The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Cynthia12]

 

[TJChickens]

What? Tell us your secret!! Do you have silkies at home..ey? Breeding pairs???

I have bunches of silkies! I try to not hatch any because I have so many roos and don't want more! It's pretty impossible for me to eat something that looks like a teddy bear....The hens are always hiding eggs from me and I end up feeling bad and toss them in the incubator or go ahead and let them set on them. When they set on them, they hatch every one every time. Often, when I incubate them every one hatches also. I find our d'Uccles much more difficult. I wish I knew what to tell you...I don't do anything different for them. One thing that probably makes the difference is genetics. I have had my own for years. They are very healthy and I have never bred for heavily feathered heads. The more vaulted they are, the weaker they are. Sometimes hatching with brain exposed. I've never had that happen with mine. I also ship them and people have reported mostly good experiences.
I mostly use an Rcom incubator since it is better for more sensitive parrot eggs. That works great, but I have also used styro-foam bators which I hate, but did okay with those too.
Sorry, I'm not much help. My best bet on hatchability would be the breeding.
This group is from some eggs that a hen hid in a cactus patch. They all hatched in the incubator.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Yup. We have an abundance of chicken, duck, and goose eggs around here. I am thinking of doing it the old time way. Every time I smell vinegar, I think about my childhood and dyeing eggs. If you got that color on your hands it was there for a week...lol

Ahhh yes! The vinegar and food dye for Easter eggs as a child. Good stuff.

We have turkeys hatching and are completely smitten! 5 still in hatcher so pics later.

Also.....DH has started building me a run for breeder coops!!! This is no small miracle, people! The last time he built something for the chickens was 3 years ago and he told me plainly 'Never Again!'. So Yay!!! Pics later.....I promise.

 

[michaelf]

Good Sunday Morning!!! Have a great day !!

 

[ozexpat]

Happy Sunday!!

 

[JackieandChicks]

Candled my eggs - looks like 15 of the 16 are still good ! I was worried with that heat spike at the beginning, but really looks promising!

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

Just ordered six OEGB chicks to put with my easter chicks!

 

[mlm Mike]

I'm out of the hatchalong.

I started out with two broodies, so I gave each one 4 eggs. Less 24 hours into it, the one quit, and sometime in that time frame, the remaining broody switched clutches. So all 8 eggs were started. I stuck all 8 under her, but I think that was too much for a silkie. I candled a few days ago, and it looked like 3 were good, and the rest were questionable. I should've gone with my gut and tossed all but those three confirmed good ones. It was a tough judgment call because they are fbcm, and are hard to candle even under the best of circumstances.

I candled everything tonight and they're all dead.

I figure I'll go to a feed store on Monday and buy her a couple chicks.

So, my tally is 0/8.

I'm sorry.

 

[bantiesrule]

Happy Sunday!!

Gorgeous flowers!! What are they? Are they native to your area?

 

[coopsbyty]

This is one of our blue eyed bunny babies

Morning all, hope everyone has a wonderful blessed day!!