The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Happy Chooks]

well... as I was waiting for chick number 7 to hatch (12 in the 'bator, six pipped, six nothingsofars, six hatched and in brooder), I went outside to give my hens the asparagus bottoms I had cut off while preparing dinner... my sweet but sassy Eleanor was in the neighbor's yard... She wasn't home, so I had to open her gate. Eleanor proceeded to bolt out the gate and DOWN THE STREET... There I am running down the street chasing a VERY fast chicken. Finally she made the mistake of going between two houses. I caught her and carried her back giving her a pretty big lecture. She clucked at me the whole way home in a way that was very much NOT sorry for her actions, only that she got caught.

She normally comes right to me, so she must have REALLY wanted something in the neighbor's yard to run from me like that...

The mental picture is hilarious cuz it's not me chasing the chicken.

another hen dead tonight. i just lost one two nights ago!

Oh no! I'm so sorry.

on a good note look what I am making

So pretty!

Miley trying to blend in the coop. The chickens noticed him and ran. Ha ha

Beautiful! A Macaw, right?

 

[gryeyes]

LOL.. had to replace my avatar with this chick's picture.. this face cracks me up... I can't think of a caption, but I'm sure there are millions of hilarious ones.

Are you my mother?

This is PERFECT.

 

[misskeeter]

Okay.. got the 7th chick FINALLY.. longest.zip.ever! .. that little one was zipping for 5 hours...

I have 5 others that pipped. My humidity was too high, so I opened the lid a crack, grabbed an egg I thought had quit, candled.. saw nothing.. float test.. NOTHING...

Opened it and I was right.. (opened a pip using the assisted hatch along the air cell just in case...no need) looks like it stopped several days ago.. it was a slimy goopy mess of a gross ickness...chick not fully developed either... when compared to my chart of embryo growth, it looks like a day 17-19 chick?

It was from a really old hen, and I had been warned that the shells on her eggs were really thick, but they said to try it anyway. I'm going to let them know that this happened. Maybe they will stop selling her eggs for hatching. It's just not right when they are doomed from the start.

on a good note...The silkie had the teensiest of wiggles when I was staring at it, so I know it's still alive in there. I'm pretty sure the others are too.

 

[misskeeter]

This is PERFECT.

OMG... amazing. lol

 

[ceocka]

That's pretty.

Thank you

The mental picture is hilarious cuz it's not me chasing the chicken.
Oh no!  I'm so sorry.
So pretty!
Beautiful!  A Macaw, right?

Thank you!
I love to crochet and never have enough hand towels and they are never around when u need one. So having fun trying to solve my delima

Yes Miley is a macaw. He loves being outside. He talks to the chickens but they only listen they never talk back. He says Aflac to the ducks but they don't understand. Lol. Guess he watches too much tv! Lol

 

[chickenpooplady]

on a good note look what I am making

I love it!

another hen dead tonight. i just lost one two nights ago!

I'm sorry.

Are you my mother?

LOL!

 

[misskeeter]

Woot! Chick number 8 is gorgeous!!! Solid black and huge! It is a mix between a huge black roo (breed unknown) and a production red. That little one zipped a teensy bit then thought "forget this" and just powered her way out! Craziest thing ever lol

 

[JulieNKC]

I'm so so sorry, I know that had to be so tough to witness. I hope things will go better for you.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
X2!
I'm with you, I'm finding it so hard to keep up! I try to peak in all during the day and reply mainly in the evening but sheesh! It definitely will be getting worse when all of our eggs start hatching.
Wow! You did a fantastic job!! Interested in how they are held together.
Good luck!

They are so cute what are they?
Good luck!!!

Yay for two bators!! Good luck with everything!

Thanks!

Good morning all. We are snowed in so the chickens will be in their coops all day. Poor things. I know they are ready for spring. As am I.

I am so very ready for spring too. I am afraid to use heat lamps outside, and have way more birds in the house than the moment than I want.No hatching all winter next year for me!

Does this look like spring!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have chicks that want to play outside and in their new pen, instead of being in the garage. I have winter blues and want to see some flowers

Okay that is it, I'm going to start spring today and plant some veggie seeds.

Brr! Looks the same here.

Morning everyone! It's official, I have two broodies! One I knew would stay on the nest and one that hatched my lovely Tally last year. Fox is about 4 or 5 years old and still lays like a champ. She has been a fantastic mother in the past, but she will try to take your arm off over her eggs. Honey didn't start laying until she was 1 1/2 years and didn't go broody until she was 2. I'm not sure how she does with chicks because I had to take them from her last year. I'm not separating them from the others because I've never had a problem in the past. I've also had two hens brood the same bunch of chicks and never lost one that way. Normally it's Fox and her sister Cream, but Cream hasn't made a move to go Broody this year.

