It wont let me upload the two of them so I will have to wait till tomorrow.. But I am wondering if the red light is too warm, they are laying down and spreading out.. I dont have it tilted all the way down, and it is off to the side, but I am conserned since it is a flood light, maybe I should change it out for a white light that is not as hot??
Incubating eggs for the first time... ALOT of questions
Wonderful!! Yes. If you've got something less strong. Or can move the light further back...
I've had chicks fall asleep face first in those teeny red waterers...if it's possible to put pebbles in I would...
It wont let me load the pictures but it funny I used a soap dish full of rocks for the water, since I was going to get everything tomorrow, I was not prepared. So the rocks are two of our wish stones, and a obsidian for good luck and some other small ones we have picked up outside.
Oh, oh, oh so cute! Lil' wut wut babiez!! Where is ZZ, she will love this.
You could put a thermometer with the chicks, should be about 95 degrees for the first week, then 90 for the second week, and so on by 5 degree increments until about 70 degrees and they are fine. If you can't get the light further away, definitely change to a lower wattage bulb. Don't want them to fry!
Hooray for the chickies! I am just so excited for you and Billy. :-)
Yep changed it out to white, put egg yolk in bottom and now they are moving around again and chirping.. So it was too hot... Billy is talking to them and telling them he ate a egg like them... it was going to be their secret...
I am calling it successful to us since we got two babies and the possibility of more tomorrow... Strange though they are a day early... hummmm so we could maybe get two more between now and Saturday. Now more eggs will go in next time, maybe get more than 2 only mother nature will know...
Awwww lil Wut Wut babiez.. Lil Boo Booz I love lil boobooz Congratulations MsJestr and Billy! I'm so happy for you both!
Yes, you need to load that bator full next time! I hope you are gathering eggs already!!
And to Mr Haystack..(The Human not the Rooster who is the father of said birds) the following is for you..
Word for word It has my name in it, Look nanny it is a motorcycle I replied it is for your belt and he says we take the other one off and put this one on... I am going to put this on my belt... write him letters Nanny..
Dear Mr. Haystack,
Thank you for the belt buckle for on my belt, for me I could put this on it when I find it... And I like your name and I want to come to your house to visit with you for a little bit. and Happy thank you holidays for my chicks.. Happy holidays to Mr haystack, thank you for giving me my belt buckle for me... I got new chicks Mr. Haystack you should see them.. (as he runs to the tank) Look Mr Haystack they are in there...
Love Billy it starts with the letter B...
(typed word for word)
ZZ I am collecting eggs, and want to try the ducks too I just dont know what to do... Oh the babies are playing now, I am thinking the red light was a tad too bright... Oh I am soo happy and did you check out the black legs on both of them?? ???(LOL does this mean I will get black eggs) Oh too much time on farmville...
LOL Your excitement comes through dmail like you are right here! I am really enjoying this. That was tooo funny!! I'm so happy for you both. Such a sweet letter from Billy. I have such a huge smile!! Thank you for posting that letter and the pics.
I am so happy right now, and it is thanks to all of you here on DG.... The first call went to Claire, and I could hardly contain my self as it rang and rang, and I feared that I would wake her up, when she answered, I could hardly wait and the words were running together.. Heck Billy took the phone and tried to show her his new chicks by putting the phone on the bator... LOL Then we tried to call you and well CHECK YOUR VOICEMAIL!! and Cindy it rang and rang, so we figured we better post it.. Lost Kellys number when I switched phones... UGGFG LOL The chicks are moving around alot more, and they are eating the egg that is on the bottom... its so cute...
This message was edited Mar 18, 2010 10:02 PM
Congrats! It was great to put a voice with your picture. :) I even got to hear Billy. Thank you. That did brighten my day. I'm so glad you've got babies.
AAaahhrrrggggg I'm so sorry! I was standing here talking to Catsy and didn't recognize the number.. (different phone) and I thought... oh no.. one of "those" calls.. I'm so sorry! Thank you so much for calling me! I'm touched. Thank you Billy for telling me your SECRET!!! I love it!!
Congratulations to the both of you!!!!!!!!!. I have been reading all the posts, and ZZ's is right it's as though your right here with me and I don't know if I'm laughing or crying, must be tears of Joy. I can not tell you how tickled I am at this whole crazy thing. Who would ever believe it could be so wonderful. Talk about filled with Joy. Man! it doesn't get any better that this. Thank you for the wonderful letter Billy. I'm honored to call you my friend, and I would be so honored to have you come and visit us. You are a true cowboy in the making and a true gentleman in the present. I do hope you enjoy the buckle, I always wondered what I would do with it. Now it's in the hands of the rightful owner. Someday I will meet you and it will put a huge smile on my face. Right now I am smiling big time at the success of your new babies. I Love you Billy just like you love your little babies. Now go have fun, and always keep looking up. Haystack. Thank you Roseana, what a great lady you truly are. I'm so happy for both of you right now. WOW! EMOTIONS! YIPIE YI YA. Hay
Wonderful news on your new babies.!!!!!
