Maine

[lazy gardener]

Thanks for a timely and wise warning Suz. I worked Saturday, and the SNF that I was working at was a flu extravaganza. Lots of folks being admitted due to contracting it at home and being overcome. Residents coming down with it. And yet they haven't closed it to visitors yet. They really should, as those elderly folks don't need folks bringing it in from the community as well. Yes, all, Extra vitamin C, lots of liquids to stay ahead of the game just in case you do end up getting sick.

 

[buckabucka]

I think I must have just had a bad cold, because I was able to go back to work today. I can't say I felt great, but my fever is done. At school we have the flu, some nasty colds, and a vomiting bug all going around at once. I did get the 8-week bronchitis in late October, so I know about that one!

I am super vigilant about hand washing and never touching my face, but when you have close contact with 550 young children per week and they start coughing or sneezing on you, it's a bit of a losing battle. I did have a class with only one student out sick, but some classes have as many as ten kids absent with sickness!

In chicken related news, I lined up some hatching eggs to arrive hopefully in time for an April 1st set date. We had 6 eggs here today, -our biggest daily total since late November.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I think I must have just had a bad cold, because I was able to go back to work today. I can't say I felt great, but my fever is done. At school we have the flu, some nasty colds, and a vomiting bug all going around at once. I did get the 8-week bronchitis in late October, so I know about that one!

I am super vigilant about hand washing and never touching my face, but when you have close contact with 550 young children per week and they start coughing or sneezing on you, it's a bit of a losing battle. I did have a class with only one student out sick, but some classes have as many as ten kids absent with sickness!

In chicken related news, I lined up some hatching eggs to arrive hopefully in time for an April 1st set date. We had 6 eggs here today, -our biggest daily total since late November.

What kinda eggs did you get?

 

[buckabucka]

Golden cuckoo Marans (again). Same bird, different source.
This time, maybe I won't hatch all cockerels.

 

[buckabucka]

Anyone have exchequer leghorn eggs?

 

[lazy gardener]

No, but that sounds like fun. They'd throw black sex linked chicks, I bet! I wonder if they come with a rose comb??? I like my rose comb brown leghorns, but one of them lays rubber eggs.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Golden cuckoo Marans (again). Same bird, different source.
This time, maybe I won't hatch all cockerels.

You should let me hatch them in winter. I'm really good at getting girls.

The later in the season I hatch --> boys.

 

[Cknldy]

That's hilarious! I had a guy call after I sold my SS trio wanting the roo. Same guy had bought hatching eggs in early summer then bought more SS chicks from my stock end of summer. He said every one of them turned out to be females! I've never heard anyone complain about NOT getting males until now

 

[IZZYBELLA]

You should let me hatch them in winter. I'm really good at getting girls.

The later in the season I hatch --> boys.

How many years have you noticed this trend? Do you think this is a coincidence, or a commentary on girls being stronger? ;-) I suppose if you are hatching in an incubator it wouldn't have anything to do with the latter...

My broody, being the teenage mother that she is (haha), has not succeeded. She kicked out the second egg two days ago, but she is still sitting. I think I need to try to break her, because she is starting to lose weight. I'm thinking of just going in several times a day and picking her up off the nest and blocking off the area she has chosen. Any suggestions? I don't want to be inhumane to her, but I also don't want her to get weak in this cold...

 

[islandgirl82]

I had read somewhere and can't remember for the life of me where but that the temperature the eggs are kept prior to incubation effects the boy : girl ratio when they hatch. If that's true, then it would seem that eggs laid/stored during cooler temperatures have a greater chance at becoming females.

The only egg I've ever tried to hatch turned out to be a male: hatch day 6/8/14 after it sat on my kitchen counter for a week prior to being put in the incubator and I don't remember what the temps were like then but I do remember it being very sunny so likely rather warm in my kitchen. There were two other chicks that hatched during that incubation from another keeper (in my son's kindergarten class) and at least one is female (whom I also have). The third chick was a silkie and I have no idea what it turned out to be or any details about how long it had been from lay date to incubation for those two chicks.

There are so many variables to a study like that but it would definitely be an interesting one to undertake!