Tis Time for a March 2020 Hatch-a-long!

[Muscovy Wunda]

While ya'll running out of the obvious stuff for dealing with an intense flu...

 

[julskinka]

Sorry I've been MIA. We just hit Day 21 at noon, and yet here I am with 12/14 eggs hatched, and two still to go. It's been a busy 24 hours! This was maybe the fastest hatch I've ever done. I had to assist with three eggs (well, two I'm still in the process of, taking it slow). An olive egger couldn't get out on its own because its head wasn't tucked under its wing (it's out now and doing fine). The opal legbar had side pipped and is making zero progress, so I'm slowly working with it. And the BBS marans was failing to pip its internal membrane, so I managed to make it a breathing hole, and am waiting to see if it finishes the job.

Oh! And there was a surprise in which one my supposed legbar crosses came out as a black chick. Maybe it's part silkie (the person who sold me the eggs does have silkies)? Maybe it's actually an easter egger with a straight comb? I have questions.

Here's the first half of the pile. Note the literal black sheep in a pile of bresse/orpington/legbar yellow chicks. (The chipmunk is an olive egger).
View attachment 2043797

I am so glad I assisted the three I did, especially the marans. They all had the same malposition - beak not under the wing. Yaaaaaaaaaay shipped eggs!

 

[gmjarvi]

I heard peeps on D19 and had half my clutch hatch on D20! Maybe you won't have to keep yourself thaaaaaaaaat busy.

!!

Ours is the same way. The guy that helped us today was really good with catching the chicks and he actually got right in the bin with them he was good at getting the cutest ones especially that fat yellow one

That fat yellow one is to die for!!! So precious.

 

[MedicDog]

I couldn't help myself but after 72 hours since setting them I decided to candle the eggs under my silkie. I pulled one, checked it, put it back then repeated trying not to disturb her too much. I'm over the moon that there was veins on all four checks but knowing my luck I checked the same egg four times...

Oh well, I'll number them all in 4 days when I check again!

 

[gmjarvi]

I couldn't help myself but after 72 hours since setting them I decided to candle the eggs under my silkie. I pulled one, checked it, put it back then repeated trying not to disturb her too much. I'm over the moon that there was veins on all four checks but knowing my luck I checked the same egg four times...

Oh well, I'll number them all in 4 days when I check again!

I'm going to try and check the eggs under my silkie tonight when I go to close the coop up! I'm a little concerned because there is APPARENTLY an egg eater among the flock - all of her original eggs (which I marked...and of course none of them are silkie eggs ) are unharmed, but there was definitely egg goop in the nest box this morning, and she had some on her front as well...I'm assuming from kicking the offender out of the nest box. It seems unlikely to me that she is the culprit since she has been sitting on eggs?

I tried to clean everything up the best I could, we'll see what happens. This is why people have broody pens, I see

Also, maybe ceramic eggs in a nest box will help break the egg eating behavior? Any ideas? If it doesn't stop, someone's going to freezer camp.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I'm going to try and check the eggs under my silkie tonight when I go to close the coop up! I'm a little concerned because there is APPARENTLY an egg eater among the flock - all of her original eggs (which I marked...and of course none of them are silkie eggs ) are unharmed, but there was definitely egg goop in the nest box this morning, and she had some on her front as well...I'm assuming from kicking the offender out of the nest box. It seems unlikely to me that she is the culprit since she has been sitting on eggs?

I tried to clean everything up the best I could, we'll see what happens. This is why people have broody pens, I see

Also, maybe ceramic eggs in a nest box will help break the egg eating behavior? Any ideas? If it doesn't stop, someone's going to freezer camp.

Offering extra protein snacks for a while, ceramic eggs that can't be broken, and removing fresh eggs as often as possible so the culprit can't get to them are all ways to stop egg eating.

 

[FortCluck]

!!

That fat yellow one is to die for!!! So precious.

Everyone is saying it's a silkie

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Everyone is saying it's a silkie

It does certainly look like one!

 

[gmjarvi]

Offering extra protein snacks for a while, ceramic eggs that can't be broken, and removing fresh eggs as often as possible so the culprit can't get to them are all ways to stop egg eating.

Maybe I ought to offer scrambled eggs? I check the boxes as often as I can. Unfortunately, I was only able to check once yesterday because my toddler has a cough and needed some mommy cuddles. I'm wondering if it's calcium they're after as well. I feed them crushed egg shell but ran out of oyster shell a couple weeks ago. I don't feed layer feed because I worry about the roosters' kidneys. Looks like a trip to TSC for oyster shell and ceramic eggs is in order.

ETA: I know it sounds wonky to offer egg to stop egg eating but I'm not sure what else to offer. I actually have heard of one woman offering her flock as many raw eggs as they could eat for a few days, and when it was over she never had another egg eater. Weird. Maybe I should get some mealworms, too.

 

[FortCluck]

It does certainly look like one!

The guy called it the fat yellow one so I named it Chubs