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

[AmyLynn2374]

I'm so sorry to hear this! Before I had chickens my neighbor did (he moved shortly after I moved here) and they were always in my yard. 4 big fat hens. One day I came outside and found a huge pile of feathers. Nothing else, no blood, no chicken just feathers. There was a fox hanging around all week after that.
That's interesting about getting pullets from refrigerated eggs. I never heard that. I may have to try that next time I hatch for myself.
Ugh. I hate difficult hatches. I will say that about 70% of the time my malpositions zip on their own. So

We're thinking fox. Or a dog, but likely fox. At least it'll give me a bigger target to shoot at if someone gets me a gun.

I told Cayden that I told (my nephew) Art that I needed to borrow one of his guns and my son says, does it have one of those things that you look in? (Scope). I laughed and said probably not. He says I think you need one of them if you are going to hit it. LOL He's probably right. I have never shot anything other than a pellet gun and a paint ball gun and that was years ago!!! lol

Yea, well remember, they are in Louisiana!

Oh, ya, that's understandable...lol

So I locked down my SLP batch yesterday. It was day 18. When I candled them I already had one drawn down and internally pipped!!!

So i should have a chick or at least a pip here in the next 24 hours! The others still looked like they needed to lose more fluid and grow a bit more.

I just candled my silkie batch and they are on day 10. I have lost one. The one that was questionable on day 7. However the remaining ing are growing great!!!

I hit day 18 last night with the silkies and already have 2 pipped. Good luck wth yours. Oh and look you are in Georgia..lol For some reason the other day I had it stuck in my head you were California...lol I think it was Friday that corrected me. (Either Friday or Ravyn.) lol I don't know why, I've only looked at your avatar a million times over the last, what, year? lol

Awesome Ross! Good luck!

I locked down a day late, on Saturday. Came home yesterday to the Spot Check reading 104.8!

But checked the eggs, and the 3 lavenders were pipped internally. I think the 4 mutt eggs are gone though.

But I woke up to one external pip on a lavender egg. Have the hubby monitoring today, so maybe I'll have some chicks this evening.

 

[RubyNala97]

So I locked down my SLP batch yesterday. It was day 18. When I candled them I already had one drawn down and internally pipped!!! :yiipchick So i should have a chick or at least a pip here in the next 24 hours! The others still looked like they needed to lose more fluid and grow a bit more. :/ I just candled my silkie batch and they are on day 10. I have lost one. The one that was questionable on day 7. However the remaining ing are growing great!!!

Such great news, Ross! So happy for you!

Awesome Ross!  Good luck! 

I locked down a day late, on Saturday.  Came home yesterday to the Spot Check reading 104.8!   

But checked the eggs, and the 3 lavenders were pipped internally.  I think the 4 mutt eggs are gone though. 

But I woke up to one external pip on a lavender egg.  Have the hubby monitoring today, so maybe I'll have some chicks this evening. 

No way! What bator was this in? Good luck on the hatch!

We're thinking fox. Or a dog, but likely fox. At least it'll give me a bigger target to shoot at if someone gets me a gun.    I told Cayden that I told (my nephew) Art that I needed to borrow one of his guns and my son says, does it have one of those things that you look in? (Scope). I laughed and said probably not. He says I think you need one of them if you are going to hit it.  LOL  He's probably right. I have  never shot anything other than a pellet gun and a paint ball gun and that was years ago!!! lol

I would need one (a scope) too! I've never shot anything, not even a paint ball gun. I grew up around girls, what can I say! I hope whatever it is goes away or you can shoot it or trap it!

 

[RubyNala97]

I caved and bought another incubator! I bought the hova bator 1583. If anyone has any tips on using it I would love to hear them. I have 2 call duck eggs in lockdown. Both look iffy but are definitely alive so .

 

[WVduckchick]

No way! What bator was this in? Good luck on the hatch!
I would need one (a scope) too! I've never shot anything, not even a paint ball gun. I grew up around girls, what can I say! I hope whatever it is goes away or you can shoot it or trap it!

This was in the FI. I was at camp since last Wednesday. Ran home Saturday to lock them down. Made the mistake of fiddling with the knob. But either the temp hadn't been that high for too long, or its just in a bad spot, because some are still alive.

Yall still need to come to my camp! Hubby has an arsenal for you to practice with! I shot probably 100 rounds through a couple new rifles this weekend.

I caved and bought another incubator! I bought the hova bator 1583. If anyone has any tips on using it I would love to hear them. I have 2 call duck eggs in lockdown. Both look iffy but are definitely alive so

.

I think you will like it for lockdowns. Wish I could have found one when I bought the FI.

Good luck with the Calls... I'm anxious for you!!

 

[RubyNala97]

This was in the FI.  I was at camp since last Wednesday.  Ran home Saturday to lock them down.  Made the mistake of fiddling with the knob.  But either the temp hadn't been that high for too long, or its just in a bad spot, because some are still alive. 

