The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[LindaB220]

Just wanted to update on my mystery chick, lol.

I spoke with my neighbor tonight, and he confirmed that my BR cockerel is actually a BR/WR cross, which some of you had suspected. He also informed me that the hen is, too. So that totally explains the WR chick, lol!

Thanks everyone, for your help!

Good for you Sweetpea. Now you know.

 

[Beekissed]

Fred, I now am in possession of a Brinsea incubator that holds 20 eggs...a gift from a friend.

I also have a broody hen that I'm holding off until I can gather the eggs from this one lonely hen enough for a clutch. What I may do is put 6 eggs under the broody and 6 in the bator, just in case she isn't that good of a broody or crushes the eggs or such, then I can just let her foster the ones I hatch from the bator. Doubling down.

Here's a pic of the hen I lost the other night....man, I liked that hen!

I know she had a bit too much fluff up top but she also had the widest hips and best feathering of the two. She laid a bigger egg as well. This was taken just days before she died.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Bee, I'd set every egg your sole Hen lays.

The Brinsea is a very fine table top incubator. We've hatched hundred and hundreds of chicks out the units we have. We use the egg carton method to hold the eggs. I like the security they provide during tilting and hatching. I use them in the Brinsea incubator and also in the hatcher.






Edited to add: I hate the metal rails. Each to their own opinion, but I can't stand them.

 

[Fred's Hens]

My very best pullet, a stunning XW Barred Rock female, has finally come into lay. I'll be single mating her. She'll lay 5-6 eggs a week. The longest I'll collect eggs is 10 days, so I'll only have 7 eggs over that period. That's fine.

I have a F2 Barred Rock hen that I really want more eggs from as well. She'll lay 7-8 eggs over that same 10 period. Thus, 14 eggs to incubate.

Then, If I want to pad the numbers in the incubator? I just set 6 or 7 eggs from the Red hen. I need more of those anyway. 20 eggs makes for nice bio-mass in the little Brinsea.

Some of my very best birds have come from small matings and hatches such as these.

 

[Fentress]

Ditto that. A good broody makes all the difference in the world to the safety and warmth of the chicks, particularly out in the general population.

I agree, I love broodys, but in my case it is the obstacles that I worry about. With floorless, free range structures, there are skids and rails that I have to account for. Some of them they can go under, but otheres they have to cross. I build little bridges and then of course they ignore them. But as soon as they get a week of age then they should be able to handle every thing.

 

[mklorber]

Since we are on the topic of incubating...I'd like to know your thoughts on candling. Do you candle every batch? Or are you comfortable enough with many hatches under your belt to leave things alone.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Heard an expression the other day. Helicopter parents. hahaha There are myriads of incubating threads here on BYC.

To read those threads you're left with the impression that most backyard hobbyists way overdo the whole candling thing. If that's what they want to do or feel the need to do, that's fine. Perhaps this is their hobby; setting, candling, and fussing and "locking down"(sic) all this stuff. I don't have the time nor the felt need to do all this candling.

Once, at 12 days and pull the clears. That's about it. The less handling the better is my view.

 

[racertomtom]

I candle on day 18, throw away the clears and sort the rest into their baskets, preplan the toe punches and put them in the hatcher. No since in fanning the bator door.

 

[mklorber]

Thanks guys...I took a look at some of the hatching threads and had instant mommy incubating guilt. I did not candle the first batch and my hatch rate was high by my standards. I'm right at day 20 with the barred rocks and a little more nervous this time around.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well, i get exited too, but keeping perspective is important. Tonight, I'll be moving my prized, most important eggs into the hatcher. Then, I'll get in the car with my wife tomorrow at zero dark thirty and head out of town for the weekend.

When I get back on Monday, There'll be hatching going on. I'll move another basket of eggs on Tuesday into the hatcher. Life rolls on. If I need to set more, I still remember the way to the barn to get more.