# test batch



## Maryellen

35 eggs put in and im down to 19 fertile and growing.

Rir lanshan x australorp x olive egger for one batch and breda x breda x ee x ameracauna x australorp for the other batch. 

Lockdown is may 8th


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## chickenqueen

Good luck with the Bredas.I hope they hatch.My fingers are crossed.


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## seminole wind

Hope things turn out well. Will you vaccinate for Marek's and MG or test to see how it goes?


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## Steinwand

Good luck!! I didn't think abt vaccines for the my chicks that hatch oh well


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## Maryellen

Im going to see if these hatch and get the vaccines to give at a day old.


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## seminole wind

I hope this goes well. It would be nice if you could get some chicks!


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## Maryellen

Down to 18 eggs. Some are 4 days apart.


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## Steinwand

Wow thats a staggering hatch my hen abandoned four eggs I added them only two days after she went broody sad but I learned not to do that again


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## Maryellen

Yeah i couldnt resist adding a few more eggs lol


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## Maryellen

Maybe 6 will hatch 4 days later


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## chickenqueen

I'm crossing my fingers and toes,hoping you have a successful hatch !!!


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## Maryellen

Ready and waiting


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## Maryellen

Today is day 18. Im debating on leaving the turner in till tomorrow.


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## Maryellen

Turner is out. Egg carton is in this way the eggs stay upright to see if this helps. I used a farm innovator 4250 this time to see if hatching is easier with the eggs standing upright vs the incuview and eggs laying down. I had too many chicks pip under the egg and didnt make it. 
I didnt want to leave the eggs in the turner so i swapped the turner for an egg carton.
The cage is higher up so my new cat cant get to them that easy. I still have to wrap the sides of the cage


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## seminole wind

I think incubating and hatching is like bowling a high score. The more flippant your mindset is the better the score gets!


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## chickenqueen

ME,I hope you have a successful hatch!!!


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## Maryellen

I agree karen!! Im curious to see if any hatch and what i get


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## Maryellen

We have a small pip!!! Today is day 20.


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## seminole wind

Oh! Lovely day! Can't wait to see!


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## Maryellen

2 more pips


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## Sylie

I am crossing my fingers for a no problem hatch! This is so exciting! Please keep us updated as the day goes on


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## Sylie

So, I have a question on hatching. I know next to nothing about hatching in an incubator, never have done it and until we move to the country (yeah...some day) I don't have any plans to do it but, I like to learn stuff.
My question is...when you are using an incubator you have to watch the humidity, raise and lower it etc according to how long the eggs have been in there and how long until hatch, so, how does a hen raise and lower the humidity when she is sitting on them? Does her body do it naturally? Does her body just "know" when they need more or less? How does she know when they are about to hatch?


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## Steinwand

I know that hens will sit on eggs till they hear peeping, I think they just have one humidity "setting" lol


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## chickenqueen

I don't know but it was easier to let the hens do it.Incubating is kinda stressful-temp,humidity checks,adding water,removing water,making sure the egg turner is turning,candling(which I suck at),counting days until lock down,removing egg turner,etc and it's usually set up where you are a lot so you are always checking something,even when you don't need to.It's a long 3 weeks.Then you have chicks to raise.I'm enjoying my first and second hens raising their own babies,that's the way to go but I do miss the babies in the living room(but not the work).


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## Sylie

Steinwand said:


> I know that hens will sit on eggs till they hear peeping, I think they just have one humidity "setting" lol


Haha "one humidity setting" that's hilarious


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## Sylie

chickenqueen said:


> I don't know but it was easier to let the hens do it.Incubating is kinda stressful-temp,humidity checks,adding water,removing water,making sure the egg turner is turning,candling(which I suck at),counting days until lock down,removing egg turner,etc and it's usually set up where you are a lot so you are always checking something,even when you don't need to.It's a long 3 weeks.Then you have chicks to raise.I'm enjoying my first and second hens raising their own babies,that's the way to go but I do miss the babies in the living room(but not the work).


