Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[gilcamp4]

Hi Everyone! It took me two days to catch up on all of the posts. You have been very busy. So my hatch didn't go so well either. I put up 12 eggs, I only ended up with 6 that hatched. I too had two fully developed chicks not hatch. Out of the 6 that hatched, the two CL chicks both had splayed legs and one of them died three days later. I did do the bandaid thing for the legs and the remaining CL chick is walking around like nothing was wrong. So, now the fun part of growing them out and figuring how many roos I got! I wish I had OK's luck with the pullets! I seem to only be able to hatch roos. Whoops, I started with the same bator and had great success with it. Did you fill the little cup in the center and keep it full?? Keep trying, you will get the right mix of eggs, and humidity, and cooling, etc. I did have one batch of eggs (that I paid a lot of money for) that was almost a total failure, but I used my bigger bator for that hatch. When I did the eggtopsies, the yolks were all scrambled, so someone was not so gentle in the handling of that package. This last batch was my own eggs. I will try again for some more blue eggs, but I will wait a little longer to try again. I am not sure why they didn't develop. I check for fertility every time I open an egg for breakfast and every one has been fertile. So, who knows why they sometimes don't hatch.

So, these babies are all from the black AM roo, I know one is from a CL, I am not sure if two are from the BR or OE, (pink eggs, yes my OE lays pink eggs), and the other two could be from the buckeye or the NH red, or the delaware, (brown eggs). I hope some of them are pullets, I would love to see what they lay!

Sorry, pictures are really bad. I will take some tomorrow in the sunlight!

As far as eggs go, I have been getting about 15 a day, but I have 20 that should be laying. I can't figure out where they are laying them, other than the hay pile, or the nest box I had to put on top of the cabinet in the grain room, or in the dirt next to the little coop. It is like an easter egg hunt, daily.

I have 29 hens and the most eggs I got was 24 but most days I get 21 not sure who is not laying.

 

[lindz8504]

I have 29 hens and the most eggs I got was 24 but most days I get 21 not sure who is not laying.

You probably have everyone laying, but they don't lay every day, and so you haven't gotten an egg from everyone on the same day.

 

[cheeka]

gilcamp, x 2 what lindz said...

W4W & Whoops ~ hip hip hooray for precipitation! I know that Albuq. got a bit of snow yesterday and today ~ Mylee was running out of breath trying to tell me all about it! and how she has to wear a coat, a hat, and mittens and boots because because because it's all snowy!
and I heard on the news that parts of CA will get hopefully as much as an inch of rain! hope some hits your homestead

we got a bit over a foot of snow yesterday. when the storm died out we had 10", but it flurried all night and we got another 3". I have to go plow the yard, but I really am not up to it. it's so cozy inside... and I have a sink full of pots, pans, dishes and coffee cups. that, and laundry... and the downright most grody chore of all ~ pulling the drain plug from the tub and de-hairing it.

the stopper has this foot long metal thingamajig that threads down so the knob at the top can open and close the drain... well that metal piece gets full of my hair, even though I use a "catcher" when I drain it - before I used the catcher, I would have to remove the plug weekly. now it's only every few months. it's running slow and I dread doing it. so gross.

I've got 7 Eggs so far, 1 from the Fosters, and my blue Cochin, Delilah, is sitting now. and Peach was trying to get in with her...

 

[lindz8504]

gilcamp, x 2 what lindz said...

W4W & Whoops ~ hip hip hooray for precipitation! I know that Albuq. got a bit of snow yesterday and today ~ Mylee was running out of breath trying to tell me all about it! and how she has to wear a coat, a hat, and mittens and boots because because because it's all snowy!
and I heard on the news that parts of CA will get hopefully as much as an inch of rain! hope some hits your homestead

we got a bit over a foot of snow yesterday. when the storm died out we had 10", but it flurried all night and we got another 3". I have to go plow the yard, but I really am not up to it. it's so cozy inside... and I have a sink full of pots, pans, dishes and coffee cups. that, and laundry... and the downright most grody chore of all ~ pulling the drain plug from the tub and de-hairing it.

the stopper has this foot long metal thingamajig that threads down so the knob at the top can open and close the drain... well that metal piece gets full of my hair, even though I use a "catcher" when I drain it - before I used the catcher, I would have to remove the plug weekly. now it's only every few months. it's running slow and I dread doing it. so gross.

