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

[micayc]

oh and my Olandsk Dwarfs I got in the mail!!

 

[Cats Cradle]

Well it is 10:25am and that chick is still working on it. It is doing an odd thing, instead of zipping it is like it is trying to make that pip area bigger. It has basically pipped three times in the same little area...not in a line. I can hear it chirping though and it is wobbling, so I am not going to help at this time. It pipped only 11 hours ago, so it still has a lot of time. Nothing from any of the others. Hope they pip and get on to hatching soon.

Well??????? We're hanging on the edge of our seats here! Come on chickie!!! You can do it!

(And if you are already out and all dry and fluffy your mommy is in big trouble for not posting!!!)

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

Well I have been super busy today. Made cake pops for my neighbor that is on bed rest (trying not have a baby until September), checking the incubator and helping my husband...we are building a pole barn.

So finally after hours and hours that little one zipped and got itself free. It is the only one so far and I just have a sinking feeling about the others. My husband gets so mad at me for being a pessimist. I call it being a realist. I just think if any more were going to come, they would have pipped by now. I just have a feeling the others have quit. I know that is strange, but I have been having hatches pretty much each week since the end of May...I just have a gut feeling. Wish I didn't!

The good news is that my broody hen is all ready for it. Tonight under the cover of darkness I am going to take that cute little blue fluffy butt and give it to my sweet Naked Neck Nancy. It works out well...I was afraid of adding only one into the brooder with the other chicks that are olders...some, my cream legbars were hatched on Father's Day...so quite an age difference.

So I will take a picture tonight when we take it out to give to Nancy. It appears to be blue and is a cross between a showgirl roo and a frizzled cochin. So it may frizzle, it may not...it does not appear to have a naked neck, and only has 4 toes...but the skin looks black. Quite a motley mix of chicken. Fingers crossed it is a girl.


And that is supppppppppper gooooooooooood news about Smudgie!!!!

 

[Cats Cradle]

Well I have been super busy today. Made cake pops for my neighbor that is on bed rest (trying not have a baby until September), checking the incubator and helping my husband...we are building a pole barn.

So finally after hours and hours that little one zipped and got itself free. It is the only one so far and I just have a sinking feeling about the others. My husband gets so mad at me for being a pessimist. I call it being a realist. I just think if any more were going to come, they would have pipped by now. I just have a feeling the others have quit. I know that is strange, but I have been having hatches pretty much each week since the end of May...I just have a gut feeling. Wish I didn't!

The good news is that my broody hen is all ready for it. Tonight under the cover of darkness I am going to take that cute little blue fluffy butt and give it to my sweet Naked Neck Nancy. It works out well...I was afraid of adding only one into the brooder with the other chicks that are olders...some, my cream legbars were hatched on Father's Day...so quite an age difference.

So I will take a picture tonight when we take it out to give to Nancy. It appears to be blue and is a cross between a showgirl roo and a frizzled cochin. So it may frizzle, it may not...it does not appear to have a naked neck, and only has 4 toes...but the skin looks black. Quite a motley mix of chicken. Fingers crossed it is a girl.


And that is supppppppppper gooooooooooood news about Smudgie!!!!

Since you were doing something for your neighbor on bedrest, you are completely forgiven for not updating sooner!

Actually, I spent about half of one pregnancy on bedrest and would never have made it without the kindness of good neighbors. So trust me, what you are doing is hugely appreciated!

Congrats on the chickie!

I'd leave the bator running overnight. I always do that at the end of a hatch and then candle when I open it in the morning just to be sure. I know what you mean about being a realist... I just don't like setting myself up for disappointment.

I'm glad your broody will get a baby to raise! I'm sure she'll be happy too! I'll be looking forward to your pics!

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

Okay, thanks for letting me slide. I am just heart broken over only one hatching. I did take two out and opened them up...one had internally pipped and died...the egg yolk was 90% absorbed...not sure why it died...it looked normal. The other one looked like it might have died a few days ago, it still had a lot of yolk and just didn't look "done." I have three more eggs in there that we candled earlier tonight when I took the two I just mentioned out. One was still showing some red veining, and although I couldn't see movement we decided to give till morning since it still looked fresh. The other has a red ring of death and the final one just looks funky.

So as for the one that did hatch...it is blue. And is adorable. I took it out of the incubator tonight and under the cover of darkness, in one quick motion replaced the egg my little Naked Neck Nancy has been sitting on for a few weeks. I really hope she accepts it, I guess I will know in the morning. I hope she doesn't kill it.

So here are a few pictures I snapped with my cell before I moved it to the coop to be with Nancy.

Here is a snap of it on a towel...I love the color and the little bit of white on the wing tip.



And here is one...so tiny in my hand. So this chick is supposed to be a Shizzle. The roo is a showgirl, the hen a frizzled cochin. I can't wait to see who it turns out...feather feet, black legs.

So now I just have one more broody in the coop, and I felt bad for her tonight....not able to give her anything...I don't have fertile eggs right now or any other babies.

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

Okay, it is 9 am my time and I am HAPPY....OVER THE MOON HAPPY, that my sweet little Naked Neck Nancy has accepted her new little adoptee! This morning when I went to check on her as soon as I opened the crate she fluffed herself up, even the few feathers on her head stood straight up. She kind of growled a bit, but I sweet talked her into letting me lift her up a bit and there was that cute little blue baby. I held it for a few seconds, all under her very watchful eye. When I set it down, it knew right where to go and she she just settled in right down on top of it and then looked at me with the sweetest, proudest look in her eyes. It almost brought tears to my eyes. I have loved Nancy since the day we brought her home. She has always been special to me and is the reason I have other Naked Necks running around now. She is for sure in my top three of favorite hens. I know she will be an excellent mother to this little chick, I just wish I had more to give her from this hatch.