I honestly would like to try it once, just for the experience but first of all, I'm not paying the kind of money they ask for incubators just to hatch eggs once and second I'm too "fretty" I would never leave my room or sleep or eat, I'd be watching the eggs 24/7, I'd be a wreck by day 10.


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## chickenqueen

Start watching Craig's List or Let It Go for used ones.It is a neat experience to hatch your own but stressful.If you lived close,I'd let you borrow mine.I've got the basic styrofoam one,nothing fancy and it's the cheap end but it works.About $100 new for the bator and egg turner.You don't really need an egg turner,you could always turn them yourself several times a day,marking the eggs with pencil to keep track of which side is which.Where there is a will,there is a way.


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## Sylie

chickenqueen said:


> Start watching Craig's List or Let It Go for used ones.It is a neat experience to hatch your own but stressful.If you lived close,I'd let you borrow mine.I've got the basic styrofoam one,nothing fancy and it's the cheap end but it works.About $100 new for the bator and egg turner.You don't really need an egg turner,you could always turn them yourself several times a day,marking the eggs with pencil to keep track of which side is which.Where there is a will,there is a way.


I thought about Craig's list etc but I figured, if I were to get an egg that might be fertile in the future, I might try to build one, I've seen instructions for building one. I don't know how well those home made ones would work though.
There's a chance (see my thread start called "Ummm..." on the gender forum) that I may not have any eggs to put in an incubator anyway haha!


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## chickenqueen

You can buy fertile eggs on line or maybe find someone who raises chickens and get some eggs from them.Where there's a will,there's a way.Try the web site Instructables for incubator blue prints.It would be something you could work on over the winter.


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## Sylie

chickenqueen said:


> You can buy fertile eggs on line or maybe find someone who raises chickens and get some eggs from them.Where there's a will,there's a way.Try the web site Instructables for incubator blue prints.It would be something you could work on over the winter.


I think Instructables is where I found them before when I was looking around, I'll have to go back and look again, thx!

I'll check with the people that we gave our RiR roo to a few years ago, maybe they have some fertile ones running around. (or laying around since...eggs don't have legs until later)


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## Maryellen

With incubators they have gages to tell you when to add water. They are preset with temperature. I add water then check the gage every few days to see if i need to add water. 
I prefer my hens to hatch but i dont have any silkies (silkies are great broody mommas). 
Some people make incubators out of Styrofoam or old wine refrigerators.


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## Steinwand

I actually forgot abt my broody hen for a few days lol she didn't die but with a broody it's way less stress


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## Maryellen

2 chicks hatched so far. Ill get pics when i get home from work


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> 2 chicks hatched so far. Ill get pics when i get home from work


OOOO! Congratulations! Do you have any more pipping?


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## Maryellen

2 chicks so far


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## Maryellen




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## Maryellen

3rd one just hatched out


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## Maryellen

Two are drier. The chipmunk one is a rir langshan australorp mix

The other one could be a olive egger as it came out of an olive egg


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Two are drier. The chipmunk one is a rir langshan australorp mix
> 
> The other one could be a olive egger as it came out of an olive egg
> 
> View attachment 29627


OMG! They are so awesome! I'm so happy for you!!


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## Maryellen

#3


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## Maryellen

Drying off


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Drying off
> 
> View attachment 29629
> 
> View attachment 29630
> 
> View attachment 29631


OH they are so fantastic! Adorable. Thank you for keeping us updated


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## Maryellen

2 more eggs pipped. Hopefully by morning they will hatch.


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## Maryellen

18 eggs total. 3 hatched so far. A bunch of eggs arent due to hatch till next week. And of course i lent my other 2 incubators out ... i would have had the later ones in a seperate one


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## Maryellen

2 more this morning

One olive egger one mix


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## chickenqueen

Looks like the incubator is working fine.Congratulations!!!


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## Maryellen

Im pleased with it, so far no side pips. I love my incuview, but i had way to many pip sideways and upside down.


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## Maryellen

I am.also using an egg carton to make sure the chicks pip the top. This way the eggs dont get rolled and pip on the bottom. I lost too many chicks that pipped on the bottom and drowned


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Im pleased with it, so far no side pips. I love my incuview, but i had way to many pip sideways and upside down.


