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

[TJordan]

SOOOO I have a big ol greyhound dane mix dog who is so amazing with my chickens he truely loves them and even watches over the baby chicks they hop all over him. He just LOST IT looking out into my backyard, I look out to find out what he as freaking out about and I see a Bobcat come out from where my chicken coop is. I DONT DARE TO GO LOOK. Kaysen (the dog) is still barking and hubby is asleep, I may go wake him and make him go look. 

 I already lost 1 flock I dont know if my heart could take another whole flock gone. I wish my rooster would just crow or something to let me know they are ok... 

Kick his butt out of bed. That or grab the riffle and shoot it. Even into the air might scare it off. Out the window (by his head if possible

) if your afraid to go out.

 

[chattery41]

So, adding water to the incubator today, day 20, and i hear a peep. So i'm thinkin ok they will probably get started this evening and hatch sometime tomorrow. Wrong, come back from putting my girl on the bus and i have a pip, check humidity an hour later and 2 more pips. I'm thinkin she'll get to watch them hatch when she gets home from school.

 

[aplynn]

ALL CHICKENS ALIVE AND ACCOUNTED FOR THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!

After we lost our last flock we tried very hard to make sure NOTHING could get into the coop at night. Apparently we did good. There were scratch and deep claw marks on the outside of the door and under a window, but we had put chicken wire over all of the windows and around the door frame so nothing could dig the door frame open. We also reinforced the door with a lock at the top bottom and a latch in the middle. I think all that work finally paid off.

I had a prayer answered this morning, THAT WAS SO STRESSFUL

 

[JoyfulPromise]

Has anyone noticed my new 5 year badge? I only noticed it now myself, I use mostly my phone and it doesn't show on it.

Draye, congrats on the new badge. *breathes on, polishes new shiny badge of her own*

Hey can I join the club? We must have all joined around the same time! I just got my 5 year badge this week!

Congrats to both of you!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I only had 12/30 hatch.

but my temp went crazy at the end. Jumped up way high. I think that is what killed them.

I'm sorry it didn't go better for you, but at least you have 12 chicks!

Aww that's terrible....

If candle is correct, I think 0/15 will hatch... There is still hope though, it might be wrong!

morning!!

Morning Sally!

Would like to join the hatch a long for chicks, is this how I do it? Thanks & God bless!

Yep, you are good!

i would like to join...i will be setting a bit early though as i have eggs something in at the end of the week. is this allowed?

You are welcome to join us, but we can only count your eggs in the total set if they are set within +/- 2 days from the set days. See post #1 for the set dates for each type of fowl.

and some Seramas because I tripped and fell on my keyboard and accidentally kinda bought them.

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!!

That chick matches your fingernail polish! And LF Vorwerks? Oh my gosh, those are rare. I've always loved Vorwerks, but you mostly find bantam.

I'm setting bbs, buff and mottled English Orpingtons and Ancona eggs

Ooooooh Anconas.

My local TSC got chicks/ducklings in this morning. Did anyone else's?

Nope, but they had shavings, feed and water in the tubs and the heat lamps were on. So I'm sure they got them later in the day.

Saw a BYC promotional email listing this hatchalong, perhaps that directed some new participants?

The Easter Hatchalong was featured in the newsletter.

yes......I have been doing leather for 43 years. I also have a FB page
www.facebook.com/texasleathersmith

Beautiful!

I would like to participate but want to know if I can set ends the Friday or Thursday March 3rd or 4th. I am a teacher and would like the eggs to hatch during the school week.

I successfully hatched chickens in my class last year, I think this may be a fun contest for my class to be a part of.

+/- 2 days of set dates is fine.

ALL CHICKENS ALIVE AND ACCOUNTED FOR THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!

After we lost our last flock we tried very hard to make sure NOTHING could get into the coop at night. Apparently we did good. There were scratch and deep claw marks on the outside of the door and under a window, but we had put chicken wire over all of the windows and around the door frame so nothing could dig the door frame open. We also reinforced the door with a lock at the top bottom and a latch in the middle. I think all that work finally paid off.

I had a prayer answered this morning, THAT WAS SO STRESSFUL

So glad your flock is okay!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm in need of an Emu update................how are the emu eggs doing?

 

[TJordan]

ALL CHICKENS ALIVE AND ACCOUNTED FOR THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!

After we lost our last flock we tried very hard to make sure NOTHING could get into the coop at night. Apparently we did good. There were scratch and deep claw marks on the outside of the door and under a window, but we had put chicken wire over all of the windows and around the door frame so nothing could dig the door frame open. We also reinforced the door with a lock at the top bottom and a latch in the middle. I think all that work finally paid off. 

I had a prayer answered this morning, THAT WAS SO STRESSFUL 

Not chicken wire!!! That stuff can be torn apart fast. I would change to hardware cloth for even more protection.

 

[Happy Chooks]

2 more days until time to start those Muscovy eggs!

​

 

[IHeartPoultry]

[COLOR=0000FF]I'm in need of an Emu update................how are the emu eggs doing?[/COLOR]

X2 I am hoping to hatch one or two emus this summer of maybe fall. It would be my first time hatching them...

 

[IHeartPoultry]

Oh and are the "small" eggs at the market from bantams or just weirdly small eggs from leghorns? I am looking to hatch some market eggs and i think it would be cool to have some bantams too.