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

[TJordan]

Yeah I have been doing research and I take extensive notes during my hatches. I think I have a formula now that should work. while it isn't recommended by everything I've read the best approach I had was last hatch on the front of the year I used the flashlight that I use for candling to partially cover one of the ventilation holes and humidity came up. I think when I clean and disinfect this go round I'm going to reseal the bottom. Then I will use the aquarium gravel in the water channels as a heat sink, at lockdown I will plan to add water to the channels and prbly still use the jars with sponges and water. Another variation I tried that seemed positive was adding a airstone and aquarium pump into one of the jars.

Need to do some more reading on the links that Sally just posted. I seem to be making it to lockdown with decent success but haven't been able to consistently get my hatches above 60-70%. More practice and time hopefully I will get there.

Remember there are plenty of chicken nuts here.

we like to help.

 

[Humbug3445]

How old are these threds
Are they2016 or old .

 

[Happy Chooks]

Question, which is more important, humidity or temp when storing hatching eggs? The only room with a humidifier is kept at 70degrees for the incubator. The rest of the house is low to mid 60's, but dry as we in Northern Indiana. Thanks!

I'm in a dry climate and have no trouble storing hatching eggs on my kitchen counter. My house temps range from 70 daytime to low 60's at night right now. The eggs do fine.

Would EE/Marans cross result in Olive Eggers?

It could, depending on what the EE carries. Since EE's are mixes, you can never be sure what they carry until you breed them. If he carries the blue egg gene, then some of the offspring would lay olive eggs when crossed with a Marans. You'd likely get some that lay brown too, as the EE is likely not pure for the blue egg gene.

 

[misfit acres]

I'm in a dry climate and have no trouble storing hatching eggs on my kitchen counter. My house temps range from 70 daytime to low 60's at night right now. The eggs do fine.

Thanks!

 

[misfit acres]

I would put them in the cooler room in a box with either a glass of water or a damp towel. If you use a damp towel or sponge, just make sure you rinse it/change it everyday so it doesn't mildew.

Thanks!

 

[misfit acres]

Yes these are current, started January of 2016

 

[chickadeeNSC]

Yeah! Welcome! What do u plan on setting?

I'm doing some Ameraucana mixes. I'm crossing my fingers on my Buff Orpington to start laying between now and then (she's overdo!). Would love to have buff/ameraucana mix. Have 2 other ladies I will def be hatching from (white wyandotte & Araucana mix). This is my first hatch a long so I'm super excited! FX on the buff!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

its easier just to save the one link to all that info!

 

[GitaBooks]

Whoo Hoo, I'm In!!!

Welcome to the hatch-a-long!

Test hatch seems to be going good. Went to bed with three pips. Woke up with 4 chicks and 4 pips. Have had another zip since. Status as of now is 5 hatched and 3 pips out of 13. Plan to post some pictures here in a bit.

Do have a question though. Will it be possible to add these in my brooder with 3-4 week Olds or are they going to be too big. I'm thinking I could possibly make a divider to separate them but not sure if it would be neccesarry. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Have a wonderful day all.

Congrats! I hope all went well!

I would suggest waiting a few days before introduction, just so the new chicks can get their feet, catch up on the food, ect. They usually need more heat, a smaller space, a smaller waterer, ect and they can also be trampled when their legs are still weak. However, I do believe introduction between chicks of this age gap have been successful.

Best of luck!

Very true, and they'll be raising babies, which means mouths to feed.

I lost a fully grown hen to a hawk over Thanksgiving weekend, when the hawks were migrating. The first one in YEARS I've lost to a hawk. It was in my orchard, so the top is not covered. It couldn't carry the bird off, so it ate her on the ground in my run. I saw it a few days later, and it looked to be a juvenile Coopers hawk, but I only got a quick look as I sent my dog out to chase it off. They'll be equally hungry as they come back.

I'm sorry to hear that. Yeah, when the hawks get hungry they like to go after chickens, particularly younger ones. Roosters do great at alerting when they can, but hawks don't catch food by being clumsy, they can sneak up on chickens, particularly in woody areas or on foggy days.

Started collecting eggs yesterday to set for the Hatch A Long.

That's so exciting! I'm not collecting yet just because I'm waiting until all my pullets are regulating their laying so I can do my best to get as many different hen's eggs as possible. I love variety.

Ok so here is the little one who gave me such a hard time the last few days coming out of her shell.

NOW FOR THE KICKER!!!!!!!

I don't know where she came from. Not 1 chicken that I own or have owned has had leg or feet feathers other than my bantam silkies. I am so confused I have no idea what breed she is, she has got to be some kind of cross it something. It just makes no sense at all. Any guesses? I even went over to see if my neighbor had any roos in her flock that may have made his way to my house, but no she just has 6 RIR hens? Maybe I have magical hens that make random breed babies. LOL

She's so cute!