I candled last night. 14 eggs had quit, so I have 23 eggs left out of 60. Both duck eggs are still going strong. You can see into one a little, but in the possible double yolker you can't see anything but the veins near the air cell and minimal movement. I wish I had another bator to keep it in so I can keep a very close eye on it without compromising all my other eggs.

Yay for broodies! Love them! They do the work of raising chicks so much better, and it's so much easier for me.

Six chicks pipped and six chicks out

silkie still not pipped .... Nail biting time....

BYC Easter Hatch-a-long
Daily Digest for 3-25-2013

Chickenpoolady has a Black Lab Guard Dog that hides in the leaves! Great camo trick!

Arcountrychick and her DD saw a food while candling the eggs!

Daniel1974 has 52 out of 80 eggs developing!
Jbenson posted pictures of the recently hatched chicks! Post 6108
Thedollysmama had a cat related accident that damaged 2 eggs.
JulieNKC has a new incubator coming along with Muscovy hatching eggs!
Jesshan8 has given in to a broody hen—8 eggs are under her now and I cannot wait to see pictures of the babies when they hatch!

Misskeeter continued hatching chicks and we had another update picture or two. Post 6125 is of an Old English Chick. Later they asked about when to pip late eggs without a pip.

Acemario had 9 out of 25 eggs stop as early quitters. Cynthia12 posted that we all want to know why by often don’t have an answer.
Tammy N, tsk, tsk, tsk. That was quite a prank to play on the roommate. It could have back fired on you though. What if the puppy decided to sleep next to you?
Ceocka lost a couple of Turkens today. So Sorry!

Michaelf wished us a Good Morning, finished drinking coffee and was off to cover the Maters. It is going to be frosty…
Jucknath has 38 of 46 Black Stars looking good!

Happy Chooks posted an amazing video: http://www.bucknrunranch.com/blog/2013/02/07/chick-resuscitation/
Noahsmom is NOT stressing out about the humidity in the bator…ok maybe a little bit stressed…..

Razadia posted about having 2 broody hens. She has 23 out of 60 eggs set still going. Was Myrtle has a hen working on going Broody too.
Mbmess2003 posted a video of a broody mom with her chicks: Post 6165

jofulPromise has a broken egg turner motor—Hand turning for the last stretch and hopes the weight loss is ok—the eggs seem to have lost too much weight.

Chiques chicks posted a picture of a huge multi-level brooder! Very Nice!

RedIII posted pictures of Utah Spring! She has some very nice chickens--Maybe time for a road trip to get some more chickens.....

Mskeeter has 6 out and six pipped! Waiting on a Silkie to hatch too!

and then one pipped at the wrong end.....

We were reminded by Cynthia12 that lockdown is only a bit away for most of us! Make sure to get ready!

Love your digests!

Miley trying to blend in the coop. The chickens noticed him and ran. Ha ha

Very pretty colors on your macaw.

It snowed over the weekend here.

I am ready for spring! Not yucky weather. I'd already unwrapped the pens, so they are going to be a mess when the snow melts.




It was fun watching the ducks slide around on their bellies in the snow though.

 

[CayuseRanch]

well... as I was waiting for chick number 7 to hatch (12 in the 'bator, six pipped, six nothingsofars, six hatched and in brooder), I went outside to give my hens the asparagus bottoms I had cut off while preparing dinner... my sweet but sassy Eleanor was in the neighbor's yard... She wasn't home, so I had to open her gate. Eleanor proceeded to bolt out the gate and DOWN THE STREET... There I am running down the street chasing a VERY fast chicken. Finally she made the mistake of going between two houses. I caught her and carried her back giving her a pretty big lecture. She clucked at me the whole way home in a way that was very much NOT sorry for her actions, only that she got caught. She normally comes right to me, so she must have REALLY wanted something in the neighbor's yard to run from me like that...

You really should have video taped that for us!

HEY !!, watcha lookin' at ??

how about.... What?!? I'm having a bad hair day alright! Or.... does this eggshell make my Butt look big?

 

[CayuseRanch]

I found another clear egg - one of the few Dominque eggs I set.

I'm a little confused about lockdown, and when to remove the eggs from the egg turner. I've read that it's the last three days, usually day 19-21. But, sometimes, they can start pipping on day 19, and you wouldn't want to open up the incubator and shrink-wrap the eggs. Since my eggs are in an automatic turner, they'll need to be removed before they start pipping, right? I'm thinking of putting them in egg cartons, since several people on here recommended that, if they've been incubated upright in the auto-turner. I set my eggs on 3/9 around 1pm, so day 18 starts around 1pm Tuesday. Should I remove the eggs from the turner on Tuesday or Wednesday? The air cells all look great, so up the humidity starting Wednesday? Thanks. Getting really excited! Can't wait to see what these chicks look like!

Experts correct me if I'm wrong but day 18 is wed. At 1 if you set on the 9th