Viva Las Vegas! - Page 11

Been kinda quiet on here lately! My wife, Karen, and I are going to the Pomona Bird Mart this weekend. My Barney eggs are due to hatch Tuesday which means I would usually put them in lockdown on Saturday. Seeing as how I won't be here do you think it would be OK to put them in lockdown a day early?

Max

A 1-day earlier lockdown should be okay. 

Do you put them in cartons upright or just leave them on the racks or put them on the 'bator floor?  Either way works.

Quote:

Originally Posted by muckmuck 

Been kinda quiet on here lately! My wife, Karen, and I are going to the Pomona Bird Mart this weekend. My Barney eggs are due to hatch Tuesday which means I would usually put them in lockdown on Saturday. Seeing as how I won't be here do you think it would be OK to put them in lockdown a day early?

 

Max

I applaud your ability to just go off and let nature do her thing.  When we hatched our first chick (a month or so ago) we were completely psychotic!  Never again!!  I hope IF we ever do it again that I will have learned enough about patience to be able to just leave them be.  Maybe we should just schedule to be elsewhere on hatching day...it would probably be better for us and them. 

It took me about half a dozen hatches before I chilled out and quit obsessing.....................as much! 

Quote:

Originally Posted by muckmuck 

It took me about half a dozen hatches before I chilled out and quit obsessing.....................as much! 

That sounded pretty cool didn't it? Below is some excerpts from todays post on my blog.

I set 16 eggs 3 weeks ago but half of them candled clear at 2 weeks leaving 8 at lockdown last Friday. Last night I noticed one pipping and lo & behold I had one cute little Fluffy Butt waiting for me when I woke up this morning!

When I left for work there were 2 more pipping the thought of which kept me totally distracted all day at work. Karen moved Barney #1 to the brooder and let me know that Barney #2 was hatching and #3 and #4 were pipped. I hurried home expecting Barney #1 & #2 to be in the brooder all fluffed up and fine but that was not to be. Barney #1 is doing great but #2 has what I believe is a prolapsed vent, which basically means its intestines were outside. Hoping it was just the umbilical I snipped it off but it is leaking yellow bile looking fluid and I don’t hold out much hope for poor #2. Barney #3 and #4 appear to be doing OK though and I have moved them into the brooder. 

Above is from right to left Barney #1 #3 & #4 . Hatching chickens shouldn’t be this stressful!

southern Nevadans, how's it going?

Congrats on the Barnie hatch, sorry about #2.  I've actually gotten to where I don't even bother looking until hatch day gets there (my hatches have started early by as much as 2-3 days), just move the first hatched to the brooder and help the completely glued ones out of the shell.  Yes, I know slaps hand, I help them at that point because they are going to die for sure if I don't and 50/50 if I do.  Just hatched 10 of 12 (blue, black, splash turkeys) on this weeks hatch so far and will leave the eggs in for a couple of days before I do the "eggtopsy" to check development.  Sorry, no pics.  There are more turkey and pheasant is for later.  How was the bird mart?
 

All told I ended up with 4 cute little Barnevelder fluffy butts!

Max

MuckMuck: did that include the one with the potential vent prolapse?  If so, congrats!  It really was stressful to hatch an egg.  Of course, like all babies they sure are sweet when they are new.  Our theory around here is that babies of all species are cute otherwise you'd want to kill them.  For example, that cute little puppy that pees on the rug for the 10th time in one day...it's a good thing they are so adorable it makes up for all the trouble!