What did you do with your flock today?

[TropicalBabies]

Heilani pooped out a fairy egg right in front of me this eve.

Was given some lettuce starts and so I planted yestermorn. Hope the bugs share. Been resting that bed for years.... kind of but not on purpose lol.

And my soursops are fabulous! I think I have 14-16 on it. Have only had that one that ripened so far. Waiting impatiently for this one... or anyone.

Managed to munch on some star fruit today and my chickens were jumping up and stealing them out of my hands the little stinker butts.

AND dragon fruit stand is started and finished. This is for the Jamaica Yellow? Supposed to be super sweet and special. Also, none on isle cept the guy who gave me. I'm excited ♡♡♡ My red skin, red fruit dragon is doing wonderfully well. Maybe next year I'll get some fruit.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Today was NOT a quiet day for me! I was working and heard chickens making a raucous and then chickens screaming so I looked up in time to see Koda barreling towed the window, then feathers and then a part of a white wing. I went flying out of my chair barefoot, around the corner, screaming at Koda and yelling NOOOO!

I got outside and was still yelling and Koda came slinking around the corner chickenless and I yelled that he was SO naughty and braced myself for the carnage

Instead I saw one chicken frantically trying to get into the other chicken runs and 5 missing chickens and a bunch of white feathers all over the lawn. So I picked up Pistachio and carried her around while searching for the others. I finally found Ariana Sushi and the Balls in the fenced area hiding under the tarp covering my quail pens. Parmesan started yelling for me and she was in the neighbors yard behind my house. So I had to go drive over there to try and get her before something else did. Trudge through the neighbors acre lot to the back only to find she’d gotten brave and flown back over the fence into my yard. So I rushed back over and rescued her from the big chicken run she’d flown into and they were pecking her and stuff. Poor baby! So I had 5/6 chickens and couldn't find Brie. I kept looking for a body…and then I heard another chicken yelling and found her in my other neighbors yard yelling at me. They weren’t home and their gate was locked, so I spent 20 mins standing at a gap in the fence calling for her. Not sure why I thought she’d come to me, she runs from me all the time—but sure enough she finally did! Everyone seems okay other than shocked and a few feathers lighter. Ariana Sushi took the worst of it and has a bit of beak missing and a bloodied wattle. My Fitbit registered an hour of intense activity and it took another hour to finally relax and catch my breath! Thankful they are okay and thankful that Koda is a good boy and knows when he’s in trouble!! This was right after I came inside…
View attachment 3393136View attachment 3393139
And then later when he was kissing up…so….I’m beat and headed for bed really soon!

Wow what a heart stopper! Koda definitely knows he oopsed! His whole body says forgive me! I'm so glad everyone made it safely home and all's well!

Heilani pooped out a fairy egg right in front of me this eve.View attachment 3393157
Was given some lettuce starts and so I planted yestermorn. Hope the bugs share. Been resting that bed for years.... kind of but not on purpose lol.View attachment 3393159
And my soursops are fabulous! I think I have 14-16 on it. Have only had that one that ripened so far. Waiting impatiently for this one... or anyone.View attachment 3393160
Managed to munch on some star fruit today and my chickens were jumping up and stealing them out of my hands the little stinker butts.View attachment 3393162
AND dragon fruit stand is started and finished. This is for the Jamaica Yellow? Supposed to be super sweet and special. Also, none on isle cept the guy who gave me. I'm excited ♡♡♡ My red skin, red fruit dragon is doing wonderfully well. Maybe next year I'll get some fruit. View attachment 3393165

Love your dragon fruit stand! I have a purple type that's kept growing for 5 years now and never given me one fruit...poor thing gets a little too cold every winter to really be happy. Then there's my white dragon fruit that produces right up to December...lol. Bet my purple variety would love to be where you are!

Love the fairy egg...its adorable

 

[ChicksnMore]

Days wrapped up and I'm relaxing with the little black and white chicks . Another hatched so that's three like that from this group. I know the dad is blue Brie, but not sure on the mom and my genetics knowledge isn't good enough to look and know anything. But I'm enjoying watching their feathers come in and the excuse to snuggle the chicks...lol. I'm wondering if this is splash without mahogany genes though. Kirin is splash with mahogany I think.

Snug is definitely tri-color but not like any chick I've hatched yet. I'm used to brown where Snug has white and white where Snug has brown.