I know there were answers to this, but just thought I'd give my thoughts. Not only could it be a rooster you no longer keep, but I know that once you start getting crosses then hidden genes can crop up seemingly out of nowhere. The more you cross feather-legged chickens, the less feathers they'll have on their leg, but they may still carry the gene and be able to produce feathered chicks. I have a silkie cross that has no feathering on its legs and then a sibling that doesn't carry the silkie-feathering but has feathered legs. It can get so confusing, genetics.

I'm going to hatch some chicken eggs from my flock so they will be random cross breeds.

I love pure-breds, but crosses are just as awesome too. That's what I'm going to be hatching because I don't have the money to buy pure-bred hatching eggs (especially not in all the varieties I want). I wish hatcheries would sell hatching eggs with just one or two eggs of each breed you wanted, instead of making you buy ten of each kind. That would make picking and choosing so much easier.

I'm throwing my feathered cap into the ring..

We've just hatched our first chickie and I think we're ready to get serious with this thing! Nothing fancy here: just barnyard crosses (Australorp roo + RIR, SLW, & an Ameraucana)


First chick of many, I hope!

Side note: We really don't know which eggs belong to which hen (except the Ameraucana of course). Any idea if this chick is a wyandotte or a RIR cross?

If it has a single comb it is probably RIR and if it doesn't it is probably Wyandotte. That's the method I use with my chickens. Its all in the details (leg color, feathering type, head shape, tail shape, egg color, weight, behavior). It's like a really fun puzzle! : )

HarmonyAnns polish babies getting big!! She was having fun putting them on my fox! I told her they poo on it she is in trouble!! they pood on her instead!! ha ha ha

Love, love, love the pictures! Don't you adore teenage tolbunts? That is what my speckled sussex looked like when young and I started hoping she'd stay that way. The white bib is so beautiful!!

As for the fox, lets just say, I have a thing for foxes (perhaps because its the family name and I happen to live at Fox Field Farm. LoL).

I had an easter egg hunt today!

I was out doing chicken chores when I heard a hen around the corner in an old shed--When I checked, I found that some of the TJ's hens had been using an old roll out nest box to lay eggs--There were 40 eggs in there!



I am off to float test and clean them now.

Silly Chickens!

They are so good at hiding eggs. And sometimes in the most difficult to reach places. We have some old rabbit hutches in a barn and the wire ripped on them. My hens jump into the first hutch and then slip into the one behind it, so basically nearly impossible to reach no matter how you try.

Here's a few pics of my chicks and eggs
So far 3 chicks 1 egg zipping and 4 piped

Awesome! When will it be my turn! Day 22 for at least one of the eggs (I would think) while the others all are suppose to be hatching from now until about the 27th. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Its so hard when you don't know the exact date.

I just got a dozen cayuga duck eggs at the flea market for $8! They were marked for eating but I asked if they were fertile and they said that they should be as they house both sexes together. I really hope I get a few to hatch!

Sounds awesome! I love the color of Cayugas (and their eggs too).

My husband just finished my new incubator today. We moved it into the kitchen. The temperature is staying in the 99.1-99.5 range. I still need to make sure that there aren't any hot/ cold spots and keep en eye on the humidity. I'm going to start collecting eggs for a test hatch! Followed by the EHAL!

That is so awesome! I want one that looks like that!

I would like to join- but none of my hens are accepting my new roos. =( So I am doing a little shout out.

I want to hatch easter eggers for my Easter hatch. Anyone have some of a different color? I love the EE's with unexpected coloring. =)

My EE Snowbird-

I have some Easter Egger crosses, if you want some green eggs shipped to you (free of course). Not sure what they would look like because of the fact I have three standard roosters with her. I got some awesome mixes from them though.

Feel free to say yes or no, I just like knowing my chickens got to have babies elsewhere. I like to think it makes them feel special. Lol.

I'm happy and disappointed all at once. Jet laid her first egg today. It was tan, not blue. She looks exactly like an Ameraucana, but she's actually an EE.

I shouldn't complain since I got her for free, but I wanted to pair her with my FBCM roo and I can't do that (for the olive eggs) now. I guess I could see if her fluffy cheeks breed true. Can you see it? Fluffy cheeks and legs.

I kicked the chicks out of the house today. Oddball (FBCM roo) was so happy to have them as neighbors. He was talking to them and calling them over to eat. He's so funny, but he's an awesome roo. I wouldn't trade him for anything. With any luck, some of the chicks will be hens and lay blue eggs. Some hatched from blue eggs, some from green, and 2 from brown. And I think those 2 may be Doms.

Well, a good looking chicken is just as much fun as good looking eggs.

My EEs all lay green, which is fun, but I was sort of hoping for some blues in there. Oh well.

Does anyone know what I should do?

