Thistlewick Smallholding - Chickens & Sheep (for now)

[thistlewick]

So I had 20 hatching eggs to start with, 8 Ameraucana (lol) and 12 Welsummer

Over the incubation period, 4 Welsummer were duds. So it was 8 and 8 by lockdown of each; at hatch: 7 mixed (some ARE Ameraucana and some are not) and 6 Welsummer hatched - one is busy trying to zip - I went in to take them out to the brooder this morning and checked the 3 eggs leftover... and one was trying to zip! I left it in the incubator. I considered actually taking it outside to let it hatch in the brooder LOL its humid enough outside and hot enough but nah, but I will take out the hatchling asap to be with it's brood mates.

We have 19 (will have 20?) chicks in that brooder and that is TOO MANY. It is a brooder meant for max 10 really for 2 weeks. UGH

Talking to the gal now who sold me the eggs, she's SO embarrassed lol she said she has some in the incubator now and she will replace with black - but honestly it's not the end of the world. We will see how they all feather out.

 

[TwoCrows]

So I had 20 hatching eggs to start with, 8 Ameraucana (lol) and 12 Welsummer

Over the incubation period, 4 Welsummer were duds. So it was 8 and 8 by lockdown of each; at hatch: 7 mixed (some ARE Ameraucana and some are not) and 6 Welsummer hatched - one is busy trying to zip - I went in to take them out to the brooder this morning and checked the 3 eggs leftover... and one was trying to zip! I left it in the incubator. I considered actually taking it outside to let it hatch in the brooder LOL its humid enough outside and hot enough but nah, but I will take out the hatchling asap to be with it's brood mates.

We have 19 (will have 20?) chicks in that brooder and that is TOO MANY. It is a brooder meant for max 10 really for 2 weeks. UGH

View attachment 4158953

Talking to the gal now who sold me the eggs, she's SO embarrassed lol she said she has some in the incubator now and she will replace with black - but honestly it's not the end of the world. We will see how they all feather out.

A bowl of fluff there.

 

[thistlewick]

A bowl of fluff there.

YES they are so cute, I fall in love with all of them

One more hatched, the one that was trying to zip, so a grand total of 14 -- 2 were left, one was a complete unfertilized dud that I apparently missed during the candlings and one looked good but there was not even an internal pip.

I don't do egg topsies. I don't mind seeing photos of other people's, I just cannot bring myself to do it as well and neither can my husband.

14/15 is a good outcome anyway!

I brought it right out to the brooder, even kinda halfdry, because being with your sisters and brothers is WAY better than being alone in an incubator!

I took photos of all the Lollipops today, they need names because we absolutely adore them. We are working on it.

I cannot decide if this one is a cockerel; all signs would point to yes because of the 'brown/red on shoulders and wings' but there is no comb to speak of -- but it's only 5 and a half weeks old.

While every other little cockerel is showing themselves off quite nicely;

^^^ miss pecky 10 days ago, the pic I took of him today wasn't that great, but his comb is GIGANTIC lolol

 

[TwoCrows]

YES they are so cute, I fall in love with all of them

One more hatched, the one that was trying to zip, so a grand total of 14 -- 2 were left, one was a complete unfertilized dud that I apparently missed during the candlings and one looked good but there was not even an internal pip.

I don't do egg topsies. I don't mind seeing photos of other people's, I just cannot bring myself to do it as well and neither can my husband.

14/15 is a good outcome anyway!

I brought it right out to the brooder, even kinda halfdry, because being with your sisters and brothers is WAY better than being alone in an incubator!

I took photos of all the Lollipops today, they need names because we absolutely adore them. We are working on it.

I cannot decide if this one is a cockerel; all signs would point to yes because of the 'brown/red on shoulders and wings' but there is no comb to speak of -- but it's only 5 and a half weeks old.

View attachment 4159107

While every other little cockerel is showing themselves off quite nicely;

View attachment 4159111View attachment 4159112View attachment 4159113

^^^ miss pecky 10 days ago, the pic I took of him today wasn't that great, but his comb is GIGANTIC lolol

Beautiful birds in your photos!

Yes, I don't do eggtopsies either, pretty gruesome stuff there. As long as I've got the right settings on my incubator, I've done everything correctly before and during the cycle and the machine is running correctly, I have to assume the chick didn't make it because of something out of my hands. I certainly don't need the graphic image of an eggtopsy keeping me awake at night.