The 8th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!!!!

[Cynthia12]

I don't think I will be able to participate anymore.....I just helped separate the silkies with the breeder I am getting eggs from, and I think I will have to wait to get eggs until the 28th. I don't mind about that, but I'm a little bummed that I won't be able to participate in the Hatch-a-long...

Sorry...come on and visit anyway!

 

[Cynthia12]

For the few eggs they can hatch compared to a Chantecler or Cochin for me they are pretty worthless. Hatching less then 15 eggs at a time doesn't make sense to me.


I may add some new eggs to this hatch! Bielfelders and Icelandics! A friend of my mom's friend is giving all of her poultry stuff to me including birds and another bator! I am do grateful!

Some folks love them just as pets..like dogs..or cats...I would be one of those! I love love them. They are so sweet..most of the them that I've had. They come right to you, want attention like a dog. I have a smooth Show Girl right now. She is broody. She will go broody twice a yr..and yep, no eggs. When she isn't broody, she lays really nice sized eggs. And she will follow me around and talk to me. I can pick her up and I know she doesn't mind it. I have a leghorn the same way. A red sex link too..but, have other laying hens that don't want anything to do with me. I just leave them to their laying, eating, drinking, pooping. I don't mind. I like having my egg layers.
And, I love having those that want attention. Ahem..if be it, just for treats more than for loves.



This leghorn would get right up on me..and they say leghorns are flighty and mean. I do have one right now that doesn't want me near her. That's ok.

 

[ChickAsThieves]

I've got eggs in the incubator set to hatch tomorrow. I live in the northeast and we're going to be having a blizzard tomorrow! What can I do if the power goes out while they're hatching? Any advice will be appreciated now, because if the power goes out I won't have access to the forum!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: I have Barnevelders for my broodies. Icelandics are also great broodies, but I don't have any right now.

I've got eggs in the incubator set to hatch tomorrow. I live in the northeast and we're going to be having a blizzard tomorrow! What can I do if the power goes out while they're hatching? Any advice will be appreciated now, because if the power goes out I won't have access to the forum!

Temperature is not as critical at the end of incubation. Be careful if you wrap the incubator, they need oxygen! Keep them in the warmest room and don't open the lid of the incubator. (keep all the heat you can inside)

 

[Lozuufy]

I've got eggs in the incubator set to hatch tomorrow. I live in the northeast and we're going to be having a blizzard tomorrow! What can I do if the power goes out while they're hatching? Any advice will be appreciated now, because if the power goes out I won't have access to the forum!

The snowstorm is a bummer, I thought it was spring! You could put a little bit of hot water (100-102*) in a bucket and put another bucket the same size in that bucket (so it stays put and the water touches the bottom of top B), then put the eggs in and cover with a sleeping bag (but leave little hole for air). Um, do you still have hot water when the power goes out? Wow, I know nothing about power outages, we've been solar powered most of my life, do you even have running water without power?
Sports stores sell air activated heat thingys, I have some that are called HotHands, but careful if you get them they are around 140* so shouldn't come into direct contact with the eggs! If there aren't that many eggs what I would probably do is to get all bundled up on the couch and put them on my stomach with a sleeping bag over them

but that would only work if the power was out for a short time.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Yeah but they're cute, fluffy, and adorable and most people don't really have them for production but rather pets. And they're great for that.

Besides, 15 eggs is a lot if you can't have many chickens

That said, I probably wouldn't get one, at least not right now, since they can't really be with LF breeds

How come they can't be with large fowl breeds?The Silkies here stay with LF roosters. Silkie roosters are tougher than most LF.



Personally I find them to be difficult, although my purebreds are better than my crosses. I'd have a LF rooster any day over a Silkie rooster. They're mean to the other roosters. I like the females, specifically the crosses because it take the feathers off the legs/feet. (I like clean legs...just easier)

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I've got eggs in the incubator set to hatch tomorrow. I live in the northeast and we're going to be having a blizzard tomorrow! What can I do if the power goes out while they're hatching? Any advice will be appreciated now, because if the power goes out I won't have access to the forum! 

I'm in the path of the storm too but not as bad as a lot of other people (7-11" predicted here). Get some heat sinks in there now, to build up heat and to hold it for a while. If you have a gas oven, you can turn it on, open it and put your bator either on the door or in front of it (if it's too big) just monitor the heat closely. Also, if you have a fireplace or wood stove, move your bator nearby them. Good luck!

I have eggs moving to lockdown tomorrow so I'll be making preporations too. I already have the generator gassed up just in case and will be grabbing more gas in a bit. Probably bringing in some firewood too for heat.

 

[katsdar]

I'm bidding on some game bantam eggs shhhhhh don't tell

 

[frenchiegirl21]

I am about to start collecting all the bantam eggs I can get! I have blue and birchen smooth cochin, black frizzles, partridge silkies, and a white frizzle rooster over a partridge smooth hen (my color project). My blues have been laying an egg a day lately from 4 hens! Just for fun, here are my 2 baby partridge frizzles. They were from the previous hatch. All that is hatching this week will be sold, but I do have some more silkie chicks coming in on Thursday!

 

[ShrekDawg]

How come they can't be with large fowl breeds?The Silkies here stay with LF roosters. Silkie roosters are tougher than most LF.



Personally I find them to be difficult, although my purebreds are better than my crosses. I'd have a LF rooster any day over a Silkie rooster. They're mean to the other roosters. I like the females, specifically the crosses because it take the feathers off the legs/feet. (I like clean legs...just easier)  

I don't know, I've just heard that the Silkies and other bantams are so small and gentle/docile that they tend to get picked on a lot and sometimes killed. But it sounds like the roosters can hold their own!