The 7th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long!

[Hurley]

OK, roll call time:

What are you planning on setting for the hatch (at the moment - ahz zees singz change, juno?)

I am planning on setting Iowacana project eggs (as many as I can collect), Iowa Blue eggs, some cuckoo Marans for the layer flock, and some Seramas because I tripped and fell on my keyboard and accidentally kinda bought them.

Quail currently incubating, too soon for the hatchling.

 

[charmedchicken]

Iowa Blue eggs? Awesome! I am looking to add some Iowa Blues to my flock. Sadly the chicks I got from Ideal didn't survive shipping.

 

[P51 Pilot]

I am in !!

 

[Hurley]

Quote:

Iowa Blue eggs? Awesome! I am looking to add some Iowa Blues to my flock. Sadly the chicks I got from Ideal didn't survive shipping.

Where are you? Hope you can get some, they're delightful. Such characters.

I am in !!

Welcome to the hatchalong!!

 

[charmedchicken]

Quote:

Where are you? Hope you can get some, they're delightful. Such characters.


Welcome to the hatchalong!!

I'm in the Ozarks down on the MO/AR border (got family in Iowa, moved down here 3 years ago). I'm going to set some EE Cross. Mr. Kazoo, my roo, is an EE and his ladies are either brown bovan, EE or silver-laced wyandotte.

 

[P51 Pilot]

I would Like to sign up How do I ?? I will be hatching seramas I will put them in the incubator march 7.

 

[misfit acres]

We will just be hatching what I call "Mutt" chickens....... We have a variety of chickens, with a Ameracuana Roo, a Buttercup Roo & a Partridge Cochin Roo. So, we should have intersting chicks!! For our hens we have, Leghorns, Dorkings, Barred Rocks, RIR's, White Rocks and a Welsummer or two. This is my 1st hatch a long!

 

[Hurley]

I would Like to sign up How do I ?? I  will be hatching [COLOR=333333]seramas I will put them in the incubator march 7. [/COLOR]

We will just be hatching what I call "Mutt" chickens.......  We have a variety of chickens, with a Ameracuana Roo, a Buttercup Roo & a Partridge Cochin Roo. So, we should have intersting chicks!!  For our hens we have, Leghorns, Dorkings, Barred Rocks, RIR's, White Rocks and a Welsummer or two.  This is my 1st hatch a long!  

Welcome!!!

 

[serenade]

Please sign me up!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Awesome to see more people joining!! Welcome!!

I'm officially done my hatch!!

I set:
34 eggs including a cracked, frozen egg AND the one I dropped

(just to see...lol!)
22 eggs made it to lockdown, all showed quality movement at 18 days.
13 chicks hatched, two I put down this morning.
- One Silky chick, wry neck with no response to care (and yes the SAME darn line as the rooster)
- One white chick, who zipped most of the way then made no progress. I did finally assist, but the chick never stood up and didn't respond to care.
11 viable chicks to date!!

*Please note that between this week and last week alone I was gone 4 days where the eggs were only turned in the morning...and not turned again until the wee hours of the next day. (I turn the eggs manually)

Of the eggs that dropped out...there were no discernable connection between ages of the egg; dates at the beginning of gather and days closest to set were affected. One egg was still alive this morning, but was in a gooey mess and the chick would have had issues with curved, stiff legs. It would not have been viable so I called it.

I had a higher than normal percentage of malpresentations; breach being the most common. A few of the early chicks pipped and zipped despite being breach. A few of the eggs that were left and did not make it were breach and one was malpresented in the way the chick had it's wing/head/legs.

This chick popped out a full day before being due and before any other chick.
I was shocked when I stopped to check and he was bootin' around in the 'bator.





I was also shocked when black chicks started showing up...lol.
('cause you all know how much I LOVE black!!)

The blackest chick is out of a green/olive egg, so it would be from the one black hen we have.

A quick look back confirmed I had "Mr. Rock" in with the girls for two days in January.
I guess he works.

And works well....

My valentine's day present were these last week...



We were only an hour away from a lady who breeds heritage poultry when we went for hubby's knee last week. So I managed to connect with her that day on super short notice...and bought these two cartons of eggs.

I specifically picked her because of her biosecurity measures. And, well, I took in 4 purebred Silkie roosters last fall from a wonderful lady who couldn't keep roosters. These roosters are from this breeder. I've been very happy with these roosters.

Top carton is 5 eggs from her hybrid olive egger (based from her Isbars I believe) and 7 Vorwerk
Bottom carton are a mix of Sussex, Australorp, Red Cuckoo, Icelandic, Bantam Cochins, a Bantam Wyandotte and a red Jungle fowl.

I'm SO excited!!

They travelled well on the way home, they've rested, air cells look good...and I'm hoping to get them in by tonight once I disinfect the incubator.

Only thing now is...the bator will have these eggs in when it's time to set for the HAL.

Make another bator??? I have the parts. I haven't decided yet what I'm doing.

I have 80 of my own eggs on deck after I set the two dozen purchased.

So I better get cleaning and disinfecting!!