The second one that hatched is named Bug ands has black coming in heavy. Think it's also going to carry a little brown. It's gone from silvery backed to kinda agouti looking on the back.

The third is too young still. It's the cutest yet and a little different markings from the other two.

Now what to name the third little tyke?

 

[PopoMyers]

Wow what a heart stopper! Koda definitely knows he oopsed! His whole body says forgive me! I'm so glad everyone made it safely home and all's well!

Love your dragon fruit stand! I have a purple type that's kept growing for 5 years now and never given me one fruit...poor thing gets a little too cold every winter to really be happy. Then there's my white dragon fruit that produces right up to December...lol. Bet my purple variety would love to be where you are!

Love the fairy egg...its adorable

@tropical babies, @ChicksnMore You are in good weather for dragon fruit, I grew up with them on our fence, and later along the stone wall of a school near me. Back then no one would pick them, except me. They were the baseball sized pink ones. Have never heard of white, yellow, purple? Miss the starfruit at my childhood (now my sister's) home.
Adorable chicks! Thanks for sharing, and can't wait to see the full feathering.
@kurby22 , so glad for everyone being alive and accounted for. What a memorable day for you. Bad Koda! Looks like a rascal. I was so glad my big dog was old and blind, or she would've had chicken dinner. Not that she didn't try to chomp one. Bent the fencing trying to get in.
Saw on YouTube that the latest scare articles are on the " eggs are bad for you" bit. We know that's not true. Seems part of the info says they can cause blood clots. And this just in the last couple years. Coincidence with something else new that showed up back then? Crazy! Egg prices are through the roof. Glad we have our safe supplies, and @tropical Babies, many good customers. Mine are sold almost as fast as they can be laid. Got 6 today. How many layers do you all have? I only have 14, 2-3 finishing molts.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Ok so ladies, I have a lot to catch you up on. My days have been so busy. I constantly doing something and have little to no down time anymore. Hopefully things get better soon.

I have hatching eggs coming. I have an incubator with air circulation, automatic turner, humidity and temp display. The water fill is also done on the outside so I don’t have to open the incubator.

Can I please get some tips on how to do this? I have done some reading. I do know that I need to let them rest for 24 hours before putting them in. Do I need to wash the eggs at this point? I mean mom hens can’t but I did read that they needed to be, just didn’t make since so thought I would ask that one. I will take any other advice. I don’t plan on checking them a lot but do plan on maybe day 7-10 to see if they are developing.

Thank you all in advance.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Ok so ladies, I have a lot to catch you up on. My days have been so busy. I constantly doing something and have little to no down time anymore. Hopefully things get better soon.

I have hatching eggs coming. I have an incubator with air circulation, automatic turner, humidity and temp display. The water fill is also done on the outside so I don’t have to open the incubator.

Can I please get some tips on how to do this? I have done some reading. I do know that I need to let them rest for 24 hours before putting them in. Do I need to wash the eggs at this point? I mean mom hens can’t but I did read that they needed to be, just didn’t make since so thought I would ask that one. I will take any other advice. I don’t plan on checking them a lot but do plan on maybe day 7-10 to see if they are developing.

Thank you all in advance.

How exciting! What brand did you get?

No washing before incubating... they're more likely to die if you do wash them. You can brush off any dirt with a dry brush or towel.

You don't have to let them sit 24 hours unless they're shipped eggs. You can let them sit up to ten days before putting in the incubator but the older the egg the less chance of it hatching...I tend to stick to no older then seven days. Stored eggs waiting to go into the incubator should be kept cool but not cold. Correct temps in the 60's if I remember right. I store eggs for hatching in our ferment fridge at 68°.

Candle and remove any eggs that aren't growing or died early. I candle every four days to a week. Live eggs have visible blood vessels and movement.

3 days before hatch, stop turning or remove the eggs to a hatcher so the chicks can position right. I keep a hatching box in mine and move the eggs to it if I have different aged eggs in the incubator. If they're all the same age then just turn off the turner.

Let the chicks dry and fluff before moving to the brooder.

Have fun with your new incubator!

 

[TropicalBabies]

Days wrapped up and I'm relaxing with the little black and white chicks . Another hatched so that's three like that from this group. I know the dad is blue Brie, but not sure on the mom and my genetics knowledge isn't good enough to look and know anything. But I'm enjoying watching their feathers come in and the excuse to snuggle the chicks...lol. I'm wondering if this is splash without mahogany genes though. Kirin is splash with mahogany I think.

