Setting eggs today, 6-30-12...anyone else want to join in the fun???

[Cats Cradle]

HI everyone...you are right, I didn't think there were any responses, so I unsubscribed to this thread.

So I am glad we have some hatching buddies here. I have only candled one time and it looked like out of nine eggs I have about 3 quitters. I will candle again in a few days and take the quitter eggs out.

Wow...I am impressed regarding running the truck for three days...that is some serious dedication to your eggs.

Welcome back!!!

(My happy dance that you're back!)


As far as running the truck... I really had no other choice other than just letting the eggs go. We let all the food in the freezer go instead!

Am I following right that you have 6 eggs out of 9 that looked good last time you candled? That's good for shipped eggs!!! Keep growing chickies!!!

 

[Cats Cradle]

I think I got it... 99.5 and holding steady!!!! I'm used to being around eggs since I raise parakeets, love birds cockatiels and conures, but this egg isn't going to be easy to candle considering it's tan with white speckles. any tips on candling brown eggs? I would like to to get easter eggers to blow my daughter's mind. What types of Bantams would you recommend since we like to hold and cuddle our birds.

It really killed me when I had to give up my cornish rocks because I wanted them as cuddle bug pets and the one had congestive heart failure and the other was on the verge of snapping its legs. they weighed 18 to 20 pounds each and they were my babies. I wasn't welcome in some parts of the forum because I kept them as pets. I gave them to someone else to do the deed.

Since the two big guys are gone, the two reds just crave attention. They really make me laugh. I still haven't won over that silly rooster yet. and the only time my ducks want me is when they know there's water in the kiddie pool.

Congrats on the steady temp!!! With all your bird experience I'm sure you'll do great.

So far most of our bantams came from Tractor Supply's "Assorted Bantams." We've had several breeds and then mixed breed offspring from the bunch. They've all turned out pretty tame, but they are loved on and kissed regularly by my kids so it's not surprising. I'd recommend looking at pictures of breeds with your daughter and seeing what she likes. How old is she? My kids (11,11, and 9) are just getting started in 4H and all 3 love it so far! I raised poultry in 4H a long time ago and I loved it too!!!

I'm sorry about your cornish rocks. And I'm deeply sorry people treated you badly. I never can figure out all the rules... I'm evil if I kill an animal for food and I'm evil if I want to spare a farm animal and make it a pet.

You did your best for those birds and I can tell they had a good life. In the end, when their poor genetics (not your fault) were making life not so good you found someone to do the humane thing.

I'm really glad you're here! I'm a big softie with the animals too... it's good to have company!

 

[Cats Cradle]

I bought black copper marans eggs and some blue EE eggs. Since they were shipped and this is her first time, I'm not optimistic on a large hatch rate, although the eggs were packed VERY well. Rosie is a blue Orp I bought from Terry Disney. I wasn't expecting her to go broody and was surprised. she's only a little over a year old. I hope I can get at least a few chicks for her. She's so diligent about those eggs. It's so funny. She's a gigantic gray feathered pancake in the nest box.

I'd love to see a pic of your broody with her eggs! I have heard that Orps are the best mamas! Do't worry about you being new... she has 1000s of years of instincts behind her!!!

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

I currently have two more broody girls out in my coop. A naked neck who has been broody before but I didn't have eggs to give her and an australorp who has already hatched out 4 babies in April. I have not decided if I am going to give them any of my eggs that are in the incubator. Since it is looking like I only have 6, I could give them three each.

The problem is that I have two dog crates that are currently being occupied by the other two hens who hatched out some chicks a week or so ago. So I don't have any nesting boxes that are low enough to the ground to make it safe and accessible. So I will probably just let them run their course with being broody. When I build my dream "taj mahal" of chicken coops it is going to have a maternity ward with a bunch of boxes down low that will be for the broody girls.

 

[InTheJungle]

I do have another question about my reds, pics are in my profile folders feel free too take a look.

any way, My neighbor's father made a comment about my hen's being able to reproduce since they are mixes and now I'm having doubts about this egg. He referred to my lighter one as a "Red Star", just an egg layer and not able to reproduce.

My hens were sold to me as Red Pullets, just Production pullets, a cross between New Hampshire Reds and Rhode Island Reds. Does this mean they are sterile? just created to just lay eggs, plain and simple?

The woman who I gave my CR's to says all of her chickens are mutts and will have some hatching soon that I can pick from in exchange for my two big CR's I had to give up tearfully.

So if my "mutts" aren't able to reproduce, why are hers?

Should I even continue incubation of this egg?

