Monday, February 27, 2012

Movin' on up!!

So, I did a practice batch of eggs to see if i could successfully hatch them. I had planned to give them away because the first eggs I tried hatching I only had one hatch out and the stinker was freakishly loud and annoying. But these ones seem very skilled at using their inside voices with each other. So I guess we can let them stick around for a while.

The chickies started out in in this for their starter brooder, because it is easier to keep them cozy and warm in this, plus it is easy to keep Dexter from killing them. he is obsessed.:

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That lasted a week or so. Today i moved them into their new fancy schmancy digs, the old rabbit cage we used when the Lop needed to spend some time inside.

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I put in 15 eggs. 2 never started to develop so they were pitched early on. 8 hatched (one was hatched with some issues, so he was put down), 3 had partially developed then stopped, and 2 were fully developed but just never hatched. One of those two pipped, but then just stopped. I'm satisfied with this as my first hatch, considering these were eggs I collected in the dead of winter during the coldest week we'd had to that point. I collected them over 10 days because only two or three of the hens were even laying.

Speaking of which, they are NOT liking the fact that I am locking them up trying to get them back to roosting in the coop instead of the pine tree out front. *rolls eyes*

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So, probably next month I will be looking for some Runner Duck eggs to try hatching, because Tsu wants Runner Ducks, lol.

On a side note, Tiff had her baby shower last weekend. A good time was had by all.

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Much laughter ensued.

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There was a pretty good turn out, lots of faces I had not seen in a long time.

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Lots of mixed feelings about everything, but what has been done can't be undone, so might as well find some joy in it all, you know? *sigh*