How long now Auntie Mo????

[Flummery]

Just come online for the first time today - what lovely news. I did have a good 'Ahhh' at the photos too.

[MaureenHall]

I think the latest one is another girl so that 5 girls 2 boys (if the markings are right!). Is it the girls that get their tail feathers first?

[lynda66]

They are now in a specially made wooden box next to the puter........tweeting like mad and trying to fly. Only one of them, the first one out, has a tuft on his tail and he's a bully. If he aint a cockerel he's a heck of a foisty female..........not to be messed with I would think!

pingu was like that, i was convinced she was a boy .... but nope she's a lovely sweet girly now ... and the flying thing is the reason i got a babies playpen, they will be all over the place in a few days

[lynda66]

There's 5 eggs left in the incubator none pipped so I decided to carefully candle them. I think (pretty certain) that 4 are duds because I can almost see through them. The other one might be ok, so I'll wait till late tomorrow evening to see if anything's happening there. 7 out of 12 virtually straight from the breeder (via the auction) isn't as good as I would have thought but as they only cost me £3.50 and no postage, so it's not bad is it

but that's my point, you got 7 straight from the breeder, so that shows really that the postage didn't really affect them, but also that it's probably better to wait till mid spring to get decent fertility ... it could still be the time of year.

[lynda66]

I think the latest one is another girl so that 5 girls 2 boys (if the markings are right!). Is it the girls that get their tail feathers first?

supposedly, but if you remember buttercup had tail feathers starting the same time as the girls too (though they are different breeds) so maybe same breeds makes a difference, but even at 13 weeks ... i'm still not sure about elvira, she looks soooo girly lol

[FionaH]

I missed this. Congrats, they are really cute

[MaureenHall]

but that's my point, you got 7 straight from the breeder, so that shows really that the postage didn't really affect them, but also that it's probably better to wait till mid spring to get decent fertility ... it could still be the time of year.

I hadn't thought about the time of year thing, yes that could definitely be a factor couldn't it.

All babies are now standing up (how the heck did they ever fit in that shell?????) and eating and drinking and pooing, so I think all's well.

[Snadger]

Snadger did your Light Sussex have spots on there heads or were white and not yellow?????

I have one with dark on its nut and one, the first born who is huge, has a tail, and is a bully!

Why do you ask?

[MaureenHall]

Guess what!!!!! I can hear cheeping from the last (I think) fertile egg in the incubator! Not pipped yet though

[lynda66]

ooooooooo that's exciting, come on little baby

[MaureenHall]

It's so exciting It's pipped now and I can see its little beak. It'll be here by morning, I'm off to bed! I honestly didn't think that there'd be a difference of around 96 hours between the first one pipping to the last one hatching. The others are all running around, eating, drinking, pooing for England! They're lovely though

[MaureenHall]

I'm very pleased to announce that Hebe, the last of the babies hatched during the night. My "swing the ring" testing before hatching was a load of carp! I won't be doing that seriously again, but it's a bit of fun. All 8 look as if they're doing well

[Suechooks]

That's great! Looking forward to seeing and hearing about their progress! Keep that camera clicking!

[SarzWix]

Ooooh, Auntie Mo! I didn't think that last one was coming So their little moment of being too hot didn't do any harm then.
What do you think you've got then girls/boys? Will you be able to keep a cockeral, or do they have to be rehomed?
So 'cited for all of you with little chicks...

[HayleyB]

8, wow that was good from 12. How many boys/girls? It's great when you know because of colour