Egg hatching day 18

Fertile egg

The excitement is building.  Doesn't matter how many times I do it, under a broody or in the incubator.  The last few days of the incubation period are always exciting.

I am at day 17 out of 21.  Close to the point at which the humidity is increased and the turning of the eggs stop.

It is this stage that I find fascinating, with the chick developed enough to be manouvering inside the eggs ready for hatching, but the yolk still being absorbed into the stomach ready for the first 24-48 hours outside of the shell.

Silver lace wyandotte chick

They say the chick has an "egg tooth" perfect for breaking firstly into the air sack inside the shell at 19 days, taking its first breath, then through the tough shell that has protected it for the last 19 to 21 days.

I imagine if you could see in side the egg at pipping/ hatching, and increased the speed of footage it would be similar to a can opener taking the top of a tin of beans.

Inside that tiny cramped space, the chick pecks at the shell, rotating slowly, to break through, the top eventually falling off like that of a boiled egg.

Silver lace wyandote cockerels

That is just the beginning of an amazing transformation. For me it is the best part, run close by the moment around twenty weeks later when the hens lay their first eggs.

I hope in a few days to be reporting a successful hatch of araucana and silver lace wyandottes.

Watch this space for photos.

Thanks for reading.

If I stare at the incubator will they hatch quicker?!

My Silver Lave Wyandotte Hen and Cockerel

I'm at it again, without really planning that much either.  The problem is I can't resist, particularly the wyandottes and now the Lavender Araucana.

I have fired up the incubator again, all seems to be working well.  I'm gave the eggs 24 hours to settle after coming through the post.  Mark at Norfolk Bantams has kindly sorted me some eggs.  Last time I had 100% hatch rate.  So I am excited to see the results this time round.

I candelled the eggs on Sunday 16th June and there were 12 fertile eggs.  6 silver lace and 6 lavender Araucana.  I hope there is a good mixture of male and female in them.

Araucana cockerel 8 weeks

I currently have 3 male lavender Araucana from an earlier hatch, and 2 male and one hen silver lace from a previous hatch.  

This time I hope to be able to put a pair or trio together of both breeds.  Doing it this way, from hatching eggs, is a long process, but fun.  I'm certainly not going to be in a position to try and hatch any of my own eggs until next year.  Something to look forward to I guess.

My Croad Langshan Hen

So what now?  There is plenty to do.  I'm already planning another enclosure to take the extra chickens and then once I have reduced numbers sufficiently, it will be partially used for some ducks.  Welsh Harlequin I hope.  The other part, looking way ahead, maybe space for turkeys or more hens.

I still have one Silver Lave Wyandotte Cockerel for sale (Bantam) and in a few weeks the Lavender Bantam Araucana cockerels will be available too!

Thanks for reading and I will be back soon!

I'm so behind!

Hang on, it's June?!!  Where did May go?
I am so behind with the allotment it is untrue.  Having said that, the blog is looking very hit and miss too!
It looks like there will be no parsnips this year.  I have sown them in May before but June is going to be pushing it.

It's not just the vegetables I'm I a little behind with.  The breeding plan has taken a bit of a back seat recently.
The silver lace Wyandottes are now 13 weeks old.  They are looking like they have good lacing.  Legs are not as yellow as I would like so I will have to investigate how to improve on that.

The Araucana chicks are 5 weeks old, they look stunning and I'm really pleased with them, however it appears that they are all males. :-(
So there is only one thing for it and that's to hatch some more :-)
This hatch will be Araucana and silver lace wyandottes. These are the breeds I am concentrating on (bantam size) along with the croad langshan, again bantams.

I will be setting the incubator up again in the next few days in preparation for the arrival of the eggs.  Hatching at this time of year, I am looking forward to being able to out the chicks out a lot earlier (under heat) than I have previously.

I'm hoping at some point one of the hens will go broody.  I want to hatch some of my quail eggs, as a test and for replacements going forward.  I could use the incubator but it's nice to vary the hatching and there is nothing like seeing a hens with chicks.

Thanks for reading!