Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[okallthis4eggs]

Quote:

FOUR

FOUR.......Today FOUR little Monsters Joined The Mad House

Four little bundles of joy! I think the eggs can take a bit of cold and jostling around as the hen rotates them pretty aggressively. But what they can't handle well is being shipped. The undeveloped ones might noy have been fertile to begin with. Glad they didn't 'splode!

Now just hoping that you don't have 4 roosters.

Three hens a a RIR rooster would be perfect. If just one is a hen I hope its the Delaware. How long before we will know what sex they are?

 

[cheeka]

Congratulations OK for your four new monsters chicks! x 2 on hoping that you don't have 4 boys!

thanks for the kind words... it's just so hard to stay focused on the good memories right now. but I'm doing it... been reflecting all day on all the good he brought this community... and remembering all the funny stuff like when he brought me gasoline in Hawaiian Punch jugs...

 

[showbarnmom]

Cherry last Friday

Cherry today out free ranging.

 

[cheeka]

SBMom! now that is great news! guess you're back to waiting for her to lay an egg??

 

[showbarnmom]

I am in no hurry for an egg from her. Now, my BR, different story. I'm still concerned for Cherry, since she is still moving a little slow. But she kept chest bumping the two younger Pullets, and my BR kept running her around .

My BR is 5+ months

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

sad sad day today. bad accident, my friends Dad was killed. don't know if the other person had fallen asleep at the wheel or was texting... but she hit him head on... the way the scene looks, he knew what was coming. he was way off the road, and she hit him anyway. car caught fire. I can't stand it. he was a great great man. a great believer in humanity, in second chances... he was a Judge, one you wouldn't want to go before a second time... if you know what I mean... his disappointment in being let down was often enough to crush the hardest punk. He was a Mountaintop Icon, always helping, always thinking of others... RIP Donald Olson <3

Will say a prayer for him, so very sorry for your loss.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

The final chick count will be four. Roger hatched one RIR and the remaining two eggs were undeveloped and rotten. Big BO broody hatched three chicks. One Delaware and two RIR. The remaining eggs were interesting. To help educate myself I cracked open all remaining eggs to see how or if they developed. I was interested in seeing how much each had developed and at what stage each chick died. Big broodys was most interesting. One egg was rotten with no sign of development. Another had developed into a mass that resembled a chick but was still not very well developed. Another was pretty well developed but never started or lived to start breaking away the shell. No holes or crack in the shell just a dead chick. The remaining egg is the one I reported last night that was hatching. It was alive last night but never made it out of the shell alive. About half of the shell was gone but it just couldn't finish the job. Both broodys and their chicks have been moved to boxes on the floor which they accepted and they moved the chicks into the new boxes. No problems yet with the broodys getting along and both seem to respect each others chick/chicks. This has been a awesome learning experience and will continue to be in the days ahead. Thanks to all of my great friends here for all of the help. I didn't have time to take pictures when I got home but will for sure in the days ahead. I am pretty happy with this first attempt. I would do so many things different before attempting this again. The different stages of development tell me that really no major mistake was made by be me or the broodys. We just lost a few along the way for different reasons. My first thought was the two freezing mornings we had about a week ago. And really its a miracle any of the eggs could survive five of six hens a day rolling them around and laying eggs on top of them. That won't happen again. Broodys will be separated next time. So stage two begins. Raising the chicks. I will continue to keep the broodys in and the rest of the flock outside in the run during the day. I let them in after 8:00 pm so they can roost in the coop. Lock them out in the morning again. This is working fine for now. Next time I will be prepared. FOUR

FOUR.......Today FOUR little Monsters Joined The Mad House

Congrats to the proud broodies and DAD!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Cherry last Friday

Cherry today out free ranging.

well done Mom!!!! You certainly got her turned around. Glad to hear she is so much better!

Quote:

FOUR

FOUR.......Today FOUR little Monsters Joined The Mad House

Four little bundles of joy! I think the eggs can take a bit of cold and jostling around as the hen rotates them pretty aggressively. But what they can't handle well is being shipped. The undeveloped ones might noy have been fertile to begin with. Glad they didn't 'splode!

Now just hoping that you don't have 4 roosters.

Three hens a a RIR rooster would be perfect. If just one is a hen I hope its the Delaware. How long before we will know what sex they are?

