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

[CluckNDoodle]

Oh, I will play that game if I trust the person who is giving the review. I mostly like to form my own opinions but there are a few people I trust. Sebastopols are so beautiful. I hope you get your money's worth.

Well, that's the thing, I don't know the person that told me this very well. All I know is that last year I bought Silkie hatching eggs from 3 sources and had great hatches from 2 of them and zero hatch from the third person...that third person is the one telling me to beware of the goose lady, lol, this sounds funny trying to explain it. Anyway, I'm just going to go ahead with it, I just now feel uncertain about the whole thing.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thank you! I hope so too! From the sounds of it, the goslings may hatch but have genetic issues? So now I'm going to have to keep them and raise them for a bit before I rehome them to make sure I'm offering healthy babies.

That was the claim, but this woman only has the one pair of Sebastopol geese. I'm going to bite the bullet and decide for myself on this one.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

So... I couldn’t handle a mostly empty incubator.

Stopped by my bosses place and picked up 14 Silkie Bantam crosses again. This time the eggs were laid with in the last 4 days. Can someone tell me what their rooster is? I’m sure I can post a thread, but maybe someone here will know right away. Also, curious what the larger hens are. Some of the eggs we picked up were a combo of the larger hens and the bantam roo.

And might have purchased 6 Silver Spitzhaubens eggs to be shipped to me Tuesday told myself I was done after the last 40 chicks.

 

[hysop]

Well, that's the thing, I don't know the person that told me this very well. All I know is that last year I bought Silkie hatching eggs from 3 sources and had great hatches from 2 of them and zero hatch from the third person...that third person is the one telling me to beware of the goose lady, lol, this sounds funny trying to explain it. Anyway, I'm just going to go ahead with it, I just now feel uncertain about the whole thing.

I’m with you on giving them a chance and forming your own opinions. Especially if the negative review came from (ironically) someone who doesn’t have a good rep with you.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Well, that's the thing, I don't know the person that told me this very well. All I know is that last year I bought Silkie hatching eggs from 3 sources and had great hatches from 2 of them and zero hatch from the third person...that third person is the one telling me to beware of the goose lady, lol, this sounds funny trying to explain it. Anyway, I'm just going to go ahead with it, I just now feel uncertain about the whole thing.

Hopefully it all turns out well! They are such cool geese!!!

 

[hysop]

told myself I was done after the last 40 chicks.

What do you do with all the chicks that hatch??

I love the idea of incubating them and watching them grow, but I have 14 laying hens and I am having a hard time using all their eggs! I can’t imagine what will happen once my chicks hatch.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So... I couldn’t handle a mostly empty incubator.

Stopped by my bosses place and picked up 14 Silkie Bantam crosses again. This time the eggs were laid with in the last 4 days. Can someone tell me what their rooster is? I’m sure I can post a thread, but maybe someone here will know right away. Also, curious what the larger hens are. Some of the eggs we picked up were a combo of the larger hens and the bantam roo.

And might have purchased 6 Silver Spitzhaubens eggs to be shipped to me Tuesday told myself I was done after the last 40 chicks.
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Silver Sebright is gorgeous roo.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

I candled tonight and learned a lesson! Don’t even bother candling dark Marans eggs until day 10! I candled them on day 7 and thought I had a bunch of clears, but today on day 10 I can definitely confirm that 10/14 are definitely developing. 2 I can’t tell either way and, 1 has a blood ring and I think 1 is definitely clear. I wouldn’t normally candle them again so soon, but I wanted to check the aircells and decide if I could take them out of the egg cartons and lay them flat in the auto turner.
I also candled my most recent batch in (13 Eggs mix of F1 OEs, Flowery Easter Eggers, 2 BCMs, a BBS Marans, and a Double Laced Barnevelder on day 3) to check out their air cells. I laid them down on their sides with the batch of Marans eggs on day 10. The air cells aren’t the best, but I decided to see what happens. Which means no more hand turning for me! Yay!

 

[hysop]

I candled tonight and learned a lesson! Don’t even bother candling dark Marans eggs until day 10! I candled them on day 7 and thought I had a bunch of clears, but today on day 10 I can definitely confirm that 10/14 are definitely developing. 2 I can’t tell either way and, 1 has a blood ring and I think 1 is definitely clear. I wouldn’t normally candle them again so soon, but I wanted to check the aircells and decide if I could take them out of the egg cartons and lay them flat in the auto turner.
I also candled my most recent batch in (13 Eggs mix of F1 OEs, Flowery Easter Eggers, 2 BCMs, a BBS Marans, and a Double Laced Barnevelder on day 3) to check out their air cells. I laid them down on their sides with the batch of Marans eggs on day 10. The air cells aren’t the best, but I decided to see what happens. Which means no more hand turning for me! Yay!

You’re making me want to go candle an egg or two Yes, with my olive eggs I couldn’t see anything for the first few days. But as time went on I started to see air cells and some movement. And I know olive eggs aren’t anywhere near as dark as marans!

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

What do you do with all the chicks that hatch??

I love the idea of incubating them and watching them grow, but I have 14 laying hens and I am having a hard time using all their eggs! I can’t imagine what will happen once my chicks hatch.

The master plan...

Keep all of the hens for eggs and sell the roos that don’t quite fit my liking for the breed. Breed certain ones for their qualities later on by separating them. We have a lot of different breeds now.

We go through about a dozen eggs per day, between humans and dogs. Dogs are fed raw, so eggs are added to their food twice a day.

I couldnt bring my self to eat our first cockerels, so they’re listed for sale right now.