So I candled the eggs that I received from Tori (Mrs. AK-Bird-Braind) tonight... out of the 15 that she sent, 12 Delaware and 3 BBS Orpingtons, only 1 of the Orps is showing development, the other 2 have visible bloodrings. First bummer.
The second, and hardest hitting upset not a single Delaware is showing any sort of development. I'm completely at a loss for words. When I did a quick candle of only a couple eggs a few weeks back I could have swore I saw veins developing, apparently I was wrong? I don't understand how almost every single egg did not develop? I counted 4 Delawares that had bloodrings, so maybe they at least tried to grow? I'm not 100% what a bloodring means, I'm still very new at incubating. Most of the eggs though looked absolutely clear. The light literally shone right through them. In some there was a bubble, that when I tilted the eggs around would move to the top most part of the egg.
I'm feeling very down at the moment about my hopes of starting my own Delaware breeding flock.
I don't understand what I'm doing wrong with this breed during incubation? The Ameraucanas that I hatched from pips&peeps did well for shipped eggs (11 out of 17) so I don't think it's my incubation methods. Maybe it was hard shipping on the eggs, they did come all the way from Alaska? Day 18 is just around the corner now... I didn't take any eggs out in hopes that one of them might still grow. I'm going to candle again before I put them (if there are any) into lockdown. I'm very disappointed and depressed doesn't even begin to describe how I feel.
All I can hope is that the 17 Bill Braden Del eggs that I put in on May 1st look more promising when I candle them next week, they're on day 5.
Needless to say I spent about an hour today in the brooder with Stewart and the other Del babies I hatched from Cynthia's eggs. They're all growing so fast. They're getting to be as big as the hatchery chicks that I ordered. The hatchery babies were born on March 19th, so they're about 10 days older than the Dels. But Stewart and the others are already the same height and are catching up in bulk very quickly. They're also my sweetest chicks. They don't hesitate one bit when I open the brooder door to go inside, they always run right up and start looking up at me. At this point I'm pretty sure 4 out of the 5 chicks are boys. Stewart, 2 unnamed little guys and the chick with the feet problems. They all have pronounced combs that are turning pink, and are much bigger than the 5th chick. "Quasimodo" was the chick that I had to help hatch, that has always been the smallest, well "Quasimodo" I'm pretty sure is "Quasimota"! L0L. Her comb isn't developing at all and she's less inquisitive than the others. She also isn't sparring with the other little guys at all. Just think, if I hadn't of intervened and helped her out of her egg I would've had a brooder full of Del boys! A friend of mine was over when I helped Quasi hatch and she's very into film, she had a portable camera corder on her and we caught almost the entire hatch on camera. I've been meaning to get it uploaded somewhere, I'll have to email her and see if she can send me the file. I feel very fortunate to have these babies.
Cetawin, I say take that iPod away and put it in the darkest corner you can find in your house. Also, take the cord that's used to charge the thing just in case she is able to locate where you've hidden it, that way eventually the power would run out and it will be no use anyways. Children are too technologically dependent these days, why can't they just go outside and play in the dirt? Your the mom, you make the rules. Kids have got to learn that at a young age or it'll only be a bigger battle as they get older.
Hope everyone has a good night, I'm going to try to get some pictures up of Stewart and the gang this weekend- it's suppose to be bright and sunny. I do love California weather.

I'm feeling very down at the moment about my hopes of starting my own Delaware breeding flock.


Needless to say I spent about an hour today in the brooder with Stewart and the other Del babies I hatched from Cynthia's eggs. They're all growing so fast. They're getting to be as big as the hatchery chicks that I ordered. The hatchery babies were born on March 19th, so they're about 10 days older than the Dels. But Stewart and the others are already the same height and are catching up in bulk very quickly. They're also my sweetest chicks. They don't hesitate one bit when I open the brooder door to go inside, they always run right up and start looking up at me. At this point I'm pretty sure 4 out of the 5 chicks are boys. Stewart, 2 unnamed little guys and the chick with the feet problems. They all have pronounced combs that are turning pink, and are much bigger than the 5th chick. "Quasimodo" was the chick that I had to help hatch, that has always been the smallest, well "Quasimodo" I'm pretty sure is "Quasimota"! L0L. Her comb isn't developing at all and she's less inquisitive than the others. She also isn't sparring with the other little guys at all. Just think, if I hadn't of intervened and helped her out of her egg I would've had a brooder full of Del boys! A friend of mine was over when I helped Quasi hatch and she's very into film, she had a portable camera corder on her and we caught almost the entire hatch on camera. I've been meaning to get it uploaded somewhere, I'll have to email her and see if she can send me the file. I feel very fortunate to have these babies.

Cetawin, I say take that iPod away and put it in the darkest corner you can find in your house. Also, take the cord that's used to charge the thing just in case she is able to locate where you've hidden it, that way eventually the power would run out and it will be no use anyways. Children are too technologically dependent these days, why can't they just go outside and play in the dirt? Your the mom, you make the rules. Kids have got to learn that at a young age or it'll only be a bigger battle as they get older.
Hope everyone has a good night, I'm going to try to get some pictures up of Stewart and the gang this weekend- it's suppose to be bright and sunny. I do love California weather.
