The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[casportpony]

I set six from my bantam Cochin!

-Kathy

 

[venymae]

Because of work I have only been able to turn my eggs twice a day (once in morning once before bed). Will that suffice?

 

[Razadia]

Has anyone here tried vaccinating their chicks against Marek's? Is it that easy as shown in this video?

Also, has someone tried vent sexing? This video makes it look so easy, I wonder whether its because he is an expert or it really is that easy:

Can one vent sex even after a day, let's say at 1 week or 2 weeks?

I've vent sexed at a few weeks old. I was spot on with every one I marked as a roo. I just really don't like doing it.

Quote:
I have golf balls and fake eggs in mine, she waits until one hen lays a egg then she runs her out of the nest box goes in eat it, then she walks the ramp past all the others waiting for her next egg. while in the kennel she has eaten her own egg.

If you really want to keep her I would suggest roll away nest boxes. Then she wouldn't have a chance to try. I can't say that it would break her, but it'll take the option from her.

 

[ronott1]

Because of work I have only been able to turn my eggs twice a day (once in morning once before bed). Will that suffice?

Any turning you can do will help.

Can you turn in the morning and then as soon as you get home? Then a final time before bed.

Three seems to be the sweet spot--you get less benefit from more times per day after three.

 

[TJChickens]

Has anyone here tried vaccinating their chicks against Marek's? Is it that easy as shown in this video?

Also, has someone tried vent sexing? This video makes it look so easy, I wonder whether its because he is an expert or it really is that easy:

Can one vent sex even after a day, let's say at 1 week or 2 weeks?

I vaccinate my chicks against Marek's. I cut the wafer into 4 pieces with a sterile hypodermic needle, poke a quarter with the needle and put it in a 50cc syringe. Then I draw up the liquid into that syringe. I draw out of that syringe with 1cc syringes with 25 gauge needles. I don't usually vaccinate them at a day old unless I have a large hatch. I have such staggered hatches going on year round that I wait until I have a group of various age chicks. Would be better to give it to them as early as possible. All my chicks get it a couple weeks before they move outdoors. In the mean time we are as careful as can be to keep them quarantined. Sometimes, I will even go around with the left over vaccine and booster youngsters that already had an initial shot. I have not seen much in the way of Mareks here, but I've seen a couple chickens with it and that was enough. I will do all I can to prevent it. Getting 4 uses out of the vaccine is still a lot of waste for me, but it's very cheap that way.

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

only count the 7 big green ones =)

these are set

And my cat knocked all of these off the counter =...(

 

[TJChickens]

The kids got mad at one of our free range peacocks because he flew into a chicken pen and was chasing a rooster...

and the next time I looked outside, he had a dunce hat on! He still had it on this morning and I had to trap him to catch him to take it off!

 

[casportpony]

The kids got mad at one of our free range peacocks because he flew into a chicken pen and was chasing a rooster...

and the next time I looked outside, he had a dunce hat on! He still had it on this morning and I had to trap him to catch him to take it off!

That's funny!

-Kathy

 

[suebgbr]

I think cats knock things off counter tops to see if they land on their feet.

 

[suebgbr]

If countries could get 'mad' at each other like your kids did with the peacock, war might be quite fun!