my last set hatching early next week but I won't know how successful until I return home from a business trip.