Good Morning! 2019

[Jaye]

fingers crossed for those Brabanter eggs, @TomK . How many did you have set?

I had only one of the 4 Brabanter eggs that were fertile hatch out, but that was most likely due to incubator temp and humidity issues and "newbie to artificial incubation" errors.

[Ontario Chick]

we got to talking on chickens and such ..her small flock of mutts is getting older and she caught on that I had a small batch of BCMs, so asked me if I thought i had pure strain fertile eggs...now, the rooster is a randy sort and the girls are showing some wear and tear (actually enough that I am making some saddles for them) so I said yes, I was pretty sure that i had fertile eggs...so she had me collect a couple dozen over the last week or so...after i started collecting the eggs for her it occurred to me that my Brabanters were also producing what were probably fertile eggs too so I called her up and asked if she would incubate a small batch for me...in return I offered one of e dozen hatching eggs for free...well, we are in day three of incubation....... Here's hoping i get a few more pullets out of this attempt...and maybe a cockeral to spice things up a bit or for a potential sale...I will be on the lookout for another line of Brabanters in the meantime...and I will have to increase the BCM count as well...THOSE hens are beautiful...curious, even tempered and good producers...almost better than my rocks...almost...and on the topic of production, I am sorely disappointed with the production RIRs from Freys...nice enough looking birds but dont produce worth ...7 hens...maybe 2 eggs a day...same conditions as everyone else so I can only put it down to breeding...oh well...they will meet the big rotisserie in the sky soon...anyway...by next Monday I will know if any of these Brabanter eggs are growing...quite excited...

and that's what happens when you start talking to people about chickens....

[Killerbunny]

Good News this evening. Kathleen had been acting fidgety and hissy all day. This evening I see one little fuzzy with her! We'll see what the morning brings.

Update - 3!

[TomK]

fingers crossed for those Brabanter eggs, @TomK . How many did you have set?

I had only one of the 4 Brabanter eggs that were fertile hatch out, but that was most likely due to incubator temp and humidity issues and "newbie to artificial incubation" errors.

Jaye..at the moment i have only 7 eggs in the 'bator..adding a few more on the weekend

[WLLady]

okay duck experts.....incubation time for muscovies. i have 8 in the incubator right now....and internet says 31-35 days.....i candled yesterday and i think i have 2 quitters, but 6 look totally dark. and today is (drum roll) day 31....they're locked down.....guess i'm just being a nervous mom. i'm not like this with chickens turkeys and guineas....

[Killerbunny]

I am ALWAYS a nervous Mum! Good Luck.

[Jaye]

Ooh, the suspense! Good luck, @WLLady . Here's hoping that you don't have to wait long for the hatching to begin.

[Jaye]

Jaye..at the moment i have only 7 eggs in the 'bator..adding a few more on the weekend

So, does this mean you are doing a staggered hatch?

[SusanH]

So I have Miranda the broody Wyandotte sitting on some silkie eggs. Here’s hoping! Yesterday I found her sister Mercedes squeezed in with her. I have been wondering how the other girls manage to lay eggs in that nest with Miranda sitting on it. It’s a good thing the silkie eggs are easy to identify, so I can fish out the full-size eggs from my girls. I have to move her to the little coop by herself soon because I’ve been given some buff Orpington and barred rock eggs to add to her nest. I am wondering if Mercedes is wanting to brood, as this isn’t the first time I’ve found both of them together on the eggs. When Ikick them off the nest, it’s Miranda who gets back on, and Mercedes goes to check out the food bowl.

[SusanH]

@Jaye @WLLady not just chickens. I decided this year my Grow-a-Row would be Brussel spouts, so I’ve had trays of seedlings in the living room since February. I planted half too early and they didn’t make it, and now I know why the leaves are missing off the ones remaining indoors - caught my cat munching them. So now my Grow-Row is going to be beets.