So I did have to pry myself away from the computer last night because I was already searching out another showgirl breeder. The last two times I have tried to hatch them, they were ebay eggs from a gal in Michigan. I think after trying twice with her eggs and only ever getting one to hatch each time, I will try from another breeder on here. Does anyone have anyone they would recommend? I see that there are some for sale on the auction page. I might check into those. I don't want to spend a ton of money...I have already done that with my legbars and marans. I would just like a few to add to my flock for eye candy.

Have a beautiful blessed Sunday everyone.

 

[Cats Cradle]

Okay, it is 9 am my time and I am HAPPY....OVER THE MOON HAPPY, that my sweet little Naked Neck Nancy has accepted her new little adoptee! This morning when I went to check on her as soon as I opened the crate she fluffed herself up, even the few feathers on her head stood straight up. She kind of growled a bit, but I sweet talked her into letting me lift her up a bit and there was that cute little blue baby. I held it for a few seconds, all under her very watchful eye. When I set it down, it knew right where to go and she she just settled in right down on top of it and then looked at me with the sweetest, proudest look in her eyes. It almost brought tears to my eyes. I have loved Nancy since the day we brought her home. She has always been special to me and is the reason I have other Naked Necks running around now. She is for sure in my top three of favorite hens. I know she will be an excellent mother to this little chick, I just wish I had more to give her from this hatch.

So I did have to pry myself away from the computer last night because I was already searching out another showgirl breeder. The last two times I have tried to hatch them, they were ebay eggs from a gal in Michigan. I think after trying twice with her eggs and only ever getting one to hatch each time, I will try from another breeder on here. Does anyone have anyone they would recommend? I see that there are some for sale on the auction page. I might check into those. I don't want to spend a ton of money...I have already done that with my legbars and marans. I would just like a few to add to my flock for eye candy.

Have a beautiful blessed Sunday everyone.

Your baby is soooooooo cute!!!

I am so sorry about the others that didn't make it. Wish I could give you a hug in person, but this will have to do...

I agree you should find another breeder... sorry I don't know of one. Do disinfect your incubator extra good. Some dieases can show up as late deaths in the egg. Not saying I think this is what it is or even that it's likely, but you won't hurt anything by extra cleaning! I do think the likely cause is related to the breeders stock somehow. It could be diet... they may just get layer ration and not a breeder ration. Or the breeder has somehow brought genetic weakness into her flock. (Not necesarily her fault... that may have been the person she got them from or even further back.)

Your story of Nancy and her chick doing so well brought a smile to my face! I am so happy for her!

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

I think you are right, because other than the batch of FBCM that all came late in the mail and with detached air sacs, I have always had an excellent hatch rate...100% on local eggs and about 75-85 percent on shipped eggs. Her eggs are the worst. It might be something in their genes...I am going to open the last three eggs here in a bit and see if I can tell when they died. I don't want weak genes, so I guess it is all for the best in the long run, it just makes for a sad day on hatching day, and money down the drain. And I got to thinking about your thought about something in the incubator...I used my Brinsea 40 for the last group and the 20 for this group. I do clean then well though too...but I will do an extra good job this time just in case.

My son (16) gets a bit of post hatch depression too...he spent hours last night and tonight researching and finding eggs for me to buy. He finds all these really rare, super expensive breeds that just have to say no to, so then he switches gears and wants to get game birds...I also say no. So I think he gave up. It is hard because he wants all these different kinds, but when it comes to chicken chores he is no where to be found...just likes to come play with them and hand feed them. So I am not so inclined to shell out money for more work for me.

 

[Kanga77510]

Just thought everyone would want to know....


Smudgie is EATING!!!!!!!!!!

Go Smudgie! You can do it!!!

 

[Cats Cradle]

My son (16) gets a bit of post hatch depression too...he spent hours last night and tonight researching and finding eggs for me to buy. He finds all these really rare, super expensive breeds that just have to say no to, so then he switches gears and wants to get game birds...I also say no. So I think he gave up. It is hard because he wants all these different kinds, but when it comes to chicken chores he is no where to be found...just likes to come play with them and hand feed them. So I am not so inclined to shell out money for more work for me.

My kids love chickens too! (I guess you already knoew that because of Smudgie!) They all have started doing poultry in 4H. Each is different... one daughter (Smudgie's owner) does a good job of caring for her chicks and loves on them all the time. My other daughter is like your son... wants fancy breeds that require extra care like Phoenix, but pouts when asked to care for what we have now. She gets the work done, but has to be pushed first. My son takes super care of his, but they are not really pets to him. He likes to look at them and talk to me about his plans of raising and showing, but thinks his sisters are weird because they love on theirs so much.

When I was about your sons age, I wanted a horse. My parents said no, they couldn't afford it. So I saved every dime I could get. I wasn't yet 16, so couldn't get a real job. Went to my parents when I had the money saved to buy a horse. Parents said no, they couldn't afford to feed it, buy a corral, etc. So I saved more. Earned money any way I could. Bought a corral and paid to have it delivered. Priced feed and showed mom I had enough money for the horse and I could pay for enough feed to last past my 16th birthday and then I would get a job and pay for everything. I got my horse! That horse never cost my parents one dime! So... if your son wants them bad enough he might be willing to build his coops, pay for his feed, and buy his own birds! Just a thought... obviously you know all the details and I've been a teenager, but never raised one!