From Egg to Hatch

effect of xray radiation

feeds@yuku.com (dasmah) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:20:35 GMT

hi, Wondering if any one knows effect of xray radiation from security scanners on eggs? Thanks

New Chick

feeds@yuku.com (treegod) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:04:45 GMT

We have a new arrival, this little chick...

I lifted the front end of the hen up, saw the unhatched egg when all of a sudden I got a fright from a small fluffy ball falling from under the wing of the hen!
The first of four, the other three are still unhatched but there are signs of them hatching.
I think this one may be male, the comb is quite distinct already. Its sire...

Egg without air sac?

feeds@yuku.com (treegod) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:29:19 GMT

So I candled an egg where the air sac should be but it wasn't there! However, I went around the "waist" of the egg and found it in a very odd position, not on the side but diagonal. Why does this happen?
Something is developing inside, though I don't know if the air sac's position will effect it in some way.

I think it's an egg that was layed by one of our big hens but is smaller than it should be, she has a habit of sometimes producing eggs with...

Talking of Experiments...

feeds@yuku.com (treegod) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:06:28 GMT

All I can say is if you're buying eggs to incubate, be careful where you buy them from!
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090825/tsc-canadian-scientist-aims-to-turn-chic-c2ff8aa.html

the chickens and the bees

feeds@yuku.com (Handsome Ron) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:19:20 GMT

I have 14 hens from 6 months old to almost 2 years old, and 2 roosters. The hens are all duel purpose birds and the roos are a barred rock named Studly Hungwell and a little silkie named Handsome Ron. I took the roosters in about 3 months ago and have not seen any "activity" between them and the hens and have had no fertilized eggs yet. I really wanted to hatch some chicks so my kids could watch. Any ideas why nature has not taken its course yet?

Thanks in advance

Hatch More Hens Strategies!

feeds@yuku.com (treegod) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:43:31 GMT

Want to improve the chances of getting more hens than cockerels BEFORE hatching? Well yes, I would.

I have heard a few things that may or may not improve the chances of getting more hens and not so many cockerels before hatching, if you can believe it! That certainly would be useful to me, we're not into killing them and there may be limits as to how many we can give away or sell. We certainly can't keep them! One option is to leave them out in the wild and apease Mr Fox,...

Oh dear... was it me?

feeds@yuku.com (treegod) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:11:27 GMT

I said on another thread that the three eggs I'd been expecting weren't successful. I've been trying to figure out what might have happened, and I'm led to the thought that it might have been my intervention.
Twig had a clutch of eggs before these, but the nest box was in the wrong place in the coop and got pulverised (one day they were there the next day they'd disappeared). Twig had been laying these for a few days already and moved onto another nest under which...

Time of day you set eggs....

feeds@yuku.com (BeckT) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:06:55 GMT

I am trying to determin the day my broodys eggs should start hatching. I set the first 2 late in the day so did not count that day, the other 2 were given to her 2 days apart. How much of an effect will this have on hatching. If they hatch will they that many days apart? I've never done this before so am not sure. The other eggs that I had hatch were a surprise so I never counted days. Today is day 21 for the first 2. The broody is still sitting, but then she has been broody all summer...

Too many roosters!

feeds@yuku.com (treegod) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:03:32 GMT

I seem to have a disproportionate amount of males to females. Last year we successfully hatched 6 chicks, 5 of which were male. This year we have three chicks (so far) two of which are male and the third is female. Could there be some factor that influences the balance of males and females hatched?

Also what do you do with the excess males that are hatched?

Late hatching?

feeds@yuku.com (treegod) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:02:30 GMT

I just want to know what's the latest you've had eggs hatching? I have eggs that had a broody hen start sitting on them today, so if everything goes well they'll hatch at the end of this month and have their "chickhood" in September. I live in NE Spain so Septembers are fairly mild.
The traditional image is that chicks appear in spring, but how natural is this?

Ordered eggs - seramas...

feeds@yuku.com (dsacco) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:36:37 GMT

I'm taking a chance..... but my daughter wants a couple of "The World's Smallest Chickens" and so since I won an eggbid auction - what the heck. Joe just looked at me... and sighed..... but he'll live.

