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

[butterfliesdoku]

It's only day 4 of my test hatch but I decided to candle 3 eggs today. Two appear infertile so far (1 from the barnyard mixed white and 1 barnyard mixed brown) but 1 of the Ameracauna eggs is developing!

 

[GitaBooks]

I have actually had a leghorn go broody!

I was sooo surprised!

I have had many leghorns, but only one so far has gone broody. Thankfully. She went right back to laying when she was done being mom though. She was a great mom!

What a sweet picture!

awwwww but she is so pretty!!!

Thank you.

She's a good momma, the others are just bad aunts.

I've never done this, but could a piece of cardboard be cut and stapled on with a hole just the size for only her to get through??? I'm reaching here...lol.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm afraid she would abandon her nest if I change it too much. If she can't see her eggs she won't go on her nest.

I got started on the downed branches but still plenty more to do! I took the camera with me and took a couple of pictures of the flock enjoying the windy, sunny day. El Nino has been kind to us and the flock really appreciates it....this kind of day in Illinois the first week of February is rare.



Cupcake....an Icelandic hen I got from @KYTinpusher
She hatched her in a previous hatchalong.

I love icelandics! : )

Wouldn't want to miss out on all the fun. Besides the wife wants me to hatch some eggs for the grand kids to see timed a couple days before the HAL Saturday date so I'll be doing a staggered hatch of sorts.

It is so amazing to see little chicks enter the world.

Ohhhh I sure hope so!!! The eggs are most definitely being fertilized!!! Makes me feel bad when I take them! Maybe I shoul leave. More than 6 at a time?

Leaving a nest of some fake eggs could encourage a hen to go broody.

Aplynn-When one of my girls goes broody, she lays about 10-12 eggs,then she stops laying and this is when she gets all committed to setting. She gets extremely defensive. She will puff up all her feathers,this is a defense mechanism they use to make themselves appear larger than they are. And will attack me if I try to mess with her. She'll peck at me. I've had a meanie momma who drew blood. Taught me a lesson real quick! She'll only usually get off her eggs to poo,eat or drink. And will make an awful squawking sound when any other bird comes near her or even a human. Like with my ,now passed on and in heaven,moms,they were not too mean to begin with. They trusted me. When they'd go broody,they still trusted me more than some of my others would have,but might still give me warning. Just to say,I'm ok mom ,I got this! Just back off a smidgeon and gimme my space. I hope something helps. Just let nature take its course and you'll get the broody thing down in no time! Remember also,like women,all hens are different. And like my goats,they all don't show the same birthing signs. They're individuals with individual personalities. You'll learn them.

God bless,Glory

I love chickens individual personalities

Princess is my best broody, Pip is the smartest broody, and Eagle was the sweetest broody.

So I candled the eggs Twizzler is sitting on for me, and my fertility rate is 100% right now even though I am down to my NN roo and polish roo with 16 hens, they are doing there job... I think it's mainly the NN though, becuase the polish isn't in the mood Right now. So that means I should have atleast a few babies from Twizzler, and have 35 birds coming on the 18th and 19th.. Than set eggs on the 20th, 6th, and quail on 13th...

I hope they all hatch!

Ok folks. Last time I hatched I locked down the end of day 18... Someone told me the morning so.... Advice. Tomorrow at 11:33 am is the start of day 18 for me. Lockdown around the bend!!!

s almost here!!!

Its so hard to wait!

Ok, I wondered what these would turn out to be like. My Bubba.. a RIR rooster, and my white silkie make cute babies..so far, red. This one has some grey in it, down the back of it's neck..hmm? The feet are soooo feathered! And it has that cute silkie tail bump..cute. Got mostly dads coloring though.
I have one in there that is pipped..bet it's red too.
Bubba is gone, but I have several of his eggs in from a pure RIR hen, those will be fun. I won't be buying RIR hatching eggs this yr. or buying one from the feed store. Love having the RIR in they yard.

I love silkie mixes!

