Trader Joe's chicks - updated pic pg 2!

[GardeNerd]

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Does your female look anything like my pullet, Joey. I have been wondering why she still isn't developing much at all in the comb or waddles, where as my other breeds are starting to. I don't mind, I think she is pretty as she is.

Interesting about the feed in the mother hen's diet. I'll mention that to my kids. We thought our low hatch rates ratio to eggs that start to develop was related to our inexperience with incubation and our homemade incubator. Hummmm. Maybe we need to try some good eggs from a breeder just for fun.

 

[GardeNerd]

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Sorry for the redundancy. I wasn't 100% if I have given it to you. I had not seen it posted in a while, and if someone was reading your thread here and wanted to try, I thought it could help.

Congrats on the 5 cuties! I will keep checking back for pictures.

 

[OCchickens]

Napa - thanks for the pics of your babies -- they're cute!

That's interesting your theory about the feed. Sad, huh? Makes you glad you can raise your own eggs!

My 3/8 are still unpipped.

 

[Backyard Farm]

That is really interesting about how to read the packing date!!

thank you

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

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I'll have to take some pictures of my TJ's girls tomorrow. I just noticed that I don't have any good pics of them since they're not for sale. They do look very much like Joey, but I think their combs are just a wee bit bigger...definitely breaking the plane of the head feathers. One girl's comb is considerably larger than the other's.

Some fertile "barnyard mix" eggs would be easy to come by and a great way to test your incubator and technique.

 

[GardeNerd]

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Yes, after the post on the rate of hatch being related to hen's diet I started wondering about how to test the homemade incubator better.

Fertile barn yard eggs are hard to find around here, not nearly as easy to find as in other places. That was why we did the unconventional thing to start with by hatching grocery store fertile eggs. I would have to have eggs shipped, which would decrease the viability, or drive more than 2 or 3 hours round trip to get some. There are very few places in the L.A. basin that allow roosters. I am still looking into it. Once I locate some other kind of fertile eggs locally, and I know we have a clear calendar at the end of the incubation period to be able to take care of chicks, we will try again. Life is a little hectic right now, so I will have to enjoy incubating and new baby chicks, by living vicariously through OCchickens' successes and others here at BYC.

Baby Chicks are so wonderfully adorable!

 

[OCchickens]

Here are my little beauties!

 

[GardeNerd]

Okay, That is the best picture ever! They are absolutely adorable! You just made our evening. Not a half hour earlier, the kids and I had been talking about the feather sexing of the chicks and maybe we should try again if it works. That pic might have clinched it for me. Would you mind if I made a copy of the photo for my iphoto album?

 

[DANNY]

I think it is best to take the eggs out of the carton or turner when they are hatching. It's much easier for the bird to get out.

 

[OCchickens]

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No - not at all - I'd be honored!