I'm soo lost. and confused. it's not like my other birds where genetics are a big factor, you cannot breed a cockatiel with a parakeet even though they are both birds. you CAN breed a sun conure with a jenday conure to get a sunday conure and you can breed sundays with jendays and suns. I think the result is a mosaic. Macaws can be interbred, we've done it with a military female and a blue and gold male to get miligolds. I have parakeets right now that are mixed common and English.

What's the difference with some of the chickens? I'm really curious. not trying to start a fight, or huge debate, But I would really like a couple peeps of my own.

 

[Cats Cradle]

I do have another question about my reds, pics are in my profile folders feel free too take a look.

any way, My neighbor's father made a comment about my hen's being able to reproduce since they are mixes and now I'm having doubts about this egg. He referred to my lighter one as a "Red Star", just an egg layer and not able to reproduce.

My hens were sold to me as Red Pullets, just Production pullets, a cross between New Hampshire Reds and Rhode Island Reds. Does this mean they are sterile? just created to just lay eggs, plain and simple?

As far as I know, your eggs will incubate just fine!!! I believe that chickens are all one species.

I have "production reds" and have hatched literally dozens of them. In fact, most of what I hatched this year was my third generation. My original stock came from Tractor Supply. Mine breed true, meaning the chicks I hatch look just like their parents. There is some slight variation in color, but they are certainly all reds

I believe a red star is a red sex link. A sex link is a cross that is made so that the chicks can be easily sexed (usually by down color) at hatch. They can reproduce just fine, however the 2nd generation will no longer be able to be sexed by down color. Also, since now all those genetics from the original cross are mixed together there will be more variation amongst the chicks, so they don't breed true. Your neighbor may be confusing "not breeding true" with "not able to reproduce." Not breeding true is not necessarily a bad thing... lots of people like variation in their flocks!

You were told you have production red pullets... a new hampshire red/rhode island red cross. I'll bet what you have is basically just the same as what I have! So just hatch some chicks and smile when you show your neighbor!

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

Cats Cradle is right...they will hatch, but they will not be sex links. They will probably be lovely and lay lots of nice brown eggs. I agree...go for it and smile. Perhaps he is thinking of hybrids like mixing mules, donkeys and horses...I believe those mixes come out sterile because they are not the same species.

While I like some of the heritage breeds, I can tell you that my red star/red commet/ cinnamon queen/ production red/ red sex link...what ever you want to call them...I have two of them...Thelma and Louise, they are the friendliest girls and lay an egg a day like clockwork. They are good foragers and are always moving around looking for food other than from the feed tub. So I think they have a better feed to egg ratio than some of my other girls.

 

[lareynadenada]

I think I got it... 99.5 and holding steady!!!! I'm used to being around eggs since I raise parakeets, love birds cockatiels and conures, but this egg isn't going to be easy to candle considering it's tan with white speckles. any tips on candling brown eggs? I would like to to get easter eggers to blow my daughter's mind. What types of Bantams would you recommend since we like to hold and cuddle our birds.

It really killed me when I had to give up my cornish rocks because I wanted them as cuddle bug pets and the one had congestive heart failure and the other was on the verge of snapping its legs. they weighed 18 to 20 pounds each and they were my babies. I wasn't welcome in some parts of the forum because I kept them as pets. I gave them to someone else to do the deed.

Since the two big guys are gone, the two reds just crave attention. They really make me laugh. I still haven't won over that silly rooster yet. and the only time my ducks want me is when they know there's water in the kiddie pool.

I have Old English Game Bantams, Silver Duckwings, they are sweet FRIENDLY birds, both hens and roos not only like to be held, they demand it, mine will not go to bed until they are picked up if you want a small sweet bird these are the way to go

 

[gvolkert]

Is it too late to join in - I set my first dozen eggs on June 28th in the afternoon. They are bantams (silver spangled hamburgs). I probably should have used eggs from my backyard laying flock first to learn the tricks of using my incubator, but I really really wanted these hamburgs. I've got 6 more being mailed out soon so I will have one more chance right away.

So far I have five that are still in the bator. I'm using a Hova-bator, model 2362N. Has anyone ever used this model? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Cats Cradle]

I can tell you that my red star/red commet/ cinnamon queen/ production red/ red sex link...what ever you want to call them...

Hmmm... interesting that you lump the production reds in with the sex links. Are they sold that way sometimes? Mine were not sex links. They were straight run and all looked the same. I was told they were basically a Rhode Island Red /New Hampshire Red cross. I've also heard Leghorn can be thrown in the mix.

I know that it is the fact that they are a mix, that is supposed to produce the hybrid vigor that causes them to lay as much as they do. However, my second generation hens are as good if not better than the first. This years chicks (some second but mostly third generation... no idea who is who) are very vigorous. I suppose that is in part do to an increase in my hatching skills, but I also think the organic feed and truly free range lifestyle has helped too.