Thanks all I feel like a new momma again... LOL They made it thru the night, checked that bater this morning, no new pips... Boiled more eggs for chicks and Billy...LOL
Hay I feel like we are all one big family here... We have shared the good, the bad and the ugly and all of you on here are the family we dont have... Billy always wants to lean in and look at all the pictures and tells me send a letter... I am not sure why he always wants to tell Haystack Happy birthday or Happy holidays, but hey, I do and he is happy...
I am still very happy on the hatching's, and cant wait to make more.. LOOK AT WHAT YOU ALL DID TO US!! you have made us Hatching crazy... A guy at work is wanting me to hatch some for him, and he is giving me the eggs from his girls to do... So Tuesday the bater will be loaded again... WHOO HOOOO
MissJ, I am doing the happy chicken dance for you & Billy! Go chickies! Go chickies! Go chickies! Woot! Woot!
Congratulations Billy! Your new chicks are very cute.
Wooo-Hooo.... happy chickie dances... very cute fussy butts... congrats!!!
Of course Billy wishes Haystack Happy Holidays... he knows when a party is called for! LOL A birthday party, yeah, cake, ice cream, boiled egg... doing the chicken dance, too!
I am going to celebrate the hatchings with a Hot Chocolate Cherry tonight.
My Dear Wife tells me I analyze things to death. She is not wrong. I do. That is most generally how I come up with my conclusions. Not sure but I think it came with doing police work. None the less I belong to four different forums. All poultry or poultry and livestock. In my opinion Daves Garden is the best hands down. What is it that makes it so. The chickens are the same, the information for all intents and purposes is the same. The structure and purpose of the forum is a little different in some cases but not that much. So whats left? The people. The people that visit and stay with Daves Garden are different. There have been a few now and then who are pushy or for some reason just don't stick around, but by and large those who visit and make this their home are the absolute best. They love their birds, lambs, horses, dogs, cows, goats, and on and on. But what makes this place so great is that they by and large they love one another. We all do things differently, but I sense a real respect toward those who have a different way. Here the children are welcome and even invited. We all share in the joy and success of one another, If we don't have the answer Catsy will find it for us. Some of us will even change jobs to visit some of us, I did not get a visit#&%^$&$ZZ's. and I think only here some will take lambs to bed to protect them. (Shsssh, CLAIRE). Is it any wonder that I love this place. It's called HOME & FAMILY.
Right on, Haystack!
Amen! Or is it "And so say all of us!" Anywho...
LOL I'm sorry Hay... I couldn't handle the driving conditions, and I didn't have control on the time frame at that time.. Believe me, I felt the loss. :)
Other than that? I so agree with you. I too have been to other forums, and never felt as welcome or as "warm" as I do here. I do love everyone here.. I can say that with no doubts. I've been here quite a while, and a part of other forums here that are just as passionate as the livestock forum.. yes, I love brugs, tomatoes, coleus, canning, concrete, and soil & composting.. I learned it all here..
I've said it a few dozen times, and still feel the same way.
I am forever grateful for the day I found DG. It has truly enhanced my life, and brought me priceless friends I will have forever.
Gosh Haystack, I just can't imagine what you would be saying....I mean...who would take a lamb to bed? Certainly not me....no....never...
LOL Hear HERE Haystack....
Love the picture Claire..
More so you can see the digs for the new chicks
Water Bowl
Very nice arrangement. Great for viewing. Your water bowl might need a few more rocks. The idea is to have no place big enough or deep enough to drown a chick with a sudden nap attack.
I to have gone to different forums and this one is by far the friendliest and most helpful especially to newbies,I can`t say enough how helpful it was two years ago when I got my first chicks,THANK YOU THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!
Claire that picture is pricless, I told my wife about it and she said who would be crazy enough to do that, I called her in to see the picture and she melted, the smile on her face was all the acknowledgement of approval I needed. I turned to her and said, now what say you! She just smiled and said you were right "what a darling picture". OF course I'm Haystack and I'm always right...LOL. Just Kidding...
Roseane, Roseane, YOU ROCK, You really do. Love your new babies.
Porkpahl, it tapers down in the middle, I am trying to figure out how to explain it... the deepest part is in the middle... humm I know what I want to say but it does not sound right... Its a strange soap dish that someone gave me, not flat across.... LOL
Both babies are eating and drinking and the 100 watt bulb was too bright, so I got a reptile 60 watt, and that one is too hot to sit on the top, so I have it off the tank, still shining in my eyes...
