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

[Floydie]

I'm naming a chick TP I also used the Quarantina name someone suggested

Cushelle and Andrex... Possibly will be a few babies named after toilet roll after all this. They will be the new Britney's and Justin's

 

[BuckeyeFoodie]

We have three-out-of-three externally pipped from my shipped eggs. Two did pip on the wrong side of the egg, so I'll be watching them, but I'm excited! These are BBS Silkie eggs. I have a bunch more from my own birds going into lockdown as soon as the current occupants vacate the premises.

 

[Rockporters]

C is out! Slightly askew beak. Umbilical looks good. It is a cutie!

 

[Trisseh]

First pip from mine! This one is an Icelandic, just about scared the knickers off me when I picked it up (awful smell coming from in here so I knew I had a rotten one, was checking them all...) it peeped and kicked the shell. Had pipped the wrong side of the egg of course. Thankfully it pipped through all the way and could breathe. I removed a tiny bit more shell and made sure the membrane was open enough it could breathe freely and then I left him alone. Hoping it hatches ok... don’t really want to have to assist on the very first one. Haha

 

[gmjarvi]

Well, I'm having a harder time stopping the weightloss train on my chicken eggs than I thought I would have lol. They are still losing, and have probably lost too much at this point, but they are still alive minus the quitter I found last time. I'm plenty prepared to do assists if they have a hard time coming out. I'm putting them in lockdown tomorrow (but will be opening the lid to add water as necessary until external pips). We'll see what happens .

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

Looking for advice from those of you who have been able to get to the point of sending cockerels you hatched to Camp Freezer. This is my first time hatching my own and out of my first 7 I can already identify at least 3 males. I only need one as my flock is very small and will be less than 10 hens in total once the current girls grow out and join the rescue hens out in the yard. That means at least two will need to go one way or the other....and did I mention I have another 6 going into lock down tonight??

Techniques or advice on how not to bond?? Intellectually I know what will need to be done but wondering how many times before it isn't an emotional event? If ever?

On more exciting HAL news all 6 of my Barnevelder eggs are making it to lock down!

It does get better. Butchering your own birds. The first 3-4 times are rough. After that you have found your groove and things get much easier. Emotionally and physically (you know the anatomy and get much faster start to finish).

It's easier if you don't name them. I refer to them collectively as "the roos" or "this roo/that roo". I keep them separated from the hens as soon as I can tell what sex they are. That way there is some extra incentive to butcher them (one less pen to take care of). This is about the same time they go through a naughty, loud, obnoxious teenager phase which also makes things easier.

 

[Knighstar679]

I am super excited. I might have some ducklings soon! I went to do a candle tonight and found some shadows in a few of my air cells of my Welshie eggs. So the turner got removed early, the call eggs should be fine a few days early. I didn't put it into lockdown yet but got preped for it. Wasn't expecting the refridgerator eggs to be showing shadows two days before offical lockdown though. THe eggs with the red lines are my welsh eggs and the up and down line is where the shadows where.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have had crossbills before, sometimes they get worse, but I have not had one that had a problem eating.

 

[gimmie birdies]

We are sending 5 boxes of food to a nice lady in HI she was a front desk lady at a hotel we stayed at, and she says there are no food on shelves there.

 

[Floydie]

Something told me to wake up at quarter to seven. Came downstairs just in time to see the first two hatch. I've got six hatched waiting on two that hopefully won't be far behind.