I know next to zero about incubating, as I've said before, but if my imagination is even close to correct, the egg carton is a fantastic idea and you were smart to think of it.


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## Maryellen

Thank you Sylie, but i didnt think of the egg carton, i saw someone use it on another chicken forum i was on . I cut the carton sides so it wasnt so tall


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## Maryellen




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## Maryellen

#6 just hatched. Could be a breda chick


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> View attachment 29642
> 
> View attachment 29643
> 
> View attachment 29644
> 
> View attachment 29645
> 
> View attachment 29646
> 
> View attachment 29647


Wow, how great this is, I forgot or maybe I didn't see it but where did you get the eggs? From your own girls or did you buy them? They are all amazing. Are there more to hatch yet?


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## Maryellen

I have 2 coops, one coop has 2 roosters and 18 hens and the other coop has 1 rooster and 4 hens. I have a 3rd coop with 2 month old chicks getting used to everyone. 
Every year i do a few hatches lol.


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## Maryellen

I go for cool looking hens and colored eggs


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> I go for cool looking hens and colored eggs


That's fantastic! I wish I had the space to do some hatching, I think I have the fever now.


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## Maryellen

#7 at 4am this morning.
Baby breda chick


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## Maryellen

Sylie i use a rabbit cage that i can keep in my house, then they go on the porch, then growout pen /coop then in with the other hens once everyone is used to each other. My house is tiny so i move furniture around lol to accomodate the cage

Here is my cage between my bird cages. (Normally its on the floor there but my new 2 yr old half blind cat has a bit too much interest so i had to put the cage up where he cant jump on it)


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## I love chickens

Maryellen said:


> Ready and waiting
> 
> View attachment 29556


Were died you get the 'heat pad' we just use a heat lamp


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## I love chickens

Did not died


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## Maryellen

I got it on Amazon. I have 2 brinsea ones and this premier. They are a bit more pricey but alot safer and my chicks do better


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## Maryellen

Plus my dogs and cats cant knock it over. I had a heat lamp break on my porch .luckily i was there when it happened. I went to the heat warmers after that. Its adjustable so as they grow i raise it up


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## chickenqueen

Sylie said:


> I think I have the fever now.


I just want you to know there is no cure,except more chickens,and then it's temporary,until you get more chickens...
I like the heating pad idea.I have babies out with a heat light over a 2'' tall cement block and I see the babies lay on it under the light like they like laying on a warm surface.I may switch to pads in the future.It does make more sense as heat rises.ME,I was wondering if you did any Bredas.I was glad to see you did.


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## Maryellen

CQ alot of the eggs are breda eggs, so im hoping they hatch. I wasnt sure if the roosters were fertile but it looks like they are.
Yeah chicken math is an addiction


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## Maryellen

2 breda chicks and an olive egger. The really big one im betting is a rooster


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## Maryellen

7 eggs hatched. The remaining 11 are quitters. I just candled them as they are due to hatch next week and i see no movement. Ill wait it out though just to be sure.


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Sylie i use a rabbit cage that i can keep in my house, then they go on the porch, then growout pen /coop then in with the other hens once everyone is used to each other. My house is tiny so i move furniture around lol to accomodate the cage
> 
> Here is my cage between my bird cages. (Normally its on the floor there but my new 2 yr old half blind cat has a bit too much interest so i had to put the cage up where he cant jump on it)
> 
> View attachment 29657


I see, thank you  It really is a great set up that you have there. I more meant that I am only allowed 10 birds total (city laws) and I have 8 right now (3 BR's, 2 khaki campbell ducks, a cayuga duck and my 2 d'Uccle's), I'm sorry that I didn't make that clear


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> 7 eggs hatched. The remaining 11 are quitters. I just candled them as they are due to hatch next week and i see no movement. Ill wait it out though just to be sure.


I hope that they are going to hatch but you know more than I about it. I'll keep my fingers crossed!