Last night between both tanks, I swear my house was like that country song by Trace Adkins Every light in the house is on...LOL if you have seen the video, you could have seen that house from space. Tonight Billy and I came home after dark and we did not have to leave a night light on, the house was all lit up,.
Changed to a 60 watt bulb in the 3 week olds as well...
NOW I have a question about sitting or broody geese..... She has been sitting and it looks like she has taken some bits of her down to add to her nest?? will try and get pix tomorrow, but have never seen a goose sit before..
This message was edited Mar 19, 2010 10:48 PM
Miss J I can answer that question. Ducks and Geese do pull out the down and add to their nest.
Haystack - I hope you did tell your wife that Miss Marshmallow was house-raised as a bottle baby and not fresh-out-of-the-barnyard and into my bed! She got to a size that as soon as the alarm went off in the morning, she could jump up onto the bed on her own. She was like a little kangaroo. She knew what the alarm meant - Mom is going to wake up and give me my cuddle and my bottle! Now she is outside with all the other sheep of course, but she still comes running when she hears my voice!
Roseane - any new pips? If not, I'm afraid you might just have the two on this run. Not to worry - that's not entirely unusual. Just re-fill the incubator and try again!! How are Peanut and Unnamed doing?
MsJestr, they also pull out their feathers so they have bare skin to put against the eggs.. something about raising the humidity..
My Bantam Nankin has gone out and collected flight feathers molted by other chickens and added them to her nest.
I've never seen that before.
No new pips Claire, and I was thinking the same. Although only two hatched, I still call it a good job for our first hatching, that means I am doing something right... I will pull them out tomorrow and load a fresh new batch in there... Peanut and Blushu are doing wonderful, I put a tiny bit of grass in there today... Billy wants to hold them, so tomorrow they will be 3 days and I will let him hold them again... They are awesome to watch, all black and fuzzy with white underbellies... I am thinking that may be the Haystack in them, I hope they look like him but lay the colored eggs (If indeed they are hens) They are eating real good, and drinking as well.
As for the geese, she wont leave the nest of eggs. not even to eat.. (Ok not that I have seen) So I am hoping I have babies there too... I pulled up some grass and shoved it close to her, dont want her to starve... She is sitting on both her and her sisters eggs, if only I could get close enough to her I would have slipped a few duck eggs in the mix... OH well baby ducks another time...
It has been fun for Billy and I and trust me we are not done 2nd batch will go in tomorrow. and I know how to keep the RH factor up to the correct level, WHOOO HOOOO we are going to have many many chicks when we are done... I want to do one more batch of barnyard chickens, then if possible I would treasure some Haystack eggs.... Serama's that everyone is talking about....
Blushu?
Honest Claire it doesn't matter, once she saw you lying there with your arm around that lamb she melted. It was a treasure to watch the expression on her face. She said to me immediately, Now I understand!!!The look on her face told me she adored what you were doing. No explaination needed. However your statement really made me laugh.
Yep Peanut and Blushu they will join Wren, Spongebob, Mustard, Sunshine Catsy and 1 more I have not named... Then there is Cookie Ketchup and Sesame Street, Speed, RR, Haystack, Miss C Miss Z 3 more that I cant remember...Then there is the dogs, Boozer and Roper, Cat Blackie, horses Gracie, Chyanne and Chief and The ducks 5 are not named but called quackers and one called Broken Wing. I am hoping I have not forgot any...LOL
What a great mix of names. I have a few selected chickens who are named, but not all of them.
Sketch is my favorite girl and she is black and white like somebody drew her with a pencil.
Grub and Worm are my two gardening helpers and never miss an opportunity to look for grubs and worms when I am digging in the garden.
Rusty is like a barred rock but with rust coloured feathers on her neck.
The geese are named Slappy and Goosle.
My goats are Puffin, Pebbles, Opal, Lotus, Coffee and Valentino.
The llamas are Kahlua, Cabernet, Hazel, Dolly, Stormy, and Cesar.
The angora rabbits are Maple, Walnut, and Kyndling.
The sheep are: Blizzard, MB, Ferdie, Craigsley, Cragganmore and Bond (those are the boys).
The ewes are: Flurry, Bianca, Buttercup, Petunia, Poppy, Oreo, Clover, Marshmallow, Cream Puff, Lollipop, Pennyroyal, Penguin, Leslie, Sloan, Corsica, Assyria, Black Pearl, Alystyne, Paisley, Aurora, Amethyst, Branwyn and Olwyn.
Whew!
Good names! How do you think of so many clever ones?