The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Bad Wolf]

We're in! We have 30 eggs setting

 

[CherokeeFlats]

just bought a 3rd brinsea 20 oct. ... I think I am addicted

I just got my first one in the mail today... I take it you like your Brinseas... any advice for a first time user??

 

[Bad Wolf]

Noahsmom,
last year we bought 12 hens-2 of them ended up being roosters. I didn't want to part with either of them because they WERE so sweet. They began mating the hens when they were about 5 months old. The hens were fine for a short time but by this past January you could really tell that several hens were being mated more than others. I tried hen saddles-but my hens don't like to wear them. After one of the hens ended up with about 50 stitches we decided that one rooster had to go. I have heard others say that 1 rooster to 10-15 hens is good. We have had only one rooster now for about 2 months and the hens are doing better. There are still a couple that really need to get used to wearing a saddle-they would be so much better.

 

[misskeeter]

I pulled 12 tonight. Lockdown is tomorrow for the first eggs I set... I've got 18 going into lockdown.

I don't know if anyone has posted pictures of what to look for... Here's mine...

Clear

Early death... There was a blood ring first

Little bit later quitter

This one just quit within the last week

 

[Cynthia12]

How do you tell if a black copper maran egg is forming? I look into mine and don't see much at all because they are very brown. I can see into the blue eggs fine though and they are developing nicely. I'm incubating for the first time and saw you had black copper marans eggs and was just looking for words of wisdom on candling.

Hopefully, you can at least see an air sac. That's how I go with the dark ones now. If I see an air sac, whether it be a bright one or a darker one, I keep it. I made the mistake thinking that a more dull looking air sac was no good. So, decided to see how it looked after cracking it open. It looked alive is what it looked! How depressing. I could see it's little heart beating for a few seconds. It was around 8 days along. No more. I'll take the chance of having some that quit. If I smell something bad, then it goes out. The bad smell hasn't ever happened though.

 

[misskeeter]

I'm really thinking the quitting and clears are the adults or something and not me... All my Cochins and all but one of my araucanas were clear... All but one polish quit early... All my Spanish were clear.... Two of the other clears were from the same pen as well.... I've kept track so I can tell the woman I got the eggs from.... Don't know what she can do, but Id want to know if my show chickens and eggs I was selling at auction had an issue....

 

[The Chickeneer]

Have a rooster question..
I know I'm going to end up with some roosters, if I wanted to keep one how long could I keep him with the girls before he would start breeding with them? Also, can a rooster live alone and be happy or is that just to cruel? I'm still so new to chickens. Also, if someone were going to keep a roo, then how many minimum hens to one roo would you keep? And would you ever keep more than one rooster or have you ever? If so then how many hens to two Roosters would you find reasonable so they wouldn't breed them to death?

Thanks

Well, young roosters can start breedin hens around 5-6 months of age. A lot of people who breed game roosters or fighting roosters keep them alone, or with two hens. I would at least give the rooster a hen or two for company. I have kept more than one rooster in a flock, and they will get along just fine as long as the roosters were raised with each other and know each other well. A good ratio is 1 roo for every 5-7 hens.

 

[Cynthia12]

...my LF NN... very sweet already, pretty laid back. Had some blue silkies hatch yesterday and today too. Now for those eggs in that bator..for this hatch a long.

 

[lizanne]

I pulled 12 tonight. Lockdown is tomorrow for the first eggs I set... I've got 18 going into lockdown.

I don't know if anyone has posted pictures of what to look for... Here's mine...

Clear


Early death... There was a blood ring first


Little bit later quitter


This one just quit within the last week

Thanks, this is super helpful. I candled mine tonight, and had one that I think has a blood ring, and one that is to dark to see anything. Do all the quitters have blood rings, or do you have to look at size too?



Is this a blood ring? I don't want to get rid of it, if it's ok....

 

[ceocka]

Y

yes! Several of us bycers sit in the back at the table. Did you buy the humidaire?

es I did. Me and my friend went halfises