First broody hatch of 2013

The Indian Game hen has hatched 8 of the 9 eggs placed under her 21 days ago.The 9th chick sadly failed to hatch despite having pipped all around the shell.

The hen is one, if not the best of my broody flock. 

At the end of November last year, she hatched and raised 17 chicks from 19 eggs, despite the dreadful winter and she is the first and so far only bird to have gone broody this season.

I have four of her November pullets for sale, but as she is now 'getting on' in years I think I may keep a couple, hoping they will be as good a broody as their mother.

However for now a photo of 2013's first chicks to be hatched naturally - for me the best way. There is nothing like a mother hen and her chicks.

Photo: Indian Game hen and 3 of 8 Gold Duckwing Welsummer chicks

 

2013 update on hatching

With the eggs under the first broody of the season in the process of hatching I thought it was time to post an update on this year's hatches.

The chicks from the 1st hatch of the year are growing at amazing rate and now are probably more correctly termed growers rather than chicks. They are 6 weeks old and for the past week have been living in the stable at the yard without heat, but with a good covering of straw on the floor and with boxes to bundle into together for warmth. At 8 weeks they will be old enough to venture outside, as long as the weather is good and the birds that have been reserved will be able to go to their new homes.

The 2nd hatch of the year are now 2 weeks old. They were also hatched in an incubator, as my hens are very slow to go broody this year. At the weekend they were moved from the pen with a heat lamp to a pen with a dull emitter bulb, giving them a more natural day/night cycle rather than constant light.

I have another batch of eggs set in the incubator, as this year I have received many  pre.orders for chicks to P.O.L. At the weekend I candled all but the Welsummer eggs ( their shells are too dark to see very much at 7 days) all were fertile.

Photo: 1st hatch 5 weeks old just before their move to the stable

Photos: 2nd hatch:  3 days old. 1 week old and 12 days old

So, so far this year all is going well. Fertility is close to 100%, hatching rate not too far behind and the chicks to hatch are healthy and strong. All I ask for now is for a few more hens to go broody and for the weather to improve.

First hatch of 2013

A week ago the first chicks of 2013 hatched. As no broodies were available I used the incubator. It was a mix setting of eggs mainly to test fertility and hatchability.

Fertility was high with only one of the thirty eggs set proving to be clear when candled at seven days incubation. At seventeen days all the remaining twenty nine eggs had progressed as expected, of the twenty nine, twenty three hatched. I was expecting more. The main reason I believe was down to the atmosphere being too humid. Although I incubate dry, the incubator (for the first time) was located in the utility room.
All the chicks to hatch, however are very healthy and strong. At a week old they are jumping about the pen trying out their wings, they are dust bathing and sparring with each other, all signs of happy, healthy chicks.

This week a second setting will go in the incubator as I am still waiting for my, usually reliable, hens to go broody.

Photos:

Eggs set. Exchequer Leghorn (white) Partridge Welsummer (brown) Welsummer X Light Sussex (tinted/cream)

 Newly hatched chicks.

Chicks at one week old. The white chick to the left is a male Welsummer X  Light Sussex. The ginger chick on the right is a female of the same breed.The black & white chicks - Exchequer Leghorn.

Welsummer X Indian Game

At 11+ weeks old the cockerels from the Gold Duckwing Welsummer X Light Laced Indian Game hatch are beginning to grow away from the pullets of the same hatch. They are showing promise for good table birds, with strong legs and broad breast.

In a couple of weeks time I'll separate the cockerels from the pullets giving both sexes a chance to reach their full potential.

Of the 17 birds to hatch there are 9 pullets and 8 cockerels. The variety of colour still amazes me and there are some very pretty pullets amongst them.

( Photo:The 3 birds in the foreground / centre of the photo show the variety in colouring of the pullets)

Although birds are often sold as POL at 18 weeks old I think 23+ weeks is probably more realistic for the more traditional breeds of which these are. If so the young pullets should come into lay around Easter time.

How quick they grow

 Today we moved the 'surprise hatch' chicks to the stable.They are now 7 weeks old and fully feathered.They have out grown the poultry shed at home and with the weather being so mild no longer require heat so other than moving them onto grass the stable seemed the best option. For now it is just too wet for them to venture outside but hopefully they will be able to soon.
They have grown well, are very calm and I think a greater number of them are pullets.

Photo 1: Heads up - alert as the neighbouring hens call after laying.
 

 

 Photo 2 & 3: Becoming braver and finding their food

  
Photo 4: Exploring their new home

Update - A few photos

Two weeks on and the young chicks are thriving. They are growing well and their feathers are coming through giving a hint of their colour and markings.

It isn't the most economic time of year to be raising young birds as I have been providing them with a little extra heat and light and they are still indoors rather than on grass and probably will be for several weeks to come.
Once the turkeys have gone at Christmas they can be moved to the stable where they will have more room to scratch and climb about.They are a pleasure to watch though and any pullets should be POL around Easter time.

 

The turkeys have grown well and as always have been nothing but a joy to raise - so entertaining and full of character.

 All of the birds I have kept back from this years breeding season are now reaching maturity. They are looking well and many of the pullets have started to lay.

Surprise late hatch in photos - for Dad

Latest chicks  - from an Indian Game hen X Gold Duckwing Welsummer cock.  17/19 hatched

 Day 1:

 Day 2-3 :

Day 4 :