Fertile eggs arrived today, 3 hens ready to sit.

nevit · **Posted:** Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:19 am

Just received a dozen fertile(hopefully) SL Wyndotte eggs via express post, all I have to do now is figure out which hen will get them, my rhodie doesn't seem to sit the whole day(probably 12hrs), my Wyndotte doesn't move but not quite big enough to cover all the eggs, and my New Hampshire is a great sitter and large but a bit clumsy( she just broke an egg

) . The last lot of eggs I got, I had someone else hatch them for me, it was so much simpler. Wish my Sussex were broody at the moment, she is just HUGE and I know she will go the distance with hatching and mothering. Fingers crossed, may let 2 of the other girls have a go.

nevit · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 6:41 pm

Update for anyone interested, we had two eggs broken within the 1st week, 2 eggs removed due to no development(not fertile) 2nd week, 1 egg smashed(my girl is a bit clumsy at times) at 18days, and today, I've gone to candle the eggs and notice there were little breaks in the shell, my 1st thought was OH Buggar, shes steped on them again, but then I see a little beak pecking away, WWHHOOO HHHOOOO. They're piping early, so very excited, wish I could stay up with them, but early start tomorrow so hope to wake to some new chirping. Thanks to Rosemarie( County Lodge) I'm a less nervous dad to be [smilie=a_cookiemonster.gif]

peterp · **Posted:** Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:46 pm

Well Done

I'm not sure the nervous wait is worth it - I'd rather look after mares foaling, you are generally a bit more confident of the outcome.

We have 23 eggs in incubator - Last lot started to hatch at 19 days these ones have started today late on day 21.

Hope the rest of yours hatch okay.

nevit · **Posted:** Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:50 pm

How did you you go with your hatch Peter, I came home today to find 3 really healthy chicks and one weak chick in the brooder, my wife did the honours of bringing the little chicks in from their nest this morning. still 3 potential hatchings to go, under my broody hen, will give them till 24 days. Over the moon. [smilie=a_cookiemonster.gif]

peterp · **Posted:** Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:49 pm

Hi Nevit,

Mixed results - ended up with 10 live chicks - 3 died and 10 did not hatch.

When we candled we had 21 out of 23 looking good - something went wrong in the meantime.

First chick started to hatch on Sunday afternoon last one hatched today - don't know if we have incubator problems i.e. temp too high or too low. Thermometer was spot on 100 every time I checked it :-?

Anyway most of my Brown Leghorn Eggs hatched (8 out of 10)

- the silver spangled hamburgs seem a bit more finicky.

Peter.

nevit · **Posted:** Wed Sep 30, 2009 6:25 pm

It's amazing how many mixed feelings you get when incubating eggs, Happiness and excitement as the first chicks hatch, disappointment and worry about the late or unsuccessful eggs, and then joy as the hatched come good. Peter saw my 1st brown leghorn chicks for the 1st time yesterday at a produce shop, hope yours look as good as theirs. My weak chick is now blossoming, and the most affectionate of my brood. My wife has boned with them already, think she will be heart broken when we need to sell off any boys :oops:

.

peterp · **Posted:** Thu Oct 01, 2009 9:16 pm

Glad to hear that all of your chicks are going well.

Wives can be a problem mine has picked out the chick that I am not allowed to sell. This one is a bit of a mystery - it is black and looks like an australorp - only problem I didn't set any australorp eggs.

Hopefully my brown leghorns are as good as the ones you saw - They look like oversized quail with their body striping.

We have been concentrating so much on the chickens I forgot that our indian ringneck was sitting - checked today and she has hatched 4 babies - they are probably about 3 days old and very healthy. Mother white and father blue the colours will be interesting when they come through.

Peter

nevit · **Posted:** Fri Oct 02, 2009 7:45 pm

Peter it's amazing how patterned the brown leghorn chicks are, as opposed to what they look like fully grown, and I had to google the ringnecks to figure out what they look like, real beauties.

As for the wives, you should have seen my gal when I sold her favourite Wyandotte [smilie=a_doh.gif]

, I reckon she would've taken it better had I only sold our son. Had a group of really nice girls, I didn't know she could tell the difference between them, but this one pullet tended to like hugs more then the others, hence now I've hatched the silvers for her, as clucky as a mother hen.

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Fertile eggs arrived today, 3 hens ready to sit.

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