She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[AmyLynn2374]

Thought I'd read that about the colors not breeding true. The combs I understand, but pinkness of what?

Pinkness of combs I think.

 

[WalnutHill]

Any of you ever bred Red Sex-links before?
I did, for the experience, and because I wanted some replacements, having no idea what I'd get.
What I got was 2 that are somewhere between a white & a light yellow, & 1 that's a good bit darker, like a light tan.
With the roosters being white as adults, I'm wondering if I've got 2 wanna-be roosters & 1 hen-to-be.
At 3 weeks, I believe the comb of the darker one is a tad more developed than the other two.

What did you cross to get your sex links?

 

[kwhites634]

Pinkness of combs I think.

Probably...makes sense.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Which one, the Columbian pattern clean footed, or the fuzzy footed fluffy one? The fluffy feather footed ones, yes, that is the second most common color that my flock throws, after the tricolors. Only one of these from 30+ chicks Pullet and cockerel from the LB/EE x Cochin/EE Pullet and probable cockerel from Salmon Faverolle/EE x Cochin/EE - many like these with various markings but all tricolor laced [COLOR=B42000] [/COLOR] And two pullets and two cockerels from Salmon Faverolle/EE x Buff Ameraucana cockerel. None of the boys are in the breeding program, just keeping the dads. I was really tempted to keep this guy, but he went for dinner. He was by far closest to my "no breed SOP" of anything I've hatched. And he was a really good boy. I liked his black toenails.

Like them all, lol... my OH wants some more EE's kinda similar to our aberrant black and white penciled... and wanna try turkeys... so could swap some if'n ya wanna??

Thought I'd read that about the colors not breeding true. The combs I understand, but pinkness of what?

Pinkness of the comb... sometimes the girls combs pop up quick and large in hybrid mixes, so look at the color of it more than the size...

 

[Ravynscroft]

Now I know why I named my lil troublemaker pullet Raven...maybe I should change the spelling of her name.    Just joking I'm the same way....lol

If they are from that FB page they are crazy. I had to leave the group before I got myself in trouble....lol

Would you like the name of the group?  

I wouldn't incubate that early in the beginning of laying. My best hatch was my pullet hatch, but they were all 4-6 weeks into laying. I was still a bit concerned with the size of a few, even then, but they all hatched great all healthy and have grown into some nice looking mixes.

You know "nnormal" people? Can I meet them?

Black is my favorite color of chicken...
And I own up to my craziness and troublemaking, so yes, you should change the spelling...

Although it may raise some eyebrows when you say "Ravyn laid the strangest egg today"...

Nope... I stay as far away from "those people" as possible!!!

 

[WalnutHill]

Like them all, lol... my OH wants some more EE's kinda similar to our aberrant black and white penciled... and wanna try turkeys... so could swap some if'n ya wanna??

Pinkness of the comb... sometimes the girls combs pop up quick and large in hybrid mixes, so look at the color of it more than the size...

For sure. I can pack a good number of eggs, both turkey and chicken, in a box in exchange for a nice assortment, and I know yours are beautiful. The young girls are mostly not laying yet, just the Columbian one from my first "test the homemade incubator" set. By spring they will all be laying and in the flock with the two roos, so blue egg gene comes from both sides. Turkeys will start somewhere between Jan and March depending on which hens I hold over. Baby won't start until April as she was a late one.

 

[kwhites634]

What did you cross to get your sex links?

I didn't do the cross. I ordered 6 pullets & a rooster from Southern States last Spring. I ordered RIR's, but they gave me sex-links, instead. I knew something was up when the rooster was white & all the pullets had at least some white, but didn't know for sure til I did some homework.

After I figured out the score, I wasn't shy about telling Southern States what I thought of what they'd done, but I probably came out the winner in the end; from what I understand now, the sex-links are better layers than the pure RIR's, & RIR hens have pretty much had the broodiness bred out of them...one of my girls was broody for 2+ months this summer. I'd a whole lot rather let a broody hen incubate a clutch & raise the chicks than incubate & have to house the young'ins separately til they're big enough to hold their own in the grown-up run (just finished the brooder coop today).

I don't even know whether all my birds were hatch mates or not, but my breeding experience with bird dogs tells me that breeding brother to sister is USUALLY not a real good idea. For that reason, I'm on the lookout for a pure RIR rooster to get some new blood going.