I wanted to share something totally unrelated to the HAL but my kids and I went outside and built a snowman today and my youngest in red came up with the idea of giving the snowman a pet chicken LOL

Awesome!

Here it was 50 F.

Ok so I have my eggs sitting like this in the bator, easy for turning. When day 18 hits and I
Go into lockdown, do I leave them on thwir side, or put them fat end up?

I love the dark colored eggs!

I lay mine flat

I do the same with farm eggs (I just set some today actually

), but I put my shipped eggs in a carton to be safe.

Aaaaiiieeeee aren't they so sweeeeeeettt??

Goats are awesome!

My broody, Pebbles with one of her adopted poults

So adorable! I can't wait until I can keep turkeys.

 

[Gloryjasmine]

Aaaaiiieeeee aren't they so sweeeeeeettt??

Aweeeeee! Don't get me started!!!! I have 6 doelings currently and they're just full of cuteness!!!!!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: it was ok! weekends sort stink here, I like weekdays ha!

 

[Gloryjasmine]

Ok since idk how to do multiple quotes......

Wickedchicken6-Your lil OEGB looks just like my two babies,Sable and Andy when they were born! They're in Heaven now. But yours are just gorgeous!

Chickendreams24-How so so sorry I am for you honey. And that Jasmine is suffering. Just remember love,you're both in Gods hands,and I'll be praying for you both. As well as that the mite dusting goes well. I know how that can be. I love you darling.

GitaBooks-I might try that. Just today,I noticed someone layed in a separate nest. And it happened yesterday,too. Usually,they all lay in the same nest. I'm thinking that that's an indication that one of my girls is growing up! And perhaps....wants babies as much as I do!!!!!! Yay!!!


Also,I have 11 goats currently. Our four does kidded about a mo th ago. I will be posting them on another thread if anyone wants to go AWEEEEEEEEE! I'll update with the threads title. Those kids posted earlier are just darling!!!!

God bless!!!
Glory

 

[Humbug3445]

I have that on my eggs and i dont have a rooster. No one is crowing !!

 

[nate1the1great1]

it was ok! weekends sort stink here, I like weekdays ha!

Well atleast you don't enjoy Monday...

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

I haven't seen an egg in at least a month =\ hope they pick up . time to look for eggs.

 

[Gloryjasmine]

I have that on my eggs and i dont have a rooster. No one is crowing !!

Are you sure???? The iddy biddy thingy in da middle??? Weird!!!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Ok since idk how to do multiple quotes......

Wickedchicken6-Your lil OEGB looks just like my two babies,Sable and Andy when they were born! They're in Heaven now. But yours are just gorgeous!

Chickendreams24-How so so sorry I am for you honey. And that Jasmine is suffering. Just remember love,you're both in Gods hands,and I'll be praying for you both. As well as that the mite dusting goes well. I know how that can be. I love you darling.

GitaBooks-I might try that. Just today,I noticed someone layed in a separate nest. And it happened yesterday,too. Usually,they all lay in the same nest. I'm thinking that that's an indication that one of my girls is growing up! And perhaps....wants babies as much as I do!!!!!! Yay!!!


Also,I have 11 goats currently. Our four does kidded about a mo th ago. I will be posting them on another thread if anyone wants to go AWEEEEEEEEE! I'll update with the threads title. Those kids posted earlier are just darling!!!!

God bless!!!
Glory

Thank you. I didn't really know what I was getting into when I got the first OEGBs...and then some more, but they sure are sweeties (when they're not being feisty...lol)

I'm so sorry to hear of Sable and Andy.

What you wrote was totally awesome! Sometimes I just summarize too because if I'm way behind...I lose myself in quoting...

To multi quote, you just have to click the multi button and it keeps track as you scroll from page to page. When you want to respond to the posts you've picked, you can hit reply on any post and it will put all your multi selections in this window.

I "think" you can also click the quote button after you've been using the multi button...I've just been hitting reply. I had no idea how to multi quote either until someone explained it. I kept hitting the multi button...but didn't know how to move it to this window...lol!!