I've got 7 Eggs so far, 1 from the Fosters, and my blue Cochin, Delilah, is sitting now. and Peach was trying to get in with her...

Wonder if they could load all the snow into tankers and truck it out west where the water is needed? Would that be crazy?

 

[Scrambles55]

I got home from work and as I pulled into the driveway... I saw a flock of turkeys in my yard eating the chicken treats.

That ticks me off. Now they know that the goodies are there. Will they hurt my chickens?? Like attack them? I need a pellet gun.
It was -10 on my way to work this morning. No eggs for me.

I just let the girls out and they ran down the trail to the toy hauler. It is a sunny and bone chilling day, but the girls wanted out. I love having happy chickens. Happy chickens that lay eggs would be even better.
Have a wonderful day... I have Friday off!! Yippee!!!!

Happy dance.....

 

[chickenlindz]

Turkey's are good supposedly for preventing mareks naturally because they shed the turkey version which the chickens pick up (but aren't affected by) and then build up antibodies to the virus.

Not sure if they are bullies or not.

 

[cheeka]

the wild turkeys are abundant here and they will not mess with your hens. not to say that a rooster wouldn't attempt to run them off... but mine ignore the turkeys, and the visiting guinea fowl from up the road as well.

lindz, if it were feasible or if we could come up with an economical way to do it... that would be a great idea - I could fill a tanker with my yard alone!

I got the tractor out today and plowed the yard, and opened the wrap around driveway, but only a handful of them would come out after for some free range. I'm figuring that the machine made too much noise and they didn't like it. same machine is used to cut the lawn... go figure.

7 Eggs for me

 

[lindz8504]

9 eggs for me today... and I dropped one in the floor. I dropped one and put my finger through one yesterday.... Boy I have been clumsy this week! It has been beautiful this week.... rainy over night and first thing in the morning, but quits and sun shines by the time the chickens are let out! They have enjoyed the free ranging in the afternoons, although there are a couple that fly the coop before then! I am slowly figuring out who lays what egg.

Phoebe lays a pinkish/brown, Snickers lays a big green, Giselle lays blue, Jezebel lays a rusty brown, Onxy lays a teal green, Twix lays a green, Carmello lays a green that feels like plaster, Hershey lays a green football shaped egg. I am still trying to figure out everyone else's! And I am (im)patiently waiting on my chocolate eggs from the marans, and my tiny cream eggs from the cochins.

 

[Scrambles55]

We do have a huge flock of wild turkeys that hang around the neighborhood, but that is the first time in 11 years that they have come into the back of the property. I shooed them off and was surprised to see them fly up and over the house. wow...

 

[Wishing4Wings]

6 eggs today!

We did get a decent amount of rain, mostly last night, but it's pretty cold, blowing down from Alaska. This weekend, the warmer tropical stuff will arrive from across the Pacific. The tropical storms always have a lot more moisture in them, so some estimates are saying 2-4 inches by Sunday.

Rejoice! Not erasing the drought, but it's a great start (and maybe we'll get some grass, dairy cows are hungry!).

Maybe they could use the Polar Express to transport the extra snow out west, and serve hot chocolate along the way. The news reports were showing the ice storms in Pennsylvania. Hope MC and her chickies are okay. Don't know how all you cold winter folks manage, but I guess you have all the necessary clothes and equipment. My kids were grumbling at the low 30s we had in the mornings this week, and I told them most people east of the Sierra don't even consider this cold. My kids are second generation weather wimps!