Washingtonians

[cheryl98117]

Ok so now I'm thinking Im gonna have to start looking for a different line of Wheaton Ameraucana eggs, or just a cockeral. lol I'm 80% sure that at least one of these little babies here is a cockeral, theres some pretty dark feathers "almost mahogony" coming in across the shoulder area on him, and he sure is watchfull. lol These chicks crack me up!
I'm thinking its about time to give them a low roos in their brooder, as they all fight for who's gonna sit on top of the box. lol And boy! Do they ever like to test their wings!

Just all of a sudden Chicks will start chirping all excitedly, then they all just go nuts and start flapping!!! Oh and the mad rush to see whats in the giant treat giving hand! Its like a mob every time I go to feed them!

All in all, I already LOVE these little guys, they make me smile, even when I'm all doped up on cold and fever meds!

 

[Ogress]

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I like the burners, but hate the smells of their waxes - they are VERY strong, much too much aromatic. Of coursse I'm gagging on the odor, and people walk in and tell me the house smell so nice when it is on, so I guess it depends how sensitive you are to perfumes. I break off a tiny piece and put it with plain wax, or buy Partylight (which are strong too, but not as strong). I can't imagine the wax in either of them is very healthy to breathe in, but I can't find anyone who makes them from Beeswax which smells wonderful to me.

Try here. They are my local supplier and very good people. Thier daughter makes lots of things with the bees wax.
http://sherwoodbees.com/cart/index.php

Thanks CR!!! My hiking buddy used to like making beeswax candles, and he would always give plenty to DH and I, but he got married a few years ago and no longer has time for candles. I'll take a look and see what they have.

 

[broodytood]

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Thanks CL. I'm comfortable that I did the right thing. Just wish I knew more about the parent birds.

I have hatched chicks for 40 years, and only encoutered a stargazer (actually 4 of them) from one person/flock.
I am convinced that it is caused by inbreeding. It maybe caused by other genetic & nutrition issues too, but look at this example:

I buy a doz hatching eggs from 'A', then I cull the icky Cockerals & raise them ( I am then 'B') & sell a doz hatching eggs to another guy in Mass, he is then 'C', he raises & sells a doz hatching eggs to a woman in FLA, who is 'D', and on it goes.
We are GLOBALIZED...and you must introduce new blood to your flocks, cull all Cockerals & buy from someone else, if you want to raise healthy chicks.
You cannot, in this day & age, hatch a flock & not expect that it has been inbred through so many people.
Did you ever open the incubator ?
Shrink wrapping should never occur unless 1) you opened the incubator or
2) the chicks pipped, and either fell asleep or were so slow the membrane was exposed to air too long.
The egg membrane will dry & harden even with 80% humidity.
Once pipped & zipping begins, the membrane begins to dry & gets first rubbery, then hardens, and if the chicks are slow, or if it is dark (I have found they go to sleep) the membrane will harden like hard plastic, and they will be unable to hatch.
It seems to me that you have experieced everything that can possibly go wrong, with this first hatch.
That out of the way, you should be a first rate hatcher now!

First I want to thank you for taking the time to share you knowledge. It is invaluable. After 40 yrs of hatching, I see you as hatch master!
I use a separate incubator and hatcher. For the bantys, I did not open the hatcher but from pip to zip was 3-4 times longer than the Marans. Seemed odd to me but since I am new to this I was not sure why it was taking so long. I was also told that from pip to zip can be up to 12-24 hrs so I was trying to be patient and let them do their thing. I started helping when it had gone over 12 hrs from pip with no progress. I mist warm water into the hatcher snatch out an egg, wrap it into warm wet but not dripping washcloth and proceed to figure out why it is not progressing. In each case the chick was still alive but wrapped. The thermostat flicks the light on and off to regulate temps but there is a 7w night light that glows all time.
I read the article by Bill Worrell about dry incubating. Seemed logical. But now I am doubting everything I have learned up to this point.(which really isn't much)
There are so many differing methods, it's hard to keep it all straight! Maybe you should write a guide for us newbies. Incubating for dummies, I mean newbies by Chickielady. (Like you have nothing better to do with your time, right. Ha) but I would definitely buy one!
I'm not going to get discouraged, at least not yet.
Thanks again for your wise words, they are very helpful and appreciated!

 

[cheryl98117]

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They kept going back and forth with the due date for Olivia too. Due to all the surgeries cerclages I had to keep Olivia in, they could not let me go into labor. Usually with a cerclage they take it out a few weeks before the due date, but it was the only thing holding DD in. I had to stay on terbutaline from 27 weeks on to stop the contractions for risk of tearing, and they scheduled the C-section for 3 weeks before the due date - after she was born, they did an exam, and said she appeared to be more like 35 weeks, which is right where I thought it was from the start!

One thing to ask your Dr. about is numbness around the incision; in some people, the numbness never goes away. from my experience, I think it has to do with the incision location rather than different people. My first C-section, feeling took 6 months to fully return. My second, the incision was made higher (I don't know why - I suspect because time #1 was an emergency C-section with baby was stuck in birth canal and in distress). Feeling has never returned after #2 and I have no feeling from just below my navel down to a couple inches below the incision. It's a real bummer, but it was my trade-off for a healthy baby.

I didn't have a C-section with my DD, but I wound up with some nerve damage from the epedural. The first two times they tried the epidural on me, they only blocked the right side, the third go-round they finally blocked both sides, but since then Ive hardly had any feeling in my right thigh, from my hip to about 4" from my knee... And when I do have some sensation, all I am able to feel is pins and needles. And Ive been like this for two and a half years now. Doubt I will ever go back to normal. At least it doesnt mess with my mobility, just sensation...

 

[broodytood]

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Did you get yours from Pips and Peeps/Jean? If not she sold me some and it sounds like I'm also going to be looking for a roo that has different blood. Mind you I'm not counting my eggs before they hatch, just thinking out loud!

But now I see what CL means about A,B, C, D, and globalization.

 

[T Hi]

What's the best incubator for duck eggs?

Oh man.... we are in trouble here in Bonney Lake!!!! I NEED more granducky babies!! We have made the decision that we are going to hatch out some babies & then I will find new homes for a trio of the adults.

I will keep 4 black females, 1 chocolate female, 1 black male. That's the plan for now anyways!

 

[cheryl98117]

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Did you get yours from Pips and Peeps/Jean? If not she sold me some and it sounds like I'm also going to be looking for a roo that has different blood. Mind you I'm not counting my eggs before they hatch, just thinking out loud!

But now I see what CL means about A,B, C, D, and globalization.

Nope mine aren't from pips&peeps. I went in on an order with Chickielady, and these eggs came from Florida I believe. Who knows maby we can work out a trade. The adults that these chicks came from are very nice looking, and are said to be quite docile and friendly. Guess I will find out soon enough!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Hey a while back somebody was saying they had some old scuba tanks. Who was it and are they still available??

While I was out in the shed last night I heard the fogs croaking like crazy. Well guess what happened today ?????

 

[cheryl98117]

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Thats cool CR!

 

[T Hi]

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Is that the kind that turns into a handsome, rich, loving prince after you kiss it?

If so, then I will take 3!!! 1 for me and 1 for each of the twins!!