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Aaaaaawwwwwwww Bless, they're so sweeeeeet! 
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All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative. -
Agree with Sue. Leave it be and just take the chicks out as they become ready for the brooder. I don't think chicks notice the smell anyway.
And Sue, those chicks are really cute. What great pics.Comment
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Wow Sue, what a clever mummy. 6 out of 6. Certainly seems a lot easier when a broody does all the work.
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chicks. millions of the things... I am not happy, I went to light my fag and the lighter had been fiddled with by my teenage son and set on flame thrower mode, have just lost my eye lashes. Air went blue with what I threatened to do to him.........kids!!!!!and yes, yes blar blar, I should stop smoking but there you go....Comment
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Petal this is 'Chook Chat' not the 'Rant' thread!
Bladdy funny though...
All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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thought you would like it! chickens were listening, so it is relevant!Comment
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How are the Orps doing G4? How many did you get in the end?Comment
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I was wondering that too!Originally posted by RichmondHens View Post
I'm somewhat fed up - my lavender Araucanas who are now almost 9 weeks old have from ealy on looked as if there were 4 boys and 1 girl. Disappointing in itself but this morning the one I've thought was a girl started crowing! So out of 12 blue eggs 10 hatched - 8 boys 2 girls and 1 of the girls died the first day! So I'm now left with 1 Cream Legbar girl!Comment
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Oh Sue how disappointing for you. I wonder whether there is some truth in the saying that the later you hatch the more hens you get. I had similar experiences with my legbars two years ago. Are you up to setting some more now to see if you get more girls? I too hatched almost entirely cocks with my first three sittings this Spring. I only have two pullets that will mature in time to lay in the autumn/winter. The later hatches though are looking more half and half, and the four bantam chicks I hatched from my old girl are all pullets!
I may do an experiment next year as I will be breeding my own using one of the little cocks I hatched earlier this year. I'll set some early Spring and some in the summer, and see what ratio of cocks to hens I get at the different times of year.Last edited by RichmondHens; 15-06-2011, 07:49 AM.Comment
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I did get 2 Barnevelder girls out of 3 hatched at the same time as the Legbars Sally but its just the blue egg layers I can't seem to get! 1st lot 2 years ago had coughs and also he gave me 2 cockerels so all went back, second lot were stolen 10 days after I got them then last years 2 legbar girls had Mareks and both died so this was my 4th attempt!
I'll regroup after the Marans and Orpingtons are sexed and in their grown-up coop and decide what I've got space for - I may hatch again at the back end of year or just buy in a couple of pullets.Comment
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good news - the duck eggs I popped in the incubator after their mummy Daisy the silver appleyard duck got murdered by the fox - well they have all hatched! 10 fluffies!!!!!Comment
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Well, after all the faffing about, I now have 6 Orpington Chicks in the Brooder; 2 Buff and 4 Jubilee. We candled the eggs, and fertility was low (my opinion) at 50 per cent. I suspect that the low hatch rate was caused by humidity irregularities. I'll be remedying this in time for the next batch... All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.Comment
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I felt that the non-hatchers in my previous incubator could be due to humidity/temperature probs as I always turned them 5 times a day and hence dropped the humidity each time. I was getting at least 1 or 2DIS. I think I was guilty of messing about too much as well (candling just to see the development)!Originally posted by Glutton4... View Post
My new automatic incy doesn't actually need to have the lid opened at all during incubation time as water is added though an outside chamber. I only candled twice and eventually had 100% hatch rate of all eggs which were fertile. Could be coincidence but I'm convinced! Mind you I could be trying to justify the expense of the new incy!
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I'm sure your incy is well worth the expense Sue. Don't doubt it for a moment!
My Dad always told me to leave the eggs alone totally, and not touch them at all, except to lift the hen on day 18 for a quick spray to up humidity. Then not disturb the hen again until she gets off the nest to take her chicks outside. If he found a hen sitting on a nest under a hedge or other secret place he would not move it for its safety (which I do) but leave it in situ as he claimed the eggs wouldn't hatch if disturbed. I think sometimes this may be the case, but I have moved eggs around quite a lot in the course of incubation, especially when faced with power failures and they have hatched regardless.
Careful handling plays a part, as does the health of the egg/embryo to start with - there are just so many things to consider. G4, you still have 6 fluffy bundles, and I think you may be quite relieved in the months to come that you didn't get the full 23!!Comment
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Since I haven't hatched this year
I have brought everyone out of the breeding pens into the main run... all the cockerels are getting on fine (3 of them) and except for a Barnevelder girl who is a big bully, all the girls are OK too.
Am just deciding who to enter into the local agri shows in July and August.... am thinking Vorwerk girl and boy, Welsummer girl and Barnevelder girl
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