 

[ronott1]

Anybody want to try talking me out of hatching pullet eggs?

Girls and boys about 6.5 months. Been laying for a week, then I started collecting. Its not ideal, but winter is coming.

Like to hear from anyone with experience in a situation like this.

Hatch them!

I've hatched many pullet eggs quite successfully, and in the dead of winter... so hatch away!!

I like to wait until they are 45G in size though.

 

[RubyNala97]

This is 1 of the smaller air cells

Decided to give y'all an actual candling pic This is 1 of the 1's with nice veins, some look even better but I didn't want to keep opening the bator to find them, lol.

Yes, they look a little on the small side. And the space between the chick and the air cell is a little large. But my eggs from my last hatch had smaller air cells then I normally have. So I didn't lockdown until only a few hours before the first pip. It was about 6 hours before day 20 started and it was a great hatch. Go dry for as long as you can.

It's funny though that she answered me immediately after I emailed her the very first time about buying the eggs but now that I need replacements it's taken her over 2 weeks to answer me, go figure.

No, that sounds just about right for this day and age!

I came home to 2 boxes from Amazon Tracking didn't have them here yet

I've calibrated the thermometer in the Octagon, and the hygrometer is undergoing the salt test as we speak (I'll check it after the girls go to bed) (the human girls ) Then I'll clean everything with some fresh hydrogen peroxide, and after letting everything dry overnight, I'll plug in the incubator and let it stabilize (and see where my humidity is dry--assuming the hygrometer's correct, the house is at about 50% (I didn't really pay attention, since I hadn't tested it yet).

Good luck on the hatch! So excited for you!

Meet little bunny Foo foo, who has decided to join us for free range time for the past 3 afternoons.

She ate the scratch out of my hand and put her paw in my hand too, but I didn't have my phone on me. I think her big daddy visits too but he is really shy.

That's awesome!! I really love rabbits!! I have a huge spot in my heart for them.

He's nice otherwise... helps a lot of people out... usually he just asks me their questions and posts whatever I tell him, lol... took me a bit before I figured out what he was doing...

But having someone tell everyone they were incubating totally wrong and they absolutely had to soak their eggs in Listerine or they would be spreadihg horrible diseases kinda rubbed him wrong... and when he gets irritated, he has no filter...

Oh boy...that group is nuts! That's what rubbed me the wrong way. I thought it was a normal hatching group until everything I said ((because I didn't read the stickys) was wrong and it was pointed out that you have to do it their way or else your wrong! That's just crazy. As long as you do what's best for the hatch and have good hatches, then that's valid. I hope he messes with them good!

These bantam eggs I've got are a learning curve. They lose moisture so easily. My usual humidity doesn't work on these guys. I'm up near 55-60 just to keep em from losing all their moisture. Day 9 and I'm on track with moisture loss...blows my mind that these little guys need that much humidity. Day 5 looked like day 7 plus some at 45-50% so I cranked it up and I will check em again tomorrow. I dunno what their deal is but so far everyone is happy and air cells are still growing so.... I guess my bantams are teaching me a lesson in how much trouble I'm in early on. Lol they are already high maintenance.

Very interesting! I'm learning more and more that each batch of eggs is so different and that you can't just incubate the same way, every time. You have to work with the eggs. Sounds like you're doing a great job!!

You really came to fhe wrong place to be talked outta hatching ANY eggs...

I've hatched many pullet eggs quite successfully, and in the dead of winter... so hatch away!!

How soon after they started laying have you incubated them?

 

[Ravynscroft]

For sure.  I can pack a good number of eggs, both turkey and chicken, in a box in exchange for a nice assortment, and I know yours are beautiful.  The young girls are mostly not laying yet, just the Columbian one from my first "test the homemade incubator" set.  By spring they will all be laying and in the flock with the two roos, so blue egg gene comes from both sides.  Turkeys will start somewhere between Jan and March depending on which hens I hold over.  Baby won't start until April as she was a late one.

Sounds great! Will put you down then, thanks!

Whichever ones you want, I can send a nice asst...

Hatch them!

I like to wait until they are 45G in size though.

I have no clue how big my first set was, didn't have a scale then... but kept a nice pullet out of them and she is bigger than her mom and lays really well and larger eggs too, lol...