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## Sylie

chickenqueen said:


> I just want you to know there is no cure,except more chickens,and then it's temporary,until you get more chickens...
> I like the heating pad idea.I have babies out with a heat light over a 2'' tall cement block and I see the babies lay on it under the light like they like laying on a warm surface.I may switch to pads in the future.It does make more sense as heat rises.ME,I was wondering if you did any Bredas.I was glad to see you did.


no cure? I can't get vaccinated? Well dang it! Now I have to start looking for a house in the country! *wink*


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## Maryellen

Oh Sylie, you have a limit? I see alot of places do. Here in my town there is no limit. 
Another olive egg pipped, i couldnt see in it so the dark ones i always wait to see what happens.


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## Maryellen

My heat warmers the chicks go under. A heat pad that they sit on cant keep them completely warm.


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Oh Sylie, you have a limit? I see alot of places do. Here in my town there is no limit.
> Another olive egg pipped, i couldnt see in it so the dark ones i always wait to see what happens.


Unfortunately, yes, limit of 10 birds, no roosters (drakes are okay though), no pea fowl, guinea fowl or other birds considered excessively noisy. They have serious space restraints also, (which I am in violation of but no one has said anything so...) for example, the coop and run have to be in the backyard only, must be a minimum of 40 ft from neighboring houses and then the usual stuff about maintaining sanitary conditions blah blah, pens have to be covered so the birds don't fly out and run loose etc etc. 
I want to move outside city limits so badly!!


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Oh Sylie, you have a limit? I see alot of places do. Here in my town there is no limit.
> Another olive egg pipped, i couldnt see in it so the dark ones i always wait to see what happens.


So this one that you say pipped, is that #8? Or have I lost count somewhere?


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## Maryellen

Yep this one is #8. It just hatched and is going to stay in the incubator for a bit until its dry then ill move it to the brooder


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## Maryellen

#8 and surprise #9 .
#7 isnt doing well . Not really drinking and eating. Failure to thrive unfortunately happens, and #7 is a breda chick and they are very difficult to get to survive .


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## chickenqueen

Try force feeding a little vanilla Ensure(or cheaper equivalent).Maybe a little liquid nutrition will jump start it to eat/drink.


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## Maryellen

I am going to try baby bird formula. The bredas are just so hard to get to the 3 week mark to survive. Usually the weak ones die no matter what you do. But ill try.


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> I am going to try baby bird formula. The bredas are just so hard to get to the 3 week mark to survive. Usually the weak ones die no matter what you do. But ill try.
> 
> View attachment 29676
> 
> View attachment 29677
> 
> View attachment 29678
> 
> View attachment 29679


Why are breda's so difficult? What is different about them than other chicks that makes them this way? 
I hope you can find a way to get her/him to eat.


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## Maryellen

Bredas are very rare and the US gene pool is small.

Once they get past the 2 week mark they usually survive, i had one die at 6 months old. 
Sylvester here she knows alot more then me on the breed.

I seperated the 4 larger chicks from the 5 just hatched smaller ones temporarily


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Bredas are very rare and the US gene pool is small.
> 
> Once they get past the 2 week mark they usually survive, i had one die at 6 months old.
> Sylvester here she knows alot more then me on the breed.
> 
> I seperated the 4 larger chicks from the 5 just hatched smaller ones temporarily
> 
> View attachment 29680


OH so it's almost like an inbreeding genetic issue?


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## Maryellen

Yeah , the gene pool is not as large as other breeds. They are a dutch breed, dual purpose meat and eggs. Here are some of my adults


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## Maryellen




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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> View attachment 29685
> 
> View attachment 29686


Those are some good looking chickens!
So, I have looked online for pictures of breda chickens to see exactly what they look like and I don't seem to have any luck picking out something that makes them look different from say my barred rocks. Do breda's have beards or feathered legs or top hats or mohawks or....? How would I know, on sight, that "this" chicken is a breda?


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## Maryellen

They dont have combs. They have vulture hocks. Large cavenous nostrils.heavy feathered legs and feet. They come in black, mottled, cuckoo, blue, splash, white, split to black.
They stand tall, and can fly very well.


