I know I’ll figure the answer out in due time but would you say this is a head spot indicating baring? From a GLW hen and a Cornish cross x (SLW x BJG) who may or may not have baring.
Compared to its full sibling
And would you say this is a pea comb or rose comb? I’m leaning towards pea comb...
The last two eggs in the first bunch have hatched. Had to help the SLW chick and it’s still a little iffy. Little guy got the sticky goop all over itself and it may have a bit of a leg problem. I’ll baby it for a while and hope it survives. Right now it is still in the incubator.
Finished...
Results are coming in on my breeding project but as always some things don't always go to plan. My hatch bags were not the stiffer plastic produce bags but rather the soft mesh that oranges come in, ones easily torn. Long story short some chicks wiggled their way out of a hole and got mixed up...
I love the beginning of hatching but dread the end of it as that’s where the problems pop up. One large fowl mix hatched too soon or perhaps it just wasn’t absorbing the yolk properly but either way I tried keeping it still in a whiskey glass with a wet paper towel so it had a chance. Poor thing...
I think it is time to admit my soft mesh hatch bags that I repaired with thread are a failure and I’ve already lost track of a few. Another 4 chicks hatched overnight. The first I was able to band and then there’s 3 others, a barred rock, light brahma mix and a large fowl mix. 2 were not in a...
Up to 10 so far, one still fluffing up and one zipping away. No Wyandotte chicks yet but I see some GLW eggs are pipped. I’m sure I’ll be up a few times throughout the night banding newly hatched chicks and pushing chicks back under the heat plate when they inevitably wander away from it.
As...
Chicks be hatching! Woke up to peeping at 7am and now it's nearing midnight with 10 chicks in the brooder. 19 eggs left in the incubator, 4 of which are a few days behind. Hoping to get about 25 total.
Also discovered a new quail has begun laying, now if I can get one more girl from the group...
They should all be Junior’s unless a hen stored the goods from another roo for over 5 weeks.
5 more hatched while I was at work, 2 light brahma crosses (who did not have feathered legs), 2 barred rocks and one barred/laced. Unfortunately one barred rock and the barred/laced chick escaped the...
I’ll keep that in mind when the 2 shipped eggs hatch (hopefully Monday). Weird that a yellow chick can turn into a fully colored bird! The more ya know.
A large fowl mix just hatched and it looks blue which is something I wasn’t expecting. Chick looks to have a rose comb so no way it’s from...
Woke up to chirping and the first one out is a light brahma mix. White with feathered feet. Banded and drying off outside the hatch bag. I’ll punch toes when I put them in the brooder.
More pips and from what I can see there’s a large fowl mix that will also be white.
We have at least 2 pips! Of course it’s the farthest ones away from the viewing window, large fowl mix or LBx eggs.
Glad I emptied out the shed brooder but I didn’t set up the brooder for inside yet. A task for tomorrow morning. I’ll be putting the last 4 eggs in lockdown tomorrow too. I...
Kicked the 4 chicks out today. They are in the meat bird pen for now. So far they haven’t left the shack but I’m sure they find their way into the run soon enough.
The brothers from my barred rock and blue EE roo.
Then the two pullets, Isbar and royal Sussex. The Sussex is by far the most...
The big plastic tote is set up and the quail are currently settling in. I don’t want to bother them too much as I know they are terrified. It isn’t pretty but it will work for now. I doubt it is 100% rain proof but it should be a little better with the minor adjustments I made with some hot glue...
I’ll have to wait and see how they do in their permanent setup before deciding if I like them. So far they’ve been incredibly easy to raise. Maturing so fast is definitely a pro it if I were to raise a bunch for meat. I’d like to see about getting real jumbo quail as I’m not convinced these one...
It is officially high time to move the quail out of the brooder. Was not expecting eggs this soon but here they are! One day shy of 6 weeks which seems early to me. I know what I’ll be doing on my day off tomorrow, assuming the rain holds off.
I am noticing the chicks are staying away from...
A bit cramped for space but it should be fine. Left the BBSW egg out, that will probably be my main candling candidate to tract progress. Going for 60-70% humidity.
Lock down tomorrow! All but the 2 shipped eggs and 2 of my own (LFx and B/L #6's) I added at the same time will be going into the spare incubator. I've already wrote down and figured out how I will be marking them too.
I have 5 bags and 7 groups. LF mix and LBx eggs will be going in the same...
I think this is my third year too. We get the occasional small meat spot but once I had an egg with a bunch of blood in it. Along with soft shells, no shells and one fairy egg that was about as weird as it got in the egg department. I chalk most of the egg issues up to new layers. Haven’t had a...