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

[chickiedoodahs]

Can't wait 'til they start popping out. If sales don't pick up soon, I may make you a deal on a breeder flock and 19 straight run chicks. I just don't think Carolinians are too keen on top hats...
Ok chickie, you've been here long enough. I don't know how much of this thread you have read, but everyone else knows what is coming next.






It's for your own good








Leave those eggs alone










Seriously, though, I wouldn't do anything else until she comes off the nest with her babies. I will peek under a broody to see how many chicks there are, but I won't remove any shells or otherwise disturb the eggs until the hatch is complete. The mama will take care of all the duties in the nest until she feels that the hatch is done, then she will bring the babies out when she is ready. Mine usually stay on the nest for 2 days while hatching. After they come out, that's when I clean up the nest

I actually laughed at that!
I finally feel a part of the thread haha

I'll be checking for chicks tonight but promise not to touch anymore than a wing or 2!

All this excitement is making me not want to eat my dinner lol

 

[scflock]

I actually laughed at that!
I finally feel a part of the thread haha

I'll be checking for chicks tonight but promise not to touch anymore than a wing or 2!

All this excitement is making me not want to eat my dinner lol

It's a rite of passage

 

[sideWing]

@MunsterChicks How many more do you have out now? lol

I promised you some lavender orpington pics, so I'm finally getting around to them. 7 weeks old now...


This is my friendliest little rooster


And this little girl is sweet too


Little treats!

Awesome lavs! I'm trying a small batch of Lavender Wyandottes right now and I love the color. The weak feathers that come with the lav are bugging me a little though.

Yep I've decided to leave them alone now, mother knows best and all that!

She's gotten this far without me, she doesn't need my help now lol
What does everyone do with the males?! I presumed people kept them for meat but I may be a little naive in thinking that! I'm from a farm but we never kept chickens so it's all new to me.

Sell them for the cost of feed I calculated for them, or I eat them.

Changes made...fan airflow reversed so that cool air intake is at the bottom, water pan at the top, fan blowing across water pan (GQF style). Hatcher trays on the bottom.

Everything got cold during the modifications, and I added a couple of room-temp trays as well, so I won't be too concerned until 12 or so hours have passed. Right now turner tray (3rd position from top) is at 99 and hatcher is at 95. While I do want a temperature differential, that's a bit much. I believe it's just because the thermal mass is not up to temp and the thermometer is a slow-acting model.

Do you have a pic of this and I missed it? I would love to see it.

The amber-colored, super-sticky substance is not normal.

I keep really good records of my eggs, from date of lay through storage and through incubation.

I've found that eggs over 10 days old, and especially those more than 14 days old, are generally some degree of sticky where fresh eggs from the same hens are not. It's not always a death sentence for the chicks/poults, but it doesn't help their chances. It does not seem to be moisture related as I've done controlled humidity storage, but it seems to be a change in the protein itself. I think that this change leads to the increase in early deaths and the overall low success rate of old eggs, though I have hatched a 21 day old egg successfully. That poult got a bath because it was stiffening up.

That is very interesting.

Does any one vaccinate their chicks if so what do you generally vaccinate for?

I don't. I want to sell the eggs as "non medicated hens, free range, natural feed, etc" It works where I'm from.

Update on the tag team silkie hatch. Over the course of 8 days, I wound up with 15 chicks and 2 unhatched eggs. I have been getting a chick a day for the last week. My assumption is that those were the eggs that were laid after the broodies first set. I had hens swapping positions as the chicks made their ways out. There were a couple of days that I would come home to 3 hens on the nest. I know this will drive Amy nuts, but I just let them be. I did have to remove a couple of chicks myself, just because I was afraid they had been on the nest too long, but I still wound up with 15/17 in what was a staggered hatch. Tough to beat broodies

Amazing hatch rate and beautiful birds!

How close is MO to the AI outbreak? After reading the thread that was posted in here last week, I did a lot of research over the weekend. That is some scary stuff! I have a closed flock, and don't live near any major waterways, but some say that when the waterfow migrate south for the winter, they may bring it with them. I haven't gotten my NPIP certification, because I haven't needed it, but with all of this going around I think it may be time

Can you get AI from shipped eggs? Can the eggs carry it?