Post lots of baby pics, around 4 weeks we should start seeing the boys

 

[BullChick]

sad sad day today. bad accident, my friends Dad was killed. don't know if the other person had fallen asleep at the wheel or was texting... but she hit him head on... the way the scene looks, he knew what was coming. he was way off the road, and she hit him anyway. car caught fire. I can't stand it. he was a great great man. a great believer in humanity, in second chances... he was a Judge, one you wouldn't want to go before a second time... if you know what I mean... his disappointment in being let down was often enough to crush the hardest punk. He was a Mountaintop Icon, always helping, always thinking of others... RIP Donald Olson <3

The final chick count will be four. Roger hatched one RIR and the remaining two eggs were undeveloped and rotten. Big BO broody hatched three chicks. One Delaware and two RIR. The remaining eggs were interesting. To help educate myself I cracked open all remaining eggs to see how or if they developed. I was interested in seeing how much each had developed and at what stage each chick died. Big broodys was most interesting. One egg was rotten with no sign of development. Another had developed into a mass that resembled a chick but was still not very well developed. Another was pretty well developed but never started or lived to start breaking away the shell. No holes or crack in the shell just a dead chick. The remaining egg is the one I reported last night that was hatching. It was alive last night but never made it out of the shell alive. About half of the shell was gone but it just couldn't finish the job. Both broodys and their chicks have been moved to boxes on the floor which they accepted and they moved the chicks into the new boxes. No problems yet with the broodys getting along and both seem to respect each others chick/chicks. This has been a awesome learning experience and will continue to be in the days ahead. Thanks to all of my great friends here for all of the help. I didn't have time to take pictures when I got home but will for sure in the days ahead. I am pretty happy with this first attempt. I would do so many things different before attempting this again. The different stages of development tell me that really no major mistake was made by be me or the broodys. We just lost a few along the way for different reasons. My first thought was the two freezing mornings we had about a week ago. And really its a miracle any of the eggs could survive five of six hens a day rolling them around and laying eggs on top of them. That won't happen again. Broodys will be separated next time. So stage two begins. Raising the chicks. I will continue to keep the broodys in and the rest of the flock outside in the run during the day. I let them in after 8:00 pm so they can roost in the coop. Lock them out in the morning again. This is working fine for now. Next time I will be prepared. FOUR

FOUR.......Today FOUR little Monsters Joined The Mad House

Again, you made me feel better. I could kick myself for the chick I let drown in a water dish and the ones that were shrink wrapped. I could have done better. I WILL next time. We both have learned lessons.
The box saying "Chicken 3 pack" was unintentional.

Quote:

FOUR

FOUR.......Today FOUR little Monsters Joined The Mad House

Four little bundles of joy! I think the eggs can take a bit of cold and jostling around as the hen rotates them pretty aggressively. But what they can't handle well is being shipped. The undeveloped ones might noy have been fertile to begin with. Glad they didn't 'splode!

Now just hoping that you don't have 4 roosters.

Now that is just mean to even THINK!

Quote:

FOUR

FOUR.......Today FOUR little Monsters Joined The Mad House

Four little bundles of joy! I think the eggs can take a bit of cold and jostling around as the hen rotates them pretty aggressively. But what they can't handle well is being shipped. The undeveloped ones might noy have been fertile to begin with. Glad they didn't 'splode!

Now just hoping that you don't have 4 roosters.

Three hens a a RIR rooster would be perfect. If just one is a hen I hope its the Delaware. How long before we will know what sex they are?
You can try feather sexing.

Quote:

Post lots of baby pics, around 4 weeks we should start seeing the boys

True.

Sending girly vibes!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote:

FOUR

FOUR.......Today FOUR little Monsters Joined The Mad House

Four little bundles of joy! I think the eggs can take a bit of cold and jostling around as the hen rotates them pretty aggressively. But what they can't handle well is being shipped. The undeveloped ones might noy have been fertile to begin with. Glad they didn't 'splode!

Now just hoping that you don't have 4 roosters.

Three hens a a RIR rooster would be perfect. If just one is a hen I hope its the Delaware. How long before we will know what sex they are?
noy? Did I really say noy?

I really wanted a Delaware too. Instead, I got


As far as sexing chicks, some are quite obvious as early as 3 weeks. Well, the little cockerels are obvious because the comb and wattles start developing early and get red more quickly than the pullets. If you don't see that, you either have a pullet or a late blooming boy. You should be able to tell for sure by 6 weeks at the latest for single combed birds.


The Serama matured early and you can see how the comb changed in less than a week.
The first pic at about 2 wks, we were hoping for 2 girls. Next pic, 6 days later, it's a boy for sure! The wattles started sprouting soon after.



Now at 10-11 weeks. Pullets' face is still very pale.


If you can get some close ups of the chicks, we can all guess!