The Moonshiner's Chick Chat

[The Moonshiner]

I say go for it! More eggs set=more chicks

Cause 50 chicks a week isn't quite enough?

 

[troyer]

A little something I’ve been keeping from y’all… remember from my April 1 hatch, I got all school girl giddy over 2 pullets that were perfectly marked? One of them has a really large comb . I’m hoping she is just an early bloomer. If not, I have to rethink everything I thought I knew about RIRs.

If you would show a picture we might could help you speculate.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Yeah, that’s a really bad number. Can you have a defective hen? Maybe 1 of the 3 don’t like the rooster?

They say roosters can have a favorite hen so I don't see why one couldn't have a hen they don't like or a hen couldn't have a rooster they didn't like.

 

[WallyG74]

If you would show a picture we might could help you speculate.

I thought about that as I was typing. I’ll have to get one of each tomorrow.

 

[OneHappyDuckie]

Cause 50 chicks a week isn't quite enough?

Not when there's the possibility for more

 

[NagemTX]

They say roosters can have a favorite hen so I don't see why one couldn't have a hen they don't like or a hen couldn't have a rooster they didn't like.

I have six total cockerells running with the 12 hens. Only one is lavender and I have four lavender hens. I have only gotten lavender chicks from those hens eggs when I did my test hatch. Lavender Ameraucana/Lavender Orpingtons. So I guess they only like him.

 

[ColtHandorf]

15 so far. Hopeful that the other 10 hatch. Out of 35, 25 made it to lockdown. Kingpin may not be King of the Pen after all. That quad should be producing more than 25 out of 35 fertile eggs.
View attachment 3505576

Are you keeping them on newspaper?

Must be hatch day for everyone! I have 5/14 BCs hatched so far

I had a Serama hatch yesterday. And I've got chicks in the GQF I can hear hatching.

Yeah, that’s a really bad number. Can you have a defective hen? Maybe 1 of the 3 don’t like the rooster?

I have hens that don't allow roosters to breed them.

Now you're giving me ideas.
I set every week so at any given time my incubator has 3 sets of eggs.
When I get ready to set a new batch I can candle the week befores set.
Throw out those clears and add eggs there too.
Hmm let me think.... would that work ongoing?

I candle weekly so I can get rid of the clear ones and fit more in there.

 

[WallyG74]

Are you keeping them on newspaper?

Just as they come out of the incubator. As soon as they all hatch they go on shavings. There’s actually shavings under the newspaper. I feel like it gives them some solid footing instead of bogging up in shavings right away.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Just as they come out of the incubator. As soon as they all hatch they go on shavings. There’s actually shavings under the newspaper. I feel like it gives them some solid footing instead of bogging up in shavings right away.

I'd always heard that newspaper could cause issues like slipped tendons. I usually give them 48 hours in the incubator with the grippy shelf liner and then pop them into the brooders.

 

[NagemTX]

I'd always heard that newspaper could cause issues like slipped tendons. I usually give them 48 hours in the incubator with the grippy shelf liner and then pop them into the brooders.

I used ribbed paper towels. It worked great.