I have the pine sawdust shavings and leaves on both floor and in boxes. That's why I am thinking if I use the straw on the floor and the pine in the box it might help. What confuses me is they were all laying so well in the box and now they won't even use it.

No mites or crawlies in the boxes? I have heard of folks finding stuff in the nestbox on close inspection. Sounds like it's the changes you are making to the flock though.

A little extra action on my lone pipper, but not started zipping yet. I was looking in the window and said "c'mon chickie! At least give me a sign that you are still alive" and a small chunk of the shell moved. Awwww!! I still don't hear any chirping though. (even when I play the video)

Ok I had a sneaky little peek under 1 wing and I have a pip!!!! There's 5 eggs under her and I could only see 1 other egg from the tiny glance that I managed to get. I'm guessing that because one has pipped I should leave her completely alone now until she moves herself off the nest to keep up chicken humidity? It's boiling here today (for Wales anyhow) so only so long I could sit next to nesting box lol do you remove shells from the nest box before though? I presume my broody will take care of it?
Ahh so excited, I hope she's a good mummy...

Congratulations!

 

[WVduckchick]

Well I just noticed another pip. Pointing straight at the floor.

I could just see the tiniest speck of white below the egg, so I stuck my straw through the vent hole and barely rolled it enough to get it off the floor. This egg is also positioned to where I can shine my light through the window and actually see the air cell. This was the smallest egg and has the most sloped air cell. Its now lucky if it is half chick/half air cell!! But I did just see it knock off the tiny piece that was touching the ground, so maybe there is hope!! Polish added another little line to its crack. And I heard someone chirp!! Lol

 

[scflock]

Can you get AI from shipped eggs? Can the eggs carry it?

Yes you can, and the thread that someone linked in here last week was what brought the subject up for me. Check it out, it was an incredible story with a happy ending. The thread starter even ended up on the local news, and posted a link to see the news story on the thread. Imagine this happening to your own flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/990599/destruction-and-disposal-orders-help/150#post_15419509

Well I just noticed another pip. Pointing straight at the floor.

I could just see the tiniest speck of white below the egg, so I stuck my straw through the vent hole and barely rolled it enough to get it off the floor. This egg is also positioned to where I can shine my light through the window and actually see the air cell. This was the smallest egg and has the most sloped air cell. Its now lucky if it is half chick/half air cell!! But I did just see it knock off the tiny piece that was touching the ground, so maybe there is hope!! Polish added another little line to its crack. And I heard someone chirp!! Lol

If you try and roll that egg over, I will personally drive to WV and

you myself

 

[scflock]

Very funny. He's so repulsive, I couldn't even name her Princess now...

Sally might work..

I've been going back and making sure I didn't miss any posts over the weekend. That's two of my name choices that you have discounted. All of the thought that goes into coming up with just the right name, and you blow it off like it means nothing

Guess I'll just stick with Fluffy and Doodles

 

[cppeace]

The one duck egg that is due out in 4 days air cell is getting quite large still good movement. I'm hoping it doesn't hatch early or it will be a lonely duckling for at least 3 days waiting on it's hatch mates. All the eggs that went in the same days as it were the three that got discarded :/ If it does hatch alone I will prolly go over to cackle and see if they have any blue swedes ready to go to put with it. I want some prettier swedes anyway. The 3 I have left don't have the pretty bibs like they should. The ones the predator got had prettier bibs

 

[sideWing]

Yes you can, and the thread that someone linked in here last week was what brought the subject up for me. Check it out, it was an incredible story with a happy ending. The thread starter even ended up on the local news, and posted a link to see the news story on the thread. Imagine this happening to your own flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/990599/destruction-and-disposal-orders-help/150#post_15419509

Great story! I hope he stays in the clear. I'm doing an AI search for my state right now.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yes you can, and the thread that someone linked in here last week was what brought the subject up for me. Check it out, it was an incredible story with a happy ending. The thread starter even ended up on the local news, and posted a link to see the news story on the thread. Imagine this happening to your own flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/990599/destruction-and-disposal-orders-help/150#post_15419509

If you try and roll that egg over, I will personally drive to WV and

you myself

Thanks for sharing that. I was wondering what happened, but too lazy to go find the link to theh thread.

Don't smack her! She needs to see! It's imperative! lol

 

[sideWing]

Great story! I hope he stays in the clear. I'm doing an AI search for my state right now.

All clear in my state so far.