The incubator is working just fine after a 1+ year break and it had a good hatch rate for the 4-H Fair this past week - just have to tweek the temp up a little for these eggs. We shall see.....

But Joe did have to admit that it would be a really...

Got eggs hatching!

feeds@yuku.com (SamG347) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:19:20 GMT

Well I had some Coturnix Quail eggs in the bator that I thought were due last Thursday....well turns out tonight when I went up to pull the plug I shinned the light in and LOADS of eggs pipping!
Will update with how many hatch tomorrow!
All are destined for sale wednesday!

Bator problems or is it me?

feeds@yuku.com (18hens) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:36:16 GMT

I got a Little Giant incubator as a gift. My first attempt at hatching was a big goose egg. I tried my own eggs and none were fertile and I have 3 roosters (maybe too old). I tried again and I bought 2 doz "fertile hatch eggs" from the feed mill ( got 26) and out of that many 11 were infertile. 4 hatched on day 22 and 4 more on day 24. 1 tried on day 25 but after 24 hrs it wasn't close to being out - did not peep so I kind of helped it and it died shortly afterwards. Is...

Broody Hen!! - New development post #36

feeds@yuku.com (Iplayfarmer) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:39:23 GMT

I joined a long time ago, but don't post very much. I'm pretty shy, especially when I don't know people. I posted this on my facebook page, but no one was interested, so I thought I'd post it here. I figured people here would understand my excitement. I have a broody hen!!!

I have buff orpingtons and have been waiting and hoping for one of them to go broody. A few times I thought I had one, but she wasn't good and broody and I wasn't sure where to put...

pray for this lil eggie

feeds@yuku.com (AnnaXLA1) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:16:41 GMT

I found a hen that stole a nest in the eves of the barn cause there was peeping going on welll there was one egg that is pretty smashed some shell is missing and the membrane is broke with some blood on it but omg the peep was moving inside I think it is close to hatching but not really sure I put the egg on a wet wash clothe with the smashed side down in the incubator, so now I have to wait and see this is gonna be along couple of days

Need Reference Material for...

feeds@yuku.com (speckledhen) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:36:38 GMT

I know I read somewhere that if you have a temp spike in the incubator, that more males than females will survive that. I cannot find it for the life of me! Anyone recall where that is?

Fertile eggs question...

feeds@yuku.com (scstables) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:21:11 GMT

I decided to set 8 silkie eggs from my two new silkie hens in the incubator. After a week, four developed, but the other 4 didn't. Is this normal for silkies since they have such fluffy butts? lol.

Any how, I had my incubator set up in my tack room in the barn as when three chicks hatched under my gray araucana hen, she abandoned the rest of the eggs. So what I did was put those eggs into the incubator and I did manage to save one chick that was 4 days away from hatch....

Nine eggs from AI in the incubator

feeds@yuku.com (jimnjay) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:56:18 GMT

My Duster, Frizzled Cochin, has not figured out the mating process yet and he is two. I found out that the breeder uses AI almost exclusively so I decided if I wanted chicks I would have to learn how. There is a Utube Video out there on Artificial Insemination for chickens. I set the first 4 to test them and 1 was developing so I saved up these nine from two girls and I am hoping for some new Sizzles. I will keep everyone. or anyone who drop in on this forum, posted on the progress

Jeepers Creepers we've got peepers!

feeds@yuku.com (Homegirl) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:20:06 GMT

Ms. Bette has introduced her brood to the outside world.... All eggs hatched, we have 9, two yellow, the rest black, some with light bellies.... I don't need to tell you all how cute they are! Here is their debut. Ellen

I have grandchickens!!!!!!!

feeds@yuku.com (Homegirl) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:58:57 GMT

My first chicken, a wanderer from the neighbor's house, laid eggs in my shed...I went to check on her, and I heard one little guy peeping!!!!! Any advice will be greatly appreciated..... I guess I am supposed to leaver her alone til hatching is over... She had food, water, banana and a fence to keep the babies in. More secure housing is set up after hatch..... Cripes, this is...