Yall still need to come to my camp!  Hubby has an arsenal for you to practice with!  I shot probably 100 rounds through a couple new rifles this weekend. 


I think you will like it for lockdowns.  Wish I could have found one when I bought the FI. 

Good luck with the Calls...  I'm anxious for you!!  

That's scary! The last few days the mini with the call eggs went up to 100.5 and even that made me a little nervous but they are doing good so I haven't fiddled with it. I added water and it came down to around 100. I have a new batch of 18 shipped call eggs in the 20 and I had a half a dozen people contact me for chicks and were willing to wait until next month. So I needed another incubator. It will pay for it self plus double if I can hatch around 20 chicks.
I would love to come to the camp!! I'll need practice because I'm sure sooner or later I will have a predator. I let the chickens out to free range for the first time yesterday since I had lost some. They loved it and I made sure to get them all in by dusk. Just as I locked up a huge hawk flew over the property!

 

[TurksPoultry]

Those eggs look so pretty! I like how you put all the same colors next to each other.
I love Mandarin ducks. They are so beautiful. I actually thought about hatching them but I went to a show and there were a bunch there and let me tell you, they are wild! I tried to touch one (ok, I tried to touch a bunch of them) and they were not people friendly. They are gorgeous to look at but I think I would feel bad trying to keep them as domestics.

Thanks for the compliment on the eggs, I was really only try n to keep em a lil separated for when I ad my divider to keep the hatchlings from getn mixed up.

And as far as your ethical dilemma w the ducks... I understand your point and its something we all have to face as were penning up all our critters... But when I saw that duck at the Zoo, I have to say he wasn't any more afraid than my domestic ducks. In that pic that mandarin drake was only 6 ft away My Rouen aren't friendly by a long shot, they'll walk to their feed pail so long as I'm about 6 feet away, preferably on the other side o the fence. I've read how they are very wild, and I'd like to make it clear I Am Not tryn to force that poor thing to Love me, more than likely I would only bother them at feed up. Even then I still understand that they're a highstrung bird, and I will be attempting to set up their enclosure to help keep them as calm as possible. For ex; Thinkn if I put their feed right inside the door, to keep me from traipsing all thru their pen, scaring them.

 

[Pipe Dreaming]

Hi P D  what humidity and temperature are you incubating at ? BCMs do better at 30 to 40 % incubation humidity...
. don't give up figure it out . there is a reason you just have to find it

I'm around 25% to 30% days 1 thru 18.. then I bump it up to around 50 to 60%.
Temps have been 99.8
I have started collecting again to try something different. I have some in the incubator that will be day 18 Wednesday. I candled last night... lost 7 out of 10. So somethings going on pre-lockdown. We'll see if I can get any to hatch out of the 3 that are left. Do you think having them next to a West facing window has anything to do with it? Everything else is hatching fine... just these stinking BCM's are making me crazy..

 

[TurksPoultry]

I'm around 25% to 30% days 1 thru 18.. then I bump it up to around 50 to 60%.
Temps have been 99.8
I have started collecting again to try something different. I have some in the incubator that will be day 18 Wednesday. I candled last night... lost 7 out of 10. So somethings going on pre-lockdown. We'll see if I can get any to hatch out of the 3 that are left. Do you think having them next to a West facing window has anything to do with it? Everything else is hatching fine... just these stinking BCM's are making me crazy..

Being close to any window is not good because the temp swings a whole lot as the day changes outside it. Temp changes hurt any hatch. Closets are usually a good place. Spare unused bedrooms, anywhere the temp isn't constantly changing helps. IMO your running humidity too high in lockdown for BCM if I were u I would try moving the bator and incubating all the way thru hatch without adding water unless u need to spritz w a spray bottle because u opened the bator during a zip.

Have you broke open any of the unhatched? If your seeing fully formed chicks who have fluid left n the egg and only half the yolk absorbed than they're probably drowning in the excess moisture.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

2 silkies are out. 3 days early, but they are looking good. A few internal pips in the bator, no more external pips. Glad these two come together and not just one early one. At least they can keep each other company for the next 24 hours...lol Expecting to see some external pips in the morning.

I haven't lost anymore chickens in the last couple days, but I haven't caught a glimpse of what's stalking them either. Been locking them up early, something they aren't happy about and not letting them all out of the run unless we are out there. I have to cover the run as soon as I have the money to stop the 4 I have that let themselves out at will.

 

[Courthamilton]

My duck had been in the shell and pipped for 30hrs. I noticef him moving less and less. I assisted and noticed he/she was SHRINK WRAPPED. I started to help and seen blood so I stopped and put him back in the bator with a warm wet napkin wrapped around everything exposed but his beak! NOW WHAT! I'm FREAKING!