Hatching Chickens

earthbound · **Posted:** Sun Sep 11, 2011 6:44 pm

Stage two of our breeding program is under way. We did the first batch of quails from supplied eggs and it was only a little successful, well valuable experience and looks like we've got a dozen or so quail from it. Now we move onto the chickens.

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These are ones we have bred here, a few different types and crosses. There should be pure Australorp, Isa brown/goldlace wyandotte, goldlace wyandotte/partridge wyandotte, and perhaps some more... Eggs are from Fayes place and from here at the shop. See what happens in 21 days, now we have lots of turning to do..

Faye · **Posted:** Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:22 am

Well there is a little bit of controversey here as to what is actually 21 days. Joel says, well, you know what they will hatch out when they are ready not a minute sooner, and no later. I accidentally turned them when I arrived back after a day off and that was day 19, so today is day 20 and tomorrow is day 21, so I am listening for chirping.
We candled the eggs last Friday night with the special candling lights, (give you a tip, you can buy a light from Bunnings cheaper and better than Ebay)
No more photos, cause they still look like eggs. We discared the australorp eggs from here as Tom Cruise the woosy rooster did not do his job :sad2:

Hopefully Brewster from FiizzyJ will give us the goods. Will know in the nest couple of days and the quails will move on from the brooder and everyone will be shuffled again.

Faye · **Posted:** Sat Oct 01, 2011 5:02 pm

Day 21 - Cheep, cheep, cheep. Ever so mild and faintly quiet. We turned off the radio and listened intently, thought we were imagining the little noses. But I took a sneaky peek and one of the eggs are pipping :thumb:

There are about two dozen eggs in there now, so fingers crossed we will have enough chicks to stock the new shed.

earthbound · **Posted:** Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:44 pm

Started hatching today... 8 out so far but I can see a couple of other eggs with little holes picked in them, looks like it might be a good hatch with a bit of luck. Of course Joker is very interested, hearing them cheeping in the incubator all day is sending him around the bend.

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Faye · **Posted:** Sun Oct 02, 2011 9:50 pm

So far they look predominantly Isa brown/ hyline, will have to check the sheels to see what blood line they have come from lol!
We may be able to tell if they are roosters/ hens by their down colouring. :joy:

As Kylie Mole would say its rilly, rilly kool :crazy:

Faye · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:53 pm

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Peasants · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:46 pm

aaww, so cute! Congratulations :thumb:

Faye · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:17 pm

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Another 6 have hatched during the day. :thumb:

earthbound · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:27 pm

So we started with 41 eggs in the incubator, after candling the eggs a week into incubation we found that the australorp eggs were not fertile, little Tom Cruise hasn't been doing his job, still, he's a bantam australorp and the girls are bigger than him.. :lol:

We removed all the australorp eggs 10 in total, so in reality we only had 31 fertile eggs, of those 31 we now have 25 healthy looking chicks, that's a pretty good hatch out rate, only 6 duds..

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So now the incubator is stacked again with 45 more eggs, about half and half from Fayes place and from here. See how we go this time around..

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Faye · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:50 pm

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The ones with the fluffy bums should be good for sitting on eggs if they are hens and good meat birds if they are roosters.

earthbound · **Posted:** Sun Oct 09, 2011 5:10 pm

It's so handy having this thread, makes it really easy to keep track of the dates when things have happened.. Chicks are already starting to get feathers...

Peasants · **Posted:** Sun Oct 09, 2011 5:19 pm

What are you planning on doing with so many, especially with more to come? You will have a very full freezer!!!

Faye · **Posted:** Sun Oct 09, 2011 6:32 pm

Now we are going to sell chickens :thumb:

Of course the ones that turn out to be roosters will save us a trip to Red Rooster or Chicken Treat.
I am planning a purchase of a chest freezer in the new year but my old side by side fridge/freezer has been repaired and its life will be extended outdoors for summer time drinks and the freezer compartment will stock rabbit, chicken and fish, for those that make it past the pizza oven.

Simo · **Posted:** Wed Nov 23, 2011 9:00 pm

One of my Australorps is sitting on 8 eggs, stand by for the photos.

bushy · **Posted:** Wed Nov 23, 2011 11:47 pm

I bought a fully automatic incubator today [from USA] so hope it lives up to the hype of all the comments on the poultry sites
So when I get her fired up will post some pics !!

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