What did you do with your flock today?

[ChicksnMore]

Hope moms eyes have settled. My dh is on drops for life. He got shingles in the head and they were slow to find and slow to help. Damage was done by the time we switched docs. Bad business for my honey ☹ Best of luck with mom ❤

Her eyes are just starting to feel better . Your poor hubby. Eye pain has to be the worst I'd think. Any other part of your body you can rest a bit as needed. Hard to live while resting your eyes though.

My cement pedestals are one of my better ideas that is forsure. I want to mosaic them- at least my new ones. Maybe use them for plants...?
Cement was slow to set. Maybe cool weather, maybe bad mix, we usually do the 3 part instead of the readymix. DH is usually lighter on the cement than I am and I always worry about the integrity of his batches lol (women should rule the world). Anywho, where to find the time...???View attachment 3394209

Yes on women! Your pedestals look great. Love the mosaic thought too!

 

[TropicalBabies]

Eye pain has to be the worst I'd think.

Agreed! My DH is a trooper. Bless his heart. I do get mad at him for being so accident prone, I guess that is how my fear translates. Though can not help with the eyes and shingles ... slowing down and paying better attention would serve him well. Well, he is my klutz and a keeper despite his (many) injuries

 

[TropicalBabies]

The d'uccles are back at it...and gave me all 3 in same nest box today! Whereas yesterday they each used different ones

At least they are remaining flexible I hate when I have 4 hens waiting and screaming at one girl in one nest box when there are 8 other empty boxes. It is all a great big wonderful Easter egg hunt in the end

 

[ChicksnMore]

At least they are remaining flexible I hate when I have 4 hens waiting and screaming at one girl in one nest box when there are 8 other empty boxes. It is all a great big wonderful Easter egg hunt in the end

My youngest has been caring for my dwarfs lately. They have six nests boxes. Yesterday she comes in with about two dozen eggs and says hey mom...I oopsed and was only checking one nest cause that's were they usually lay. Well, they started laying in every nest but that one!

 

[TropicalBabies]

My youngest has been caring for my dwarfs lately. They have six nests boxes. Yesterday she comes in with about two dozen eggs and says hey mom...I oopsed and was only checking one nest cause that's were they usually lay. Well, they started laying in every nest but that one!

Wow ♡ hearing that and looking at @kurby's 2 day bounty I think I'll skip checking my boxes for a few days. Like a triple shot, I need a jolt. Though I am pretty sure I can't make it without emptying my boxes, at least not on purpose. I'm still a chicken hoverer.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Any of you people use Kalmbach feed? What feed do you folks use?

 

[FBMcrazy8]

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!

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.

Thank you so much! I kept seeing how some people would mist the eggs before putting them in. I didn’t see the need to do that and since you guys haven’t said to I’m for sure not going to!

Part of some addition information I wanted to share with you all is that I have some new chickens. I have Ayam Cemani Rooster, a Pavlovskaya rooster and 2 hens, and then I got some Bantam Cochins, 2 hens and a rooster. Then to help with hens, I got 2 barn yard mix hens. They are cute too!

So, I bought hatching Ayam Cemani eggs. The lady I got them from didn’t have any available hens that she could sell. If these go well I will be buying Pavlovskaya eggs from the same lady. The Cochins are laying eggs so I have been saving them the last couple days to try to hatch.

In the picture in the back of my truck is an extra rooster who went to a friend. But these are the best pictures I have from what I have gotten. The first three are from the seller.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

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.

Btw I’m sorry you almost lost them. How are they doing now? I’m just having a moment to look through some of the posts and kind of catch up.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Any of you people use Kalmbach feed? What feed do you folks use?

I use Nutrena...it's what the local feed store sells so convenient for me. I think my birds do well on it. I get a few ancient birds and decent life span on the rest.

Thank you so much! I kept seeing how some people would mist the eggs before putting them in. I didn’t see the need to do that and since you guys haven’t said to I’m for sure not going to!

Part of some addition information I wanted to share with you all is that I have some new chickens. I have Ayam Cemani Rooster, a Pavlovskaya rooster and 2 hens, and then I got some Bantam Cochins, 2 hens and a rooster. Then to help with hens, I got 2 barn yard mix hens. They are cute too!

So, I bought hatching Ayam Cemani eggs. The lady I got them from didn’t have any available hens that she could sell. If these go well I will be buying Pavlovskaya eggs from the same lady. The Cochins are laying eggs so I have been saving them the last couple days to try to hatch.

In the picture in the back of my truck is an extra rooster who went to a friend. But these are the best pictures I have from what I have gotten. The first three are from the seller.

I had to google Pavlovskaya...what adorable goofballs! How fun for you ! So, are you going to keep the different breeds separate or do one big colorful mixed flock?

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I just got the eggs this morning! The box looks good and not smashed or anything crazy. I took the eggs out of the box and they all appear to be intact. She bubble wraps them and then puts them in a carton and then some bubble wrap around the carton and then newspaper to fill in the rest of the space. I haven’t opened the bubble wrap around the eggs yet but it looks promising. I can’t wait to hatch these guys!