Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chickielady]

We have our first egg! Tiny little thing, but perfect in every way. All of those things that others said (on the thread for how you can tell you're pullet is going to lay) are true. The Orpington that is 5 months and squatting as I approached her and making very loud sounds, scratching around in the nest box was the one.

So exciting! I just want to keep it forever. LOL

The hens squat as they expect to be mounted for mating...you must be their man !

I used to pat mine on the back when they squated...then they'd feel "serviced" and rustle up & wing flap afterwards as if something actually happened !

 

[Slinglings]

Quote: I'm kind of rough with mine, pull on their tail a little, scratch their lower back. They seem to like it My white leghorn walks up to me, turns around and squats. She asks for it. lol.

 

[CarolynF]

We have our first egg! Tiny little thing, but perfect in every way. All of those things that others said (on the thread for how you can tell you're pullet is going to lay) are true. The Orpington that is 5 months and squatting as I approached her and making very loud sounds, scratching around in the nest box was the one.

So exciting! I just want to keep it forever. LOL

Congratulations! I love the first egg and definitely like to save them, so I blow out the contents. The other day a breeze knocked one of the shelf and it broke, so sad. I like to weigh them each day, too, to see how they gradually get bigger.

I know -- I'm weird. But it's innocent fun.

 

[broodytood]

No they were not shipped. will def lower the temp. so only candle days 10 and 17, do i remove the turner on day 18 or just turn it off? would wearing surgical gloves help when handleing?

writting all this down for next try.

what do i do with loose air cells? i read that they need to rest for 24 - 48 hours. My neighbor has some that did not reattach but she is incubating anyway? is there a chance they will grow?

In the learning center, there is an article specific to still air incubators that might be a benefit to you. It also describes how to calibrate your hygrometer.
When I checked the ambient humidity of the room I had my incubator in, I was surprised that it was at 55%.
So I incubate dry, only adding water if it drops below 25ish% for more that a day. Without water, it stays at 37 to 44ish %. Lockdown gets hiked up to 65-80%
because I am hatching light blue eggs that seem to benefit from higher humidity.
Now, I do have a fan in my homemade incubator but I am running 99-100% hatch rate success of the eggs that go into lockdown.

 

[ochochicas]

Congratulations! I love the first egg and definitely like to save them, so I blow out the contents. The other day a breeze knocked one of the shelf and it broke, so sad. I like to weigh them each day, too, to see how they gradually get bigger.

I know -- I'm weird. But it's innocent fun.

We're in the same boat! LOL I weigh all my eggs and keep a record of who is laying. It helps me know if one of them is sick or if something is wrong in the coop. I'm sure the day will come when I have too many hens and I won't be able to tell the eggs apart. So far it is an entertaining hobby.

 

[Danrocks]

FINISHED the duck pen this weekend! I still need a few fascia boards stained and installed and will do some grading inside and around the outside, but it is secure and complete. Unsure whether to bother with a substrate or just leave the rocky sand down and rake it out until we see how it does with wet weather. The ducklings are LOVING the pond. They pretty much spend all their time in it. Pond, eat, pond, eat, pond, eat... over and over and over again. It's ridiculous.







I am a little curious about this one's wings. They're both naked. It doesn't seem to be bothering her, and the other ones are leaving them alone, but is this normal? They came from the lady I bought them from this way.

Looks awesome, great job on the pond!

 

[LaurelC]

Very nice Laurel, I especially like that little pond.

So do the ducks!

It's been 4 days and the water is starting to get a bit smelly. I need to excavate out the hole a bit more so I can get a bucket under the valve and start watering my non-edibles with the poop.

 

[LaurelC]

Looks awesome, great job on the pond!

Thanks! It was the part that stressed me out the most, but i think it'll end up well. Plus, no dumping and refilling kiddie pools (and having a bright blue kiddie pool sitting around the yard constantly) It has been illuminating to see how messy they are. It'll be interesting to see how bad it gets next year when I try to raise 10 ducks for meat!

 

[Chickielady]

We're in the same boat! LOL I weigh all my eggs and keep a record of who is laying. It helps me know if one of them is sick or if something is wrong in the coop. I'm sure the day will come when I have too many hens and I won't be able to tell the eggs apart. So far it is an entertaining hobby.

I have over 25 laying age hens, many more youngsters, and I can tell who's egg is who's in each and every coop.
It helps that I have 4 main breeds laying...so the eggs are different colors & shapes in each coop.
I bet you will know all of yours too !

 

[Chickielady]

So do the ducks!

It's been 4 days and the water is starting to get a bit smelly. I need to excavate out the hole a bit more so I can get a bucket under the valve and start watering my non-edibles with the poop.

I have to change my 3 big tubs 2 X a day !
The bigger they get, the messier they get !
What I need to do is make them a high water font, off the ground, just for water, far from the food & mud so they stop playing in & fouling their drinking water.
Ducks can get sick from having smelly, coliform-bacteria filled water.

See here: http://www.permies.com/t/35468/ducks/keeping-ducks-water-fresh


One of the reasons we did not get a big 'pond-type' tub like you have, is that 1) it is difficult to empty & refresh 2 X a day, and 2) it uses ALOT of water and DH is always stressed out that me, my garden & my birds use TOO MUCH WATER as it is!
(We only have 4 wells running right now, so I am not worried, but he is !)
Our wells are shallow, in gravel runs in solid clay.
It rains here ALOT but most runs off.
So we store alot in tanks.
So, having a small bucket like the one shown in the bottom of that thread link, is what I aime to do.
We have several of these watering buckets already for our Cornish Meat birds & started birds.
It has a small float inside & water is replaced as used.
You can hook this kind of thing up to a garden hose, so they always have water.
The ducks will still get mud in the bucket, but at least they will not be contaminating it with poop & feathers.