Snug is definitely tri-color but not like any chick I've hatched yet. I'm used to brown where Snug has white and white where Snug has brown. View attachment 3393166View attachment 3393167
The second one that hatched is named Bug ands has black coming in heavy. Think it's also going to carry a little brown. It's gone from silvery backed to kinda agouti looking on the back.View attachment 3393168
The third is too young still. It's the cutest yet and a little different markings from the other two. View attachment 3393169
Now what to name the third little tyke?

Gorgeous babies. Thank you for posting as it will be fun seeing what becomes of these babies ♡♡♡

 

[kurby22]

Ok so ladies, I have a lot to catch you up on. My days have been so busy. I constantly doing something and have little to no down time anymore. Hopefully things get better soon.

I have hatching eggs coming. I have an incubator with air circulation, automatic turner, humidity and temp display. The water fill is also done on the outside so I don’t have to open the incubator.

Can I please get some tips on how to do this? I have done some reading. I do know that I need to let them rest for 24 hours before putting them in. Do I need to wash the eggs at this point? I mean mom hens can’t but I did read that they needed to be, just didn’t make since so thought I would ask that one. I will take any other advice. I don’t plan on checking them a lot but do plan on maybe day 7-10 to see if they are developing.

Thank you all in advance.

I agree with all that @ChicksnMore said and will add a couple things. I don't pull any eggs until they are about 10 days developed, JUST in case! Definitely do not wash them, as it will allow them to be open to bacteria that may accidentally get into the incubator from handling. Always wash your hands before handling them to reduce the transfer of potential bacteria.

To avoid any chances at splay leg, I buy the kitchen cupboard liners that have holes in them but are a non-slippery surface. Cut to the size of the incubator and when you go into lockdown, add this liner under the eggs. Splay leg generally happens when they slide around first out of the egg when humidity is super high and moisture is all around.

I candle at 3-4 days, 10 days, 15 days, and then again at 20 if no pips yet. Once there are pips, I keep things closed and impatiently wait. Keep an eye on the air cells. Since they are shipped eggs, I don't start the turning process until about day 4--this way if there are detached air cells it gives them time to reattach. What I often do, is put them in a cut down egg carton to fit into the incubator, pointy side down for the first 4 days. This was a tip from others who hatch a LOT so I opted to do the same. Super saddled air cells look scary and terrible, but I have hatched several healthy chicks from some of the ugliest air cells, so don't give up on them just because of it.

Also you should join the February HAL so you can post all the pictures as the weeks progress and ask others when you have questions. Many of these folks have hatched a bunch and can help a lot. I am in this HAL because I decided to check the fertility in my show d'Anvers. I am also paranoid now of losing roosters, so I want babies from them just in case I lose the roosters...ya know...like yesterday when I almost lost Mr. Ball and Ariana Sushi! Mr. Ball is a quality Wyandotte roo and SO gentle...I want that DNA to stick around man.

 

[kurby22]

Ok. Knowing everyone is okay it is all a pretty funny story that you can tell at parties. Just have a few cocktails before you do so you don't cry lol

Hard to stay mad at a face like that. No wonder he was out causing trouble

Mmhmm, he’s a very naughty! But it’s truly hard to stay mad at that face! And there’s not a mark on him so my guess is he thought it was a fun game of “chase the birdie” Definitely had a couple cocktails

 

[kurby22]

Days wrapped up and I'm relaxing with the little black and white chicks . Another hatched so that's three like that from this group. I know the dad is blue Brie, but not sure on the mom and my genetics knowledge isn't good enough to look and know anything. But I'm enjoying watching their feathers come in and the excuse to snuggle the chicks...lol. I'm wondering if this is splash without mahogany genes though. Kirin is splash with mahogany I think.

Snug is definitely tri-color but not like any chick I've hatched yet. I'm used to brown where Snug has white and white where Snug has brown. View attachment 3393166View attachment 3393167
The second one that hatched is named Bug ands has black coming in heavy. Think it's also going to carry a little brown. It's gone from silvery backed to kinda agouti looking on the back.View attachment 3393168
The third is too young still. It's the cutest yet and a little different markings from the other two. View attachment 3393169
Now what to name the third little tyke?

That feather pattern does look a lot like splash…but it looks like very faint tannish brown too—more like a calico without the mahogany color. I’m a big fan!! Almost like a silver d’Uccle