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## Maryellen

And #7 has a slipped tendon. Its holding its one leg out


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## Maryellen

http://www.naturalark.com/breda.html


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> They dont have combs. They have vulture hocks. Large cavenous nostrils.heavy feathered legs and feet. They come in black, mottled, cuckoo, blue, splash, white, split to black.
> They stand tall, and can fly very well.


No combs? really! wow
Thank you for describing them to me, I appreciate it. They sound awesome


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> http://www.naturalark.com/breda.html


Oh wow, those are cool looking! Thank you for the link, I've bookmarked it and added it to my chicken folder.


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> And #7 has a slipped tendon. Its holding its one leg out


I've heard you can fix that but I've never had the misfortune to need to. I hope you can fix him!


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## Maryellen

2 more dud eggs are piping. I am glad im waiting. I couldnt see any veins or anything


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> 2 more dud eggs are piping. I am glad im waiting. I couldnt see any veins or anything


Awesome! maybe they will all hatch!


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## Maryellen

#10 hatched


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## Maryellen

Baby breda


__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> #10 hatched


Awesome!! So adorable


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## Maryellen

I pipped and quit it was a tan egg
2 more are pipping


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## Maryellen

Looks like the remaining ones are alive. I never throw out eggs until 6 days after due date just to be sure if i cant see in them


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Looks like the remaining ones are alive. I never throw out eggs until 6 days after due date just to be sure if i cant see in them


I think that's a safe thing to do (obviously since you have so many more make it). This has been a really interesting week following your hatch. How many more to go?


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## Maryellen

7 more to go


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## Maryellen

Ok scratching the egg carton. While it helps keep the eggs up i have 2 chicks that got their leg somehow stuck. So im hoping the 2nd chick that just hatched doesnt have a slipped tendon. Ill find out when i get home tonight. Bill had to move the newly hatched chick


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## Maryellen

Chick #11 hatched


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## seminole wind

That new chick is such a cutie!!! When I get down to eggs that didn't hatch and I am pretty sure they won't, I turn off the bator and leave them for a day.


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## Maryellen

#11 she is soooo tiny i hope its a female


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> #11 she is soooo tiny i hope its a female
> 
> View attachment 29716
> 
> View attachment 29717


omg she's so adorable!


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## Maryellen

Im really hoping she is a female. She is alot smaller then the others. I know there is one male that hatched out thursday so im hoping i wont have more males then females. 
There are 7 eggs left


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## Maryellen

#12 hatched, looks like a breda chick


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## Maryellen

#13 is trying to hatch. Its an ee mix and i dont know if it will make it


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## Maryellen

#13 just hatched. Looks like a breda chick too.
Now to hope they survive to 3 weeks


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> #12 hatched, looks like a breda chick
> 
> View attachment 29718
> 
> View attachment 29719


Why does it look dead? Congratz on all of the ones that are hatching out! so much fun!


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## Maryellen

Because it takes alot for them to hatch, once they break the hard shell they then have to break the shell apart and kick out. Some chicks get very tired after. Some are stronger then others and recover faster


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Because it takes alot for them to hatch, once they break the hard shell they then have to break the shell apart and kick out. Some chicks get very tired after. Some are stronger then others and recover faster


Aaah, gotcha, I wondered if that was the case, it has to be a lot of work for the little guys. Okay, good, as long as it's normal


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## Maryellen

Here they are. Drying off

It takes alot of energy to hatch. I will post a video so you can see


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## Maryellen

#14 just hatched. This one is a barnyard mix


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## Maryellen

Little 14


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## chickenqueen

How's it going feeding the Bredas baby bird food?Are you getting them to eat?


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## Maryellen

The slipped tendon one passed this morning 
The rest of the chicks are eating the chick starter food good


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> The slipped tendon one passed this morning
> The rest of the chicks are eating the chick starter food good


I'm sorry about the one chick passing away, that's sad.
I am glad to hear that they are eating their food, maybe all of the rest will be okay.


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## Maryellen

Hopefully they survive


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## seminole wind

I hope so too.


