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Nicola O

So excited -they are all hatched *new pics*

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For the last year or so I have been wanting to hatch, but the 'boy' problem has always stopped me.

 

Well, last friday I met a chap through freecycle who hatches and he offered me some eggs - for free - so I have been busy finding an answer to the boys. I found someone this evening who will help me sort them out so I am gong to go for it. I'll get the spare wooden house and run built at the weekend and can e-mail him when Lily goes broody again (which she does every month without fail).

 

I can't believe how excited I feel - like a kiddie at christmas - and it's amazing what you can find on freecycle as he only came to collect some home grown bamboo canes that I was offering :D .

 

A very excited Nicola hoping for some (hatch)(hatch)(hatch) soon

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Congratulations :) I recently hatched some eggs for the first time (not me personally, I got my hen to do it - although my husband thinks I spend enough time sitting on my bum to do it myself!) and it has been brilliant.

 

Hope Lily goes broody for you very soon :)

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Spent yesterday afternnoon building the little house and run I'm planning to use as the broody coop.

 

broodycoop.jpg

 

Had to sacrifice a large Choisia (spl?) that was growing there, but it was always a bit shabby looking and hardly ever flowered, so no great loss I suppose. I need to adapt the run slightly, perhaps hinge one of the lid panels so I can lift it and step over and in, as my ample frame only just fits through the little door on the side :lol: - and the poo tray slides forward into the run so it's a bit of a squeeze once I'm in there :lol: .

 

Nicola

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All looks ideal. Hatching is a very rewarding experience, so keep us updated with progress :D. Be warned though, once you start, it's incredibly difficult to stop (bit like chicken keeping, but the urge is even stronger :shock:).

 

Andrew

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Thanks Andrew :D

 

I'll need to extend the run as the chicks get bigger as it's only 100cm x 90cm (I've just put a wanted on freecycle to ask for a rabbit run). I got this a couple of years ago as an emergency into's/hospital wing, and it's been sat all flatpacked in the shed ever since so it seemed sensible to use this instead of buying something extra.

 

Be warned though, once you start, it's incredibly difficult to stop (bit like chicken keeping, but the urge is even stronger :shock:).Andrew

I'd better not tell Mum then, she thinks I'm bad enough with the chooks already :lol:

 

Nicola.

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Lovely broody area, any hen lucky enough to go in there should be very happy. All my hens are in a big fruit cage run, but 1 went broody about a month ago, and my old Eglu and run were dragged out of the corner (and my friend's guinea pigs lost their run space as they'd borrowed it) and plonked on the arid lawn for her. My other friend is a chick hatching fiend, but had a turkey egg/chick egg face off and the turkeys won the incubator space, I won the right to stuff the chick eggs under my girl. Out of 6 cream legbar eggs, 2 live chicks - both girls I think, 2 that half made it out of the eggs but died, and 2 complete non-starter eggs. Susan and Titty are beautiful little things, and the proud Mama is very happy. They are all cosy in the eglu and run, I had to take the roosting bars out and fill it all up with Aubiose, but it seems to be working really well for them. Good luck with egging, I am definitely going to try again if we get another broody.

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It's all systems go !!

 

Last weekend a lovely chap gifted me a rabbit run through freecycle, so the broody house now looks like this.....

broodyextension.jpg

 

Lily duly went broody just as the extension was set up so I e-mailed the chap I met (again through freecycle) and this evening he dropped off five eggs (I kept her interest up by leaving her on a few of our eggs) so when she went out for her 'ablutions' I quickly swapped them over. So now we have....

Lily.jpg

sitting on.........

securedownload.jpg

It's Lily's first time hatching - as well as mine - so it's all very exciting, although Lily seems more stroppy than excited as she keeps trying to take my fingers off when I take her off the nest :lol:

 

Roll on 11th July (hatch)(hatch)(hatch)(hatch)(hatch)

 

Nicola

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Had a bit of a panic...

 

One of the eggs was out of the nest and on the floor of the house - stone cold. She has only been sitting on them for 48 hours so I don't think she could tell yet if it's a dud (correct me if I'm wrong). I think it just got nudged out as the 'lip' along the front edge of the nest is not very high. I've popped it back and stuck a stip of cardboard along the front to make it a bit higher.

 

Do you think the egg will be OK??

 

Nicola

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Do you think the egg will be OK??

Yes, it will probably be fine (assuming its fertile of course!). Just be aware it might hatch a day or so after the others now. Did you mark the egg, so you know which one to watch nearer the hatch date?

 

Andrew

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Yup, numbered them 1 - 5

 

Nicola

 

I did this too! It must be something about number 1 eggs, mine has a crack near the air sac which I quickly touched up with clear nail varnish :anxious: , so I'm hoping it will so well (though I'm doubting it). Only time will tell.

 

A couple of mine were uncovered and were cold to touch, but they could only have been there for half an hour or so, so hopefully they will be fine too. (I didn't look at which ones they were though, so I wouldn't worry about them...)

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Just tried to candle the eggs and couldn't see a thing :? .

 

Either the shells are too thick or my torch is rubbish - probable the latter. I thought I could see a large dark mass in a couple of them, but couldn't see any veins or wotnot. Can anyone recomend a good torch or candleing thingy that they have used used ?.

 

Nicola.

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Hi Nicola,

 

It is such a buzz hatching isnt it. I am hoping to do some more in the next week or so. I too am in Basildon, so, nice to meet you.

I have a broody pekin who would love some eggs, just have to sort out what ones now. Look forward to following your adventure.

 

Gill

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Hi Gill *waves* lovely to hear from a fellow Basildonian - or should that be Basildonion :think: .

 

It really is exciting, this is my first time hatching and I am desperate to know if the eggs are fertile - I must find a better torch.

 

We'll have to keep in touch, there is someone round the corner from me with chickens. I can hear them when I walk the dogs over the field a street or two behind me. Wouldn't that be funny if that was you :lol::D .

 

Nicola.

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Oh my gosh, Gill, I'm in as well so we could be neighbours :lol: .

 

No, don't have a cockerel, although the house near me has one as I can hear him when I'm out with the dogs, perhaps you're hearing the same chap??

 

Does your torch have a sort of rubber cover at the end to go over the egg. I bought a fairly cheap and basic one but it does the job ok

No mine doesn't, can you tell me where you got yours??

 

If we want to get more precise about where we live perhaps we should PM each other rather than put our exact addresses on a national forum :D .

 

Nicola

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Lily is doing well, sitting tight and taking care of her eggs.

 

She did give me another moment of panic a couple of days ago. When I popped her out into her little run to eat, poo etc, she saw the others were out FRing and screamed the place down to be out with them. I let her out thinking 15 mins won't hurt and as I was putting the others away she ws trying to go into the cube run with the them. But once I ushered her round to her own run door she seemed to remember that she was needed in there and rushed back in to her eggies.

 

I'm bidding on a candler on ebay at the mo., so once I've got one I'll have another go with checking the eggs.

 

This is very exciting but I am worrying at the slightest thing :lol: .

 

Nicola

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Yesterday eggs 3 and 4 were pushed out behind her and cold so I tucked them back and so far they've stayed there. Today egg 2 was out :roll: . I've told Lily to be more carefull as she'll be lucky to have any hatch at this rate :roll:

 

Nicola

 

I bet you are on hot coals now arent you?

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I am yes :D , they are due next Tuesday but I suppose it is possible that they could hatch a day or so later as four of them have now had some time in the cold (IYKWIM). I'm collecting the candler from the sorting office after work so will check the eggs tonight and see what we can see.

 

Nicola.

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