Friday, December 30, 2011

Hash update, building a vault, incubating eggs in a dehydrator

Hash watch.  Hash spent his second night back in the coop with the reds last night. This morning he didn't need any coaxing to come out and he was first in line for breakfast (very good sign).  We will keep watching him closely for  a few more days but we think the worst is over. He actually  crowed yesterday which made us very  happy .  None of the chickens are happy about being in complete lock down every night .  They are also unhappy that I am waiting until its full daylight  to let them out.  Jimmy put a good thick door over their  chicken entrance along with a strong,complicated latch.  They are now being kept in , for all purposes, a vault. The large trap I am borrowing  should be here today or tomorrow.  And I should look very fashionable in my coon skin cap next week.
Elphie left one egg behind and Prissy left 6.  I have made a makeshift incubator out of  my  dehydrator. The method I am using came from this link  http://www.thefreelibrary.com/How+to+hatch+eggs+in+an+incubator.-a018068214  If I can get a couple of babies out of this it will help.  I should know in about 6 days if the eggs were viable when I candle them. Some of Prissy's eggs were almost a week old.  And Elphies was 2 days old.  It's a long shot but I am going to try anyway.  I know that Prissy and Hash were doing the ancient dance but I'm not sure about Elphie.  So we will see what happens.
One of the reds started laying yesterday.  First one since the carnage.  I suspect its Hester since she is the youngest.   Jimmy and I talked  three weeks ago about trying the egg incubation in the dehydrator. He  was adamant about waiting until we move to try it.  And he was right. Trying to move and  brood chicks at the same time  would be a serious pain in the butt.  He came in the kitchen yesterday when I was turning the eggs. He didn't say a word.  Sometimes he's a very smart man. And I think in a manly-man sort of way he would like to see something of Prissy and Elphie saved as well.  I'm pretty certain that if this works he will give me a world of crap  when I'm trying to juggle moving and babysitting.  I'm also certain that he will spend goodly amounts of time playing with them and cooing over what nice chicken dinners they will be.  I'm also certain that if it doesn't work .... He will be stone silent.

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