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## Maryellen

I have 13 chicks, one definitely a male lol. Hopefully the 12 are hens hahahaha


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## Maryellen

#14


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> #14
> 
> View attachment 29722
> 
> View attachment 29723
> 
> View attachment 29724
> 
> View attachment 29725


what a cutie!


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## Maryellen

Thanks! Too bad this one is probably a rooster, pretty big comb already


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Thanks! Too bad this one is probably a rooster, pretty big comb already


lol I noticed the same thing, hard to believe that it could be that big straight from the shell.

What do you do with the chickens you can't keep?


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## Maryellen

The roosters get culled


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> The roosters get culled


Oh, I suppose there's not much choice, you can't have a million roosters. Sad but a fact of life.


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## chickenqueen

Congratulations!!!The incubator is working fine.


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## Maryellen

Yeah sylie, i have 3 roosters now, thats all i want. Sad part of chickens but no one wants roosters.


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## Maryellen

Here everyone is together now and introduced the littles to shavings and a large waterer.


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## Maryellen

And more


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## Maryellen

Im very happy with the incubator, just gotta figure out how to make sure the eggs pip the right way once taken out of the turner. Next batch im going to cut an egg carton even lower and see how that works


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> And more
> View attachment 29737
> 
> View attachment 29738
> 
> View attachment 29739
> 
> View attachment 29740


omg, looking at these pictures just makes me grin like a little kid being presented with candy.
I'm obviously old enough and experienced enough to understand how chicks come to be and hatch and all that is involved but for some reason, I just find it miraculous and I'm so jealous. I am tempted to copy your pictures and use them as rotating desktop backgrounds hahaha, they just make me smile.

The neighbor is having new gutters installed on her house and I had my ducks out free ranging this morning, he struck up a convo with me about the fact that he just got 2 ducks and he mentioned he has chickens but doesn't know what they are. I asked for a description and he said they look like my BR's but with feathered legs. I didn't ask for many details but by his description, i assume cochin, anyway, not the point. he told me he lives in the next town over, it's significantly smaller town and has NO ANIMAL REGULATIONS!!, he lives just at the end of main street and has goats and chickens and ducks and omg!! I laughed and asked him if he knew of any property for sale that I could buy hahaha, he said, as a matter of fact, the place across the street from him is for sale, 3 bedrooms 2 acres of land, 69k! I almost fainted. My husband said no lol we are JUST paying off the last mortgage payment on our current place in 2 weeks, no way are we taking on another mortgage this soon, I understand but at the same time I wanted to cry, it would be perfect and only about 12 miles from where we currently live, easy peasy drive to work. 
So, my point is that, if we had that place, I could incubate chicks too! (and have goats and pigs and whatever I want and had room for, I realize 2 acres is not enough for everything I want but...you know!)


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## Maryellen

We only have 1 acre..i would love more acreage


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## seminole wind

Cute chicks! 
I have an acre, half should be "pasture" but it's all overgrown.


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> We only have 1 acre..i would love more acreage


Well, you can buy this place that I'm talking about and we can share! hahaha


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## Maryellen

I want a minimum of 15 acres lol


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> I want a minimum of 15 acres lol


lol that would be awesome! I wouldn't mind a piece that big either


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## chickenqueen

I have 5 acres and with trees lining all 4 sides,I don't have to look at the neighbors.LOL 5 acres is pretty big and was the minimum I would accept,though I wish I'd gone more rural but the closest town with grocery stores,feed store,movie theater and other businesses is 10 min away or less.No animal regulations,I can hunt here and even play with explosives if I want to(which I don't but have thought about it,might be a handy skill in the future).Sometimes it sounds like WWIII with automatic and semi-automatic gun fire and explosions all around.


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## seminole wind

5 acres surrounded by trees must be a dream.


