What's in your flock?

[Ridgerunner]

I was worried about rooster activity too. Not just the cold but he's fairly young. I had 2 duds out of 28 and two others that quit around two weeks so he was doing his job. Right now I have 21 chicks out of the 24 eggs and two of those three have pipped. Hopefully I can get photos later today.

 

[Kassaundra]

I was worried about rooster activity too. Not just the cold but he's fairly young. I had 2 duds out of 28 and two others that quit around two weeks so he was doing his job. Right now I have 21 chicks out of the 24 eggs and two of those three have pipped. Hopefully I can get photos later today.

 

[catjac1975]

I was worried about rooster activity too. Not just the cold but he's fairly young. I had 2 duds out of 28 and two others that quit around two weeks so he was doing his job. Right now I have 21 chicks out of the 24 eggs and two of those three have pipped. Hopefully I can get photos later today.

Those are great results! What kind of incubator do you use?

 

[Ridgerunner]

The old Hovabator 1588 with the lousy dipstick controls.

Another one made it out. I'm up to 22. I don't plan to put them in the brooder until tomorrow morning so I'll leave the last two eggs in, but I'm thinking the hatch is over. It's my best hatch in an incubator with chicken eggs. I once got 5 for 5 with shipped turkey eggs. Go figure. Of course nothing can touch a broody hen.

My wife's niece is visiting. I told her she's the one responsible for the good hatch. She was watching when two of them popped out.

 

[baymule]

MORE BABIES!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

This hatch is over. Final count I put 28 eggs in the incubator Wednesday February 5. I took 4 out at lockdown on Sunday February 23, two not fertile and 2 quit around 14 days. I woke up Tuesday morning with three chicks.


Of the 24 I left in, 23 hatched, so that’s 23 out of 28 eggs or 82 percent. The one that quit was fully formed and in the right position for internal pip but it did not quite make it. The yolk was mostly but not all the way absorbed.

That's my wife's niece's hands. Mine sure don't look like that.

There are a few surprises here, a red chick and a blonde chick I did not expect. I'm anxious to see how they feather out.

 

[Smart Red]

Shame on you! All this talk about hatches and baby chicks is wearing me down. I did the (nearly) unforgivable today. I picked up a chick flyer from my local feed store. Only three more weeks to order. No, no, no! I need more chickens like I need to be laying my own eggs.

Ridgerunner, those are some cute fuzzies! I saw an incubator for only $45 today. . . . I wonder if I could hide another coop in the back 40?

 

[catjac1975]

There are not too many things cuter than baby chicks.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Nice assortment of multi-colored cottonballs Ridge.

I like the ones with the banding on their backs. In an outside situation I bet that those would act similarly to a chipmunk's stripes, camouflaging them from aerial predators. Those must originate from some of the European breeds.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

There are not too many things cuter than baby chicks.

Baby ducks? Newly hatched goslings?