Chicken on the Roof HF

So, the first chicken incubator is getting lively too. I was initially thinking banding chicks based whether they came out a blue or greenish egg. Well, live threw a big spanner and I found out my leg is actually broken. So, I might just have to go the easy way for now until I can master the crutches. Of course these were set long befor the fracture happened on Saturday. so, I can't just tell them to not hatch or bugger off. That would be unethical. Things might be a little bumpy initially, but we'll get there. These quail and chicken chicks are planned to be available on the Garner and Selma Flock Swaps.

These are certainly bundles of joy and so cute. I'm kind of at the verge of the "unknown" cause most quail forums will say that they can last up to 48 hours in the incubator. The first four or five hatched Sunday morning, so are past that. BUT I see another egg pipped (meaning a chick broke the shell to come out) and I need to give this chick a chance. If I open the incubator, the moisture will drop and there is a significant risk that the membrane inside the shell wraps around the chick - i.e., shrink wrapping - which most of the time is fatal or requires extreme care. I'll give this chicke a little time since it's actively moving, but I also know I have to get the others to food and water. So, wet paper towel and luck might be needed to safely get that chick out. Please don't ask: How many? I've tried counting them several times, but they just move to fast. So, until I pluck them out, I won't know... But definitively a better hatch than the last one.

Guineas obviously don't like the snow... They are evaluating in twos and threes whether to venture out. Some of the second coop have come out since part of the run is protected by a shower curtain and has no snow.

As I thought, all chooks piled out of the coop and then came to a stop at the door to the outside snowy world. Most have wandered out eventually and are eating. One of the water buckets already started to freeze over again, so need to make sure to break that ice often for them.

Letting those guineas out isn't all that easy. They rubber neck and think the outside is dangerous. Well, it is, but it's also where they are eventually supposed to be :) We'll work on that.

I know personal hygiene is important to chickens too. Dustbathing is their method of choice. But everyone - in the run??? This seems extreme when they have the whole backyard available - and it hasn't rained in a few days, so the ground is dry.

The guineas certainly are developing the different colors I orderd from the guinea farm in Iowa earlier this year. They are noisy, but at least those telling me to "go back" are females - and I have a few of those. Due to being away a few times in the past couple of months and needing to gauge hunting season (someone bought the wetlands bordering my property as hunting territory), I haven't let them out yet. But I sure need to start doing that so they can do guinea things :)

It's a great day to dustbathe - sunny and warm. But girrrrrls you should know there's a whole backyard for that... I know, I know you prefer to make holes in teh coop run.

Those lil ones are sure hungry and thirsty :) And of course darn cute. Lil fluff balls.

All quail chicks are chipper, up and awke this am. They made good work on the feed for sure. I'm almost questioning whether I should have gotten a 50lbs bag instead of the 10lbs. We'll see how it goes. They only need starter for a few weeks, not the 16 like for baby chickens. Sexual maturity for quail is reached at 6 - 8 weeks. Some can be feather sexed. Determining the sex of others is non-invasiive and very easy to do.