The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[seminolewind]

Hopefully he just lost his marbles temporarily . I have 6 silkie roos. 4 live together for 3-4 years now. One started acting up a bit today with another roo. Someone may have to go live with the 2 big hens, LOL.

 

[seminolewind]

Today was a long tiring day. I think Thursday I sold the 9 chicks. Today I planned to clean the coop before moving the 7 month old chicks I have. So I removed 3 large wheelbarrowfulls of used shavings. Then I swept real good. Then I drenched the whole inside with Virkon mixed in a sprayer. After drying some, I took some plywood and fixed about 6 x 8 ft area of flooring. Nothing like a nice new floor. I put most of the stuff back inside. Took me 5 hours!

In the interim I have my 11 yr old polish mostly blind girl in a separate pen about 20 feet from the coop, and she wanted to come out! I go back in the coop and sometime later she shows up in the coop!!! The rest of the polish/silkie gang seemed to want to hang out with her. Things were great till my BO pecked her, and I put her back in the pen. She amazes me at the things she still does. She's the last of my really old girls.

 

[seminolewind]

Moved the chicks today. They were enjoying the space! I spent the day cleaning my patio that had birds in it for 1 month and my! they do get stinky. It's nice to have my porch back.

 

[speckledhen]

I posted on Hector's thread, but Jill failed as a first time mother. She crushed the chick as it was hatching. The other, I think, has died though it was in the air cell yesterday, not pipped. Today, Day 22 starts around noon. I threw her off the nest and put that egg with one of the Brahma broodies in case there is any hope, but at the end of the day, I'll probably have to toss that one. It's depressing. Seems to me, Bash's episode, whatever happened with his health recently, affected the fertility, etc.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How has Bash been doing?

 

[speckledhen]

How has Bash been doing?

He seems back to normal, though a little thinner. I just hate that she did that. I will leave the other egg under Cora the rest of the day, but I think it's gone for whatever reason. It sure made it a long way, not to pip.

 

[speckledhen]

Okay, Day 23 just started and I, against everything I have ever done, left the last egg under a broody because there was movement. It's not in the air cell and I know it was put in the same time as the original eggs. But, if it has not gotten into the air cell (again, I know it was there on Day 21, or I thought it was) by Day 23, it's not going to do so, something is wrong with the chick. Tell me to toss that egg, please. I just hated that I got nothing out of all those eggs, so I guess that's why I hate to toss an egg with a moving chick in it, even though I know it's probably never going to hatch and there is a problem.

 

[1muttsfan]

I have had chicks hatch out that late and be OK. Mostly though they are weak and not very hardy.

 

[speckledhen]

I have had chicks hatch out that late and be OK. Mostly though they are weak and not very hardy.

I agree with that, Mary. Usually, the big Blue Orps would hatch on Day 22 and be fine, but if they weren't hatched by the end of Day 22, I considered the hatch over. And I've followed that rule with only one exception over the years, had one hatch on Day 23 and it was fine. But, this one is not really moving much, just barely. Since Bonnie is still sitting there anyway, I left it under her, but by tonight or tomorrow, if there is no sign of life, it has to go, sadly.

 

[DrumstickRanchTex]

The kids, 14 weeks old tomorrow.
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Hi. These are very nice looking. What breed are they? I saw a photo of some California Greys and thought they were Barred Rocks.
Thanks