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## Sylie

seminolewind said:


> 5 acres surrounded by trees must be a dream.


agreed, I would LOVE to have that much property


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## Maryellen

Too bad this is a rooster, he is a rir langshan olive egger mix

Mork throws beautiful chicks with amazing tempermemt, so friendly


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Too bad this is a rooster, he is a rir langshan olive egger mix
> 
> Mork throws beautiful chicks with amazing tempermemt, so friendly
> 
> View attachment 29744
> 
> View attachment 29745
> 
> View attachment 29746
> 
> View attachment 29747


awww  He is really cute


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## chickenqueen

ME,are the Breda chicks eating for you?It is nice,surrounded by trees but the house is in the middle of the field.I've been planting maples around the house for shade,it's so hot July and Aug.The pines are perfect cover for the younguns.The raptors can't get to them under there and they can run from pine to pine without exposing themselves,about 500' worth.I have their coop nestled in the pines.


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## Maryellen

Yes everyone is eating, i was panicking with what sue went thru


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## Maryellen

This batch of breda chicks are calmer too. So far not as neurotic as last years chicks


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## chickenqueen

I'm happy to hear the Bredas are eating and doing well.Keep up the good work!!!


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## Maryellen

Pics from today. The huge one is a rooster i think, based on size and stance.
Everyone is growing good.
He is in between the 2 brown chicks. His face coloring is so cool. Too bad it wont stay that way

I know there is 2 definite roosters in this batch so far. .
Waiting and watching for the next 3 months will show whatever more i got


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## seminole wind

I have a hard time giving up roosters. And yours are so nice.


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## Maryellen

Thank you!! 
You can have them lol. I have 3 roosters i kept, i cant keep all the roosters i have no room .


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Pics from today. The huge one is a rooster i think, based on size and stance.
> Everyone is growing good.
> He is in between the 2 brown chicks. His face coloring is so cool. Too bad it wont stay that way
> 
> I know there is 2 definite roosters in this batch so far. .
> Waiting and watching for the next 3 months will show whatever more i got


What a beautiful flock of babies! 
In picture 5 I love that brown one peeking out from behind the water dish! omg haha


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## Maryellen

Thank you. That brown one is so friendly.


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Thank you. That brown one is so friendly.


What breed is it? I forgot what all you hatched besides breda's


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## Maryellen

Its a barnyard mix- rir langshan australorp mix , the other black one and rust one are rir langshan olive eggers and the other brown is rir langshan australorp mix.


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## Maryellen

I cant wait to see how the barnyard mixes feather out, they are always a surprise lol


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> I cant wait to see how the barnyard mixes feather out, they are always a surprise lol


I bet it's fun to finally see what they look like.


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## Maryellen

I take a ton of pics so i can see the transformation lol


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> I take a ton of pics so i can see the transformation lol


lol I have told myself a million times that next time I get chicks I'm going to take weekly pics so I can follow the development later, it never happens lol


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## Maryellen

I take daily lol. I take pics of every thing lol.


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## chickenqueen

They are looking active and happy!!!Keep up the good work!!!


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## Maryellen

Today. Im really hoping the small breda chicks are female. You can see the male in the 2nd pic behind the 2 smaller ones.


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## Maryellen

More


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## Maryellen

Quick video


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Today. Im really hoping the small breda chicks are female. You can see the male in the 2nd pic behind the 2 smaller ones.
> 
> View attachment 29768
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> View attachment 29769
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> View attachment 29773
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> 
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> View attachment 29780


I want the brown chick in pic 4, HAND HER OVER! haha (kidding) she really is a cutie.


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## Maryellen

That brown chick you want i have a feeling its a male lol


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> That brown chick you want i have a feeling its a male lol


Well of course it is! Aren't they all? lol Doesn't seem to matter if I pick from a pullet bin at the feed store or fall in love with a random chick, it's my luck, they are males hahahaha. I am beginning to think my mille fleur is also a male now, she is 6 weeks old today and her comb is getting more red by the day and it grew double it's size in a week....maybe I just need to buy a small piece of land outside of town and get all the chickens I want ahaha. I could move the camper out there and just live there! I bought 6 RiR's years ago, from the pullet bin at the feed store. (it was my first year keeping chickens, I didn't know hatchery from a hole in the wall) of the 6, 4 were male.... I rehomed them and went back and got 2 random banty's, 1 was male, the next year I bought 2 ducklings, both were males. I bought 6 BR pullets, 3 were male, I bought my d'uccle's this year, 1 and possibly both are males. I just have a thing about getting males I guess hahaha


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## Maryellen

Ugh thats alot of males omg.


