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

[speckledhen]

Well, I guess Ms. Jill decided sitting was not worth it. She's not acting broody today. She was definitely mulling it over all day yesterday and last night, sat on the floor nest with Hector sitting nearby. I didn't really trust her anyway.
I have 5 Brahma eggs and one each from Jill and Maddie, can't spare any more because we have barely a dozen for us to eat right now. They just went into the incubator so April 4 is the projected hatch date. Any that hatch could be brooded with the chicks I plan to get on April 9 from the feed store....if any hatch. I'm relying solely on the Genesis and the alcohol thermometer which are within 1/2 degree of each other and at the very least, I may be able to determine if Bash is fertile and if Hector is able to do his roosterly duties.

 

[getaclue]

It's a plan.

 

[MistyMountain]

Sorry to hear Spike isn't doing well. Poor guy.

We're playing musical chairs, pasture style, here too. My 30 year old horse who has been chronically lame for 22 years is quite sore and really showing his age. He's been moved to a well padded stall/softground paddock to see if he can get some relief. Working with the vet to hopefully help him out and get him back to his "normal," but it just may be time for me to make a difficult decision. He's a good boy. Kept me out of trouble in my teens, and now he helps us gentle our calves. He loves them, and they learn from him.

I have the incuview (bought it maybe 4 years ago) and LOVE it. I have excellent hatch rates and I am very hands off with it, adding water now and then, often not until close to lockdown. I love how well you can see AND that you can wash the pan. I refused to get a Styrofoam incubator. I want to be able to really clean it if need be. No extras, no bells and whistles. I am so satisfied with that purchase, though I only use it once a year.

My cons... definitely get a very small gauge tube or a long needle to attach to a syringe if you want to fill the reservoir with water. Then you can fill whichever groove you want (for surface area) with water without lifting a thing. I have in frustration bypassed the reservoirs before and simply dampened sponges. I trust the built in meters and they have never failed me.

Con 2, the bottom pan, while plastic, is thin. Over time, I can see how it could crack easily. I am almost tempted to spray the underside and outer sides with flex seal just to reinforce it.

Their customer service is fantastic as well!

 

[speckledhen]

Michele, thanks for that review! Appreciate it. I definitely will forgo styro-bators if I get another one. Right now, I have 7 eggs on Day 4 tomorrow, alcohol and digital on the Genesis are very close, humidity is holding well (probably because it's been raining for 2 days). We'll see by some time this weekend or maybe Monday if there is any hope for this batch.
Cohutta Country Store changed the date for the Easter Eggers and bantam Cochins by one day to April 10. These are due April 4 so that won't be too much of a difference for the newbies to go into the brooder with whatever hatches.

Oh, sorry about your horse! My friend Ladyhawk's Arabian mare got a genetic disease and had to be euthanized. I loved that mare, so sassy and bossy.

 

[speckledhen]

Poor Spike. He was doing badly yesterday, unfortunately. I believe his eyesight is compromised. He panics for seemingly no reason and has seizures, or that is what I feel is happening when he collapses and his head folds under his body. It does look more and more like a seizure because he shakes uncontrollably and after he comes out of it, he's immobile for awhile, acts dazed. He is an older guy so he may not be with us very much longer. I think he's not eating well so I take him a grits-and-eggs mixture in the morning and he eats like it's the only thing he really *is* eating. He doesn't eat that well, either, unless I hold the bowl up in front of his face. He's lost a lot of weight. May be his time to go soon.

 

[speckledhen]

Today is Day 7 on the 7 eggs in the incubator. Later last night, I candled them. I tossed one Brahma egg that was so clearly infertile, I believe it was BJ's, but to be honest, I see no development in any of them. Temps have been perfectly steady between 99.5 and 100.5 the entire time, according to the Genesis digital setting and the alcohol thermo inside. Humidity has been very steady as well. I'll leave them in a few more days, but this is not a good sign for Bash or Hector.

 

[speckledhen]

Tossed another infertile egg. Today is Day 8. I will give them another day or so to be 100% sure I'm not seeing anything developing, then that's it, done, finito. Incubator being put away, may even sell it. I don't think anything is wrong with the bator at all, just the roosters.

 

[getaclue]

I'm sorry you're having fertility issues.

I had a wonderful rooster. He had a great personality, was good to his ladies, and did his job well with them. It wasn't until later on, I discovered that ALL his male offspring, were infertile. They could do the deed, but the resulting eggs were always infertile. At first, I thought it was a fluke. After multiple attempts, raising his male offspring, with the same results, I knew for certain the issue was with him. His female offspring were fine.

It's impossible to keep up a line, when the resulting male offspring are infertile.

I understand your frustration.

 

[speckledhen]

Wow, Cheryl, that is so odd! Anything can happen, of course. People just can't believe that everything is not textbook-predictable.
Game camera photos from the camera that gets the most action at the back corner of the compost pile. Mostly deer, rabbits, possums and my chickens, plus the fox who is fascinated with that area, probably because of the luscious smells all the aforementioned critters make there. Hector lays around a lot on range because his leg hurts, bless his heart. He lays there and lets the girls do their thing.

 

[speckledhen]

Not one of the eggs, Brahma nor Barred Rock, in the incubator were fertile. Today is Day 9. I removed, candled, then opened them all. Maybe I didn't kill the first batch after all.