Christmas Competition 2017

classic33 said:
Why's the chicken got a vote?
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One the first lot of chicks hatched are a few days old, she won't remain sitting on the final lot of eggs (if there are any). Those newly hatched chicks can survive the first 24-48 hrs without food or water, because they absorb the remaining egg yolk then they have to feed. So mum is left with a choice, find food for the newly hatched chicks and keep them alive or keep sitting on the off chance there are any more. Plus she has had very little food herself during this period and can lose up to 80% of her body weight. She has to eat as well.

Hence the will come a point when she stops sitting and starts living like a chicken again. That's her vote.
 
morning glory said:
Is that the end of competition date?
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  • The closing date is determined by my chicken and myself.
  • I will candle any unhatched eggs to confirm if the chick inside is dead or never developed etc, so all 10 eggs will be checked one way or another.
  • In the event that no eggs hatch by day 25, I'll candle and confirm...
morning glory said:
When is day 25?
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Today is day 21, that's Friday here right now.
Day 25 will be Tuesday.

There are 2 options for the closing date. If nothing had hatched by Tuesday then I'll check all eggs... You candle them by shining a very bright light through them. This highlights the contents. With practice you can tell what's going on inside without opening the eggs, useful if the chick has died or never developed because it doesn't smell good when opened. If there's movement, then the chick is still alive and well go back under mum or into an incubator if mum has stopped sitting by then.

The other option is more positive. If chicks hatch then after a couple of days in the next mum will usually stop sitting of her own accord in order to feed her newly hatched chicks. They can go 24-48 hours before they need to feed or drink which allows mum to stay sitting on the eggs for any others to hatch out. Once mum no longer wants to sit on the eggs, I'll candle any remaining ones to see what is going on with them.

So the choice is Tuesday evening if no chicks or one mum stops sitting on unhatched eggs for the course of the competition.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
  • The closing date is determined by my chicken and myself.
  • I will candle any unhatched eggs to confirm if the chick inside is dead or never developed etc, so all 10 eggs will be checked one way or another.
  • In the event that no eggs hatch by day 25, I'll candle and confirm...


Today is day 21, that's Friday here right now.
Day 25 will be Tuesday.

There are 2 options for the closing date. If nothing had hatched by Tuesday then I'll check all eggs... You candle them by shining a very bright light through them. This highlights the contents. With practice you can tell what's going on inside without opening the eggs, useful if the chick has died or never developed because it doesn't smell good when opened. If there's movement, then the chick is still alive and well go back under mum or into an incubator if mum has stopped sitting by then.

The other option is more positive. If chicks hatch then after a couple of days in the next mum will usually stop sitting of her own accord in order to feed her newly hatched chicks. They can go 24-48 hours before they need to feed or drink which allows mum to stay sitting on the eggs for any others to hatch out. Once mum no longer wants to sit on the eggs, I'll candle any remaining ones to see what is going on with them.

So the choice is Tuesday evening if no chicks or one mum stops sitting on unhatched eggs for the course of the competition.
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The "Chicken Vote" been vetoed?
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Hence the will come a point when she stops sitting and starts living like a chicken again. That's her vote.
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classic33 said:
The "Chicken Vote" been vetoed?
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It's exceptionally unlikely that we will get to day 25. Chicken only generally need 21 days from day zero which is the moment you 'set' them under mum. I gave the hatch time of my previous chicks as a guide for people. Day 22 has usually been the last day of hatching in the past but the overnight temperatures have been colder than excepted recently and that could delay matters slightly.

If mum decides she is no longer sitting on the nest, I will double check all the eggs. It's her first time as a mum. They make mistakes. As it is, I don't except that that will be necessary (moving eggs into an incubator) which will be useful because I don't have one and would have to make one for the short period needed. There are ways around this problem if needed, but she's been a dedicated mother to this point. I will only use an incubator if there is a chance of keeping an unhatched chick alive after day 25. I'm only at day 22 now (which runs to roughly sunset this evening). I added that line in because I just don't like a) not knowing if any eggs still stand a chance of hatching and b) giving those last eggs if there are any a chance. I would probably end up having to hand raise them if they were that late hatching because they wouldn't be able to keep up with the older chicks plus chicks that hatch late tend to have abnormalities.

I'll update you all on the chick numbers when it is final... That gives anyone else chance to enter if they want to.
 
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Just in the nick of time... We may have an answer tomorrow (my time).
Remember it is the number of chicks hatched and alive (so dried out and running around) that is the decider. The day the first chick was hatched is the tie breaker if needed.
 
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