TLDR: My birds are derived from several breeds known for free range ability and have always done well in my particular area.
I think there are probably many ways to approach the goal of creating an ideal chicken for your area. Just go with traits you like and be willing to cull traits you...
Hi there,
This is a topic I have a lot of interest in, so I'll share my experience. In 2013, I started a free range flock that involved a thai aseel rooster, and hens of these breeds: Thai Aseel, Old English Game Bantam, Egyptian Fayoumi, Silver Phoenix, and an assortment of laying breeds whose...
The head and neck are a little strange in shape, maybe contributing to its inability to hatch. It does seem to be a chicken chick though. It has a small pea comb and resembles its siblings.
And that's that. When I candled this morning, the embryo had died. I opened it up and discovered a full-term, normal looking chick with a partially absorbed yolk. It had not managed to get its head into the right position to pip. Maybe if I'd stepped in yesterday, I could have helped, but quite...
I'll do my best to give you the short version:
I set nine liege fighter eggs from GFF under a broody hen 31 days ago on March 1st, and 3 in an incubator. By day 20 I was down to 9 eggs, all now under the hen. On day 21, 8 healthy chicks hatched. I moved the remaining egg to the incubator on day...
RcoM, these phoenix crosses are incredibly persistent broodies! I've had them hatch chicks in the woods with a 100% hatch rate even after a big rain storm (I found the nests after)! Also in the hay loft, under the deck, and in any secret place they can find. This hen seemed to go right back into...
Final update for those interested:
The broody hen has continued to sit steadily through the last week. She is now louse-free and the LF eggs started to hatch in the incubator yesterday. She has accepted the interlopers just fine- a happy outcome for all!
The five serama chicks are healthy and...
Nah, I just had always assumed the cold in the fridge injured the germinal disk in some way, but eggs are resilient. That's why I candled them anyway. I've owned and hatched chickens for 18 years, but this year I am incorporating chickens into my educational curriculum (I'm an environmental...
The hen is still sitting tight and, oops, her five well-refrigerated eggs are all developing (I thought that viability went way down after a week or two in the fridge but I guess not!?)
I noticed she has a few lice, so I am waiting for an order of Elector PSP to come in to treat her before I...
All five chicks have hatched and are adapting to brooder life. I took them away last night after all were dried off and swapped them for refrigerator eggs. So far mama is sitting tight.
Thank you Ridgerunner, you've given me a lot to think about. I waffled for too long on this and missed my window to swap the eggs yesterday I think. So I will go ahead and do the following:
I'll pull the serama chicks as they hatch and move them to a brooder. I'll put several eggs from the...