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

[sjturner79]

Must..resist...setting...

Congrats!

Why resist? If I had a 150 egg incubator I would keep it running although I can only grow out about 10 at a time and can only keep 15 adults.

 

[RubyNala97]

Ok, I've gone and done it. Just set 8 duck eggs, and will add silkie X frizzle cochin, and lavender orpingtons next week.

e I'm incubating again!!!

(hubby got a real nice pistol out of this deal lol)

So exciting!

I know! They are messy little turds but their cuteness makes up for it

Adorable!

That's funny. I just set two dozen eggs, and my wife got a new pistol

Good luck on the hatch! Did you set AMs?

 

[sjturner79]

My oldest female is exactly 6 months and I just saw my younger cockerel (who is a nice young man) successfully mate her!! They did a great job for about 10 seconds!!! No squawking or anything. She just let him do his thing and he was good about it. So....if she ever decides to lay an egg, it should be fertile, right??

Yes!! My cockerel just mated the new female that is laying!! How soon can I expect a bulls eye?

Any of my pullets that submit for a successful mating start laying within 7 days.
Eggs are fertile from 36 hours through to about 3 weeks for a successful mating.
So the first egg laying after the mating usually is not, but the next 20-30 are or could be.

 

[rossfam06]

You know, chooks is between us... Chicken Train!!!!

Running all day!!! Hahahahhahahaha!!!!

Edit: What I meant to say was: It's good to see you, Walnut. Good luck with the Thanksgiving rush! Quote: Over the run, under the run, wherever you can squeeze em. I love partridge silkies. Rock n roll chickens. Interesting dynamic you have there. Congrats on the hatch!

I was just watching that show chooks!!!!! I miss you! Where are you hiding???? (Sorry 2 martinis later (hubby was being good to me ) I'm a weee bit tipsy)

 

[WalnutHill]

Why resist? If I had a 150 egg incubator I would keep it running although I can only grow out about 10 at a time and can only keep 15 adults.

1. Once Thanksgiving is over and I have a handful or two of turkeys left, the chickens move into the turkey coop. This is so I only have to run one waterer for the winter, which is both difficult and expensive. And in really cold weather, under 15F, we need to carry water down a few times a day because even the heat tapes can't keep the waterers thawed.

2. Brooding in winter is an abject failure if the power goes out. It goes out for a while nearly every day around here, they built wall to wall subdivisions and tapped into 1960s rural infrastructure. At 75F it's not a big deal. At 20F it's fatal quickly.

3. Not much of a market for selling day olds this time of year in this climate due to the brooding in cold weather challenge.

I do plan to start setting as early as February, but I have to resist until then unless someone pays me to incubate.

 

[sjturner79]

1.  Once Thanksgiving is over and I have a handful or two of turkeys left, the chickens move into the turkey coop.  This is so I only have to run one waterer for the winter, which is both difficult and expensive.  And in really cold weather, under 15F, we need to carry water down a few times a day because even the heat tapes can't keep the waterers thawed.

2.  Brooding in winter is an abject failure if the power goes out.  It goes out for a while nearly every day around here, they built wall to wall subdivisions and tapped into 1960s rural infrastructure.  At 75F it's not a big deal.  At 20F it's fatal quickly.

3.  Not much of a market for selling day olds this time of year in this climate due to the brooding in cold weather challenge.

I do plan to start setting as early as February, but I have to resist until then unless someone pays me to incubate.

Well that is a good list of reasons.
My winter lows are around 35F and I have a large market for chicks under 36 hrs through winter. Most people lose chooks during the summer heat and want 3 month pullets on the first day of spring, sales decline through summer as it gets to hot. Still trying to find a breed that do well in 130f for a week straight.

 

[sjturner79]

Well that is a good list of reasons.
My winter lows are around 35F and I have a large market for chicks under 36 hrs through winter. Most people lose chooks during the summer heat and want 3 month pullets on the first day of spring, sales decline through summer as it gets to hot. Still trying to find a breed that do well in 130f for a week straight.

The other thing is most people here seem to think asltralorps are a good breed to have, but they have the highest percentage heat stroke out of the breeds I have seen.

 

[WalnutHill]

I've never had a bird die of heat stroke, even Cornish crosses, but I've had a few freeze to death, usually debilitated old birds.

 

[RubyNala97]

Any of my pullets that submit for a successful mating start laying within 7 days.
Eggs are fertile from 36 hours through to about 3 weeks for a successful mating.
So the first egg laying after the mating usually is not, but the next 20-30 are or could be.

that she starts laying in 7 days! That would make me extremely happy!!

1.  Once Thanksgiving is over and I have a handful or two of turkeys left, the chickens move into the turkey coop.  This is so I only have to run one waterer for the winter, which is both difficult and expensive.  And in really cold weather, under 15F, we need to carry water down a few times a day because even the heat tapes can't keep the waterers thawed.

2.  Brooding in winter is an abject failure if the power goes out.  It goes out for a while nearly every day around here, they built wall to wall subdivisions and tapped into 1960s rural infrastructure.  At 75F it's not a big deal.  At 20F it's fatal quickly.

3.  Not much of a market for selling day olds this time of year in this climate due to the brooding in cold weather challenge.

I do plan to start setting as early as February, but I have to resist until then unless someone pays me to incubate.

Good points, Walnut. I should really resist till Feb 1st!

 

[OldMissionChick]

I candled my remaining eggs and they dont look good no movement or sounds. And one developed a second air cell

has anyone seen something like this? (The top of the egg is on the left)