Likely you already listened to the other advice. Just thought I would say, its best to leave it be. It will dry up on its own and fall off. They aren't mammals, they don't usually get the cord chewed or ripped like a mother mammal does for her babies. They need to absorb the blood and then they will kick free. If they kick free and it bleeds some then stopping the bleeding helps.

Just thought I'd add this because any time I caused my hatching chicks to bleed they tended to get weak and need extra fluids and electrolytes for a few days afterwards. Some even died and it was really sad.

So still got to put the roof on and the door on the new brooder I'm building. The roofs basically done just have to put the plywood on the two by fours I have attached to the 6 four by fours. Gonna have about a foot going around with hardware cloth for ventilation. I'm thinking four foot high door 3 feet wide. The whole thing will be 10x6. And it's nice and high for perches and hanging lights. Got hardware cloth underneath so nothing can dig under. The chicks will be pleased I think when I'm done I'm gonna shingle the roof as well why not lol.

Sounds so awesome. I want to learn to build, but right now I have trouble enough trying to hammer in a nail, let alone actually making something. I guess its a learning process.

Ahhhhh, back inside and sitting down feels good. I went out this morning to just get a pen made up to quarantine my new roosters I picked up yesterday. And...well, if I'm going to do that, I should band them. If I was going to band them, may as well treat them for parasites. Shoot, as long as I'm doing that, may as well pullorum test them. Man, I need to test the whole flock. OK, test the whole flock, treat the whole flock, separate the flock out to breeding pens, quarantine the new roosters, get all the breeding pen waterers and feeders set up...rebed everything...dump and clean out all the waters from the winter...stow away the water heater...rebed the nest boxes...feed, water, and clean up supplies, sort supplies....
OK, I was JUST GOING OUT TO SET UP A PEN! (6 hours ago.)

Feeling good as having some spring cleaning done a little early, though.

Anyone know why I always end up testing the flock on like the muddiest, semicold day of the spring? Seems to be a trend.

Sounds like a lot of work. We had some nice warm days and I got to set things up for the broodies that are gonna hatch soon, clean things up a bit. It feels good to know each time I clean up the barn the chickens will be healthier and happier, I think that's why I enjoy doing it (sometimes, not always mind you).

Best of luck!

I'm not sure, I think I've about bred out the blue/green eggs. I'm down to one hen that lays green eggs. The rooster she's paired with is pea combed but I think he's out if a brown egg layer.

Here's the rooster:

and the hen:


They are both some kind if penciled patterned. He's trying to get aggressive since it's turning spring around here.

If it is the green egg layers that you're wanting and you have EE's or Ameraucanas and Naked Necks you have the recipe for them. I'll have to wait and see if I get anymore green egg layers.

Those are some nice birds!

If your rooster is aggressive, I've found just quietly avoiding them during this time can often give them a chance to settle into their hormones. When I've tried to confront aggressive roosters... man, that just didn't work out for me. Then they start getting sneaky and only attacking when you least expect it. When I respect my roos and let them do their thing, they thank me for it by being respectful back (usually, or else they go to the stew pot).

Day 21 is about to end. 2 of the 8 that went to lock-down have hatched. 2 more pips. Finger crossed for another sleepless night. Will be moving the hatched chicks to the brooder soon. Pic coming up!

Yep, I'm on day 22 also. Still waiting. No pipping, no cheeps (even when I cheep to them), no nothing. I'm pretending to be patient, but really I'm just ignoring the fact it is day 22 (well, for a couple of the eggs) so I don't go crazy.

Update:
So far 10 hatched out of 14
4 silkies 4 cream legbar hens 2 cream legbar roosters
And one is pipping

Yay! That's great!

I'm in!!!

Welcome! So glad you could join!

Well lessons learned. Went into lockdown with 13 of 13 for my test hatch. Everything seemed to be going good. First chick had pipped sat morning and was hatched by sat night. Don't remember the numbers but sat night into sun through out the day was busy with zips and hatches. Unfortunately woke up this morning with 3 half zipped, shrink wrapped, dead in shell. Something happened with humidity during the night. went to bed around 40% which is low but was as high as I could get it and when I checked it this morning it was at 5%. Still have 4 eggs in there that haven't started doing anything yet. Time will tell on those. Collecting for the hatch along now. Also have some Partridge rocks coming that I won off ebay. Hopefully I will get at least a roo out of those so I can set up a purebred pen of those.

I'm so sorry to hear that. It is so hard when a chick starts hatching and doesn't make it, I've had that happen under broody hens before.

I have finally secured some Lav Ameraucanas for the hatch a long! So I'm in

That's so awesome! They'll be so beautiful!

 

[TJordan]

my husband said that because I got the 4 extra chicks from the feed store to go with my 12 Val babies that I have to wait to hatch more. I wanted to have more.

that's ok. I have a hen that's showing signs of going broody. Maybe she will by the 5th and I can accidentally leave a few eggs in the nest. Husband never goes out into the coop so it should be easy to hide that

would I do that???

you don't tell j won't