First Hatch of the year 😃

[Mike Gilbert]

We set our first eggs last Wednesday.  We gave a silkie hen 7 of our bantam brown red eggs.  We were mostly checking fertility hoping at least half were good.  We checked today and all 7 are fertile and developing well.  Fingers crossed we will have 7 bantam brown reds in a couple weeks.🐔🐔🐔

That's great!  My brown red bantam hen has not laid yet - but will. 

[Russ Blair]

Second batch went into lockdown today. All bantam wheaten, I had some black and blue bantam eggs but none were fertile. 9 out of 11 of the wheaten made it to lockdown. I am glad they did I lost 1 pullet out of the trio. Not sure if she was egg bound or what? She was fine one day and down the next? Hasn't been real cold and they were kept in the garage. So I am looking forward to a great hatch in 3 days 😃😃

[Max Strawn]

First batch hatched last Sunday. 10 wheaten/blue wheaten, 12 blue, black, splash, and 11 F2 Ameraucana/Andalusian. I was disappointed that I only got two F2's that were blue. The rest were black and splash.

[Cesar Villegas]

First batch hatched last Sunday. 10 wheaten/blue wheaten, 12 blue, black, splash, and 11 F2 Ameraucana/Andalusian. I was disappointed that I only got two F2's that were blue. The rest were black and splash.

What did you use to get F2? Any single comb?

[Max Strawn]

F1's bred back to pure Ameraucana with a nice, tight 3 row pea comb. F1 combs are a little rough. They aren't straight comb or pea comb. Somewhere in between. I showed a few of them last year in a local poultry show and none were disqualified. One even won RV... lol!

[Rebecca G Howie]

Another hatch on the way. 2 eggs are pure Ameraucanas the rest are EE. mini-cages are pedigree cages since the 2 brown egg chicks will look just like the Ameraucana but are mixed EE. Don't want to get them mixed up.

[Mike Gilbert]

I have about 50 chicks out, and set another 144 eggs earlier his week.   

[Cesar Villegas]

I have about 50 chicks out, and set another 144 eggs earlier his week.

Mike, do you help out to hatch any chicks after most of them have hatched?

[Mike Gilbert]

I have about 50 chicks out, and set another 144 eggs earlier his week.

Mike, do you help out to hatch any chicks after most of them have hatched?

Do you mean help them out of the shell?   Only if I know there has been an incubation problem, and even then they seldom live or do very well.

[Russ Blair]

Ended up with 8 more Bantam Wheaten 😃. Good news is Love is in the Air at the Blair Ranch. LF Blue puller pen produced 2 eggs, both bantam Blue pullet pens started last week, along with lavenders and blacks. Only pens not laying yet are LF Silver hen and pullet pens and the Blue Silver pen. Regardless I finally was able to set 42 more eggs yesterday. Hopefully some Bantam Blue, Lavender, Black and Silver and around 8 F1 LF Blue Silver out of my only Silver Cock from last year and 3 Best laced Blue Hens I kept from last year as well😃. Way everyone is finally starting to lay I may be firing the Dickey up whew who 😍😍😍 lol. Oh and Cesar I used to help chicks out when my flock was small. Like Mike mentioned most if not all ended up culled shortly after hatch. I don't help any out anymore, if they don't have the vigor to make it out they don't have the vigor I want in my line 😃

[Cesar Villegas]

I have about 50 chicks out, and set another 144 eggs earlier his week.

Mike, do you help out to hatch any chicks after most of them have hatched?

Do you mean help them out of the shell?   Only if I know there has been an incubation problem, and even then they seldom live or do very well.

I meant after most hatched out and there are still eggs with no external pip. Do you candle and crack open to help them out?

[Russ Blair]

I only give them 1 day after the initial hatch.  After 24 hrs they get discarded. I always have a couple early birds but the majority usually hatch around the same time. After the majority hatch that's when the 24hr count down starts. Now if they are pipped I may give them a little more time but any that are not are gone.

[Suki]

While I agree with Russ about the 24 hour countdown, I start with the first chick.  I give them 24 hours after him.  I have helped out plenty and have never seen adverse effects, and after about week 2 when they are all about the same relative size.

[John W Blehm]

Today was the day...

[Lee G]

Ameraucana chicks take cuteness to a whole new level, hehe.

You guys are all so ahead of me. I'm just getting my breeding pens sorted out now, (well the ones I can shovel out anyway, heh) and won't be collecting eggs for at least another month. Sniff.  lol