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Ugh thats alot of males omg.


Yes it sure is. I've stopped hoping for females now and just assume all chickens are males. It's a sad world hahaha


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## Maryellen

Unless you buy adults, then you will know lol


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Unless you buy adults, then you will know lol


lol yeah, I guess that's probably the only way haha


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## Maryellen

Todays pics

They were introduced to the dust bath


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Todays pics
> 
> They were introduced to the dust bath
> View attachment 29834
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Look how much they've grown! And the teeny little wing feathers! Oh and there's my little brown baby! (*talks baby talk to the brown one*)


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## Maryellen

They are getting soo big, but this batch are feathering out really slow. . Ill get more pics oc your brown chick tomorrow


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> They are getting soo big, but this batch are feathering out really slow. . Ill get more pics oc your brown chick tomorrow


Awesome! I can't wait to see them!


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## seminole wind

You would think that hatching, raising, keeping chickens would make looking at chicks kinda boring. Like been there done that. But no, we still get eggcited looking at chicks!


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## Maryellen

Sylie i made a seperate thread for you


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Sylie i made a seperate thread for you


Awesome! Thank you, I'm going to look at it right now


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## Maryellen

Brown ones have pretty feathers coming in


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## Maryellen

Sue look at this breda nostril... totally flawed


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Sue look at this breda nostril... totally flawed
> 
> View attachment 29878


I'm not Sue but...holy canoli it looks like she *headdesk*'d too many times!


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## seminole wind

I am amazed that Brownie has 3 breeds intermixed and is coming out with that nice wing pattern. Where is it coming from?


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## Maryellen

Im not sure. I posted brownie and its sibling who is brown chipmunk colors and they said these 2 are from my.olive egger hen. Which is very possible, so then they would be olive egger rir langshan mix chicks. The genetic forum is amazing, they talk about colors scientifically. Its soo cool.


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## Maryellen

They said the breda chick is breda polish due to the comb as i posted that one too. A friend of mine has a la fleche chick with the same comb


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## Maryellen

They said brownies pattern will change again and that pattern wont stay


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## Maryellen

Here, turken x polish


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> They said brownies pattern will change again and that pattern wont stay


I think she's beautiful and I'm sure she will be beautiful as a grown up no matter what her pattern is.


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## Maryellen

This mornings pics


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## Maryellen

And more

I changed their water containers to the cups


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> And more
> 
> I changed their water containers to the cups
> View attachment 29910
> View attachment 29911
> View attachment 29912
> View attachment 29913
> View attachment 29914


OMG they are so amazingly cute! just look at those teeny tails! awwwww! Set 1 pic 7 the dark one, haha looks like she is saying "I seeeeee youuuu!" Set 1 pic 8 "photo bomb!" Set 2 pic 1 "I've been elected foreman of the group and I'm here to say "We demand treats!" Set 2 pic 4 "Excuse me, Do you have any grey poupon?"

Okay I got it out of my system for now  
Great pics Maryellen


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## Maryellen

This one is very curious lol.
Here they are now, upgraded to 2 cages so they have more room
I stapled the dish towel to cardboard for their ramp. Took them a few seconds to realize how to use it. 
View attachment 29917







View attachment 29919
View attachment 29920


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## Maryellen

Video from this morning


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## Maryellen

Another one


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> Another one


Awesome videos! *singsong voice* - I got to see Brownie woot! She's going to have the feathered feet too it looks like. What a nice looking bunch of chicks.


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## Maryellen

Yeah the feather feet is coming from mork who is rir langshan roo mix. Last year he threw 3 chicks with feathered legs


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## Maryellen

I think brownie will be a female, so far 1 chick has red wattles, brownie has none yet


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## Sylie

Maryellen said:


> I think brownie will be a female, so far 1 chick has red wattles, brownie has none yet


oooooo!! that's a good sign!


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## Maryellen

Chicks tonight. Mostly bredas


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