2015 August hatch-a-long!!

[Cynthia12]

Glory, that is just so strange that the hen acts like that with her new babies. Not a good mama. Nope. :/ You may need to stick with another broody mom. One that loves babies. :/

Did you work something out for a brooder for the babies? I use the plastic tubs, put a sturdy wire on top so a heat lamp can lay on top. Works great. Good luck with your babies. Your..babies.

 

[Cynthia12]

Gita, so sorry for a bad hatch. Are you going to try again?

 

[Gloryjasmine]

Glory, that is just so strange that the hen acts like that with her new babies.   Not a good mama.  Nope.  :/    You may need to stick with another broody mom.  One that loves babies.  :/

Did you work something out for a brooder for the babies?  I use the plastic tubs, put a sturdy wire on top so a heat lamp can lay on top.  Works great.    Good luck with your babies.  Your..babies. 

yea I know. It's so sad to me. She was setting for a long x because this was her 2nd batch. I think maybe she just got "too broody"!!! So she is not on any now. I've removed all of her chicks and eggs. I'm trying to get her to snap out of it! She is great with her chick from the first hatch! The only one she didn't kill. It's the gray(barred rocks) chicks she doesn't like. But when I saw her draw blood from the newborn Banty..... Um no. Had to do something. Well kind of.....

they're in my cat carrier on a heating pad lined with a washcloth and a little bit if pine chips. The chicks are great! But I'm not sure if the remaining eggs are even fertile,or viable. Might be quitters even. I need to separate them maybe just in case they explode!!!

yes ma'am! They are MY babies.

 

[bbgranch]

Loving all of the pics, congrats guys! I promise I'll share chick pics of my first 2 hatches. I've been busy, and they're growing like little weeds!

I have 2 more batches cooking right now, due to hatch on the 24th and 29th, I believe. I've also got 6 duck eggs in the incubator, but they aren't set to hatch until the first week of September.

Edited to add:
Before I forget again, here they are! It's hard to tell, but there are nearly 40 chicks all piled up in the corner!

Look at all those cuties! I want to hatch some chickens next. Need to wait until its a bit cooler.

 

[Ugadano]

Well, good news, 2 of the 3 eggs I found about day 17 that were smashed by the warring bigfoot hen conflict survived and hatched. One was stinky within a day or 2 and I caught it right away and removed. I had put scotch tape over the main 'windshield' shattering spots and carefully removed it when I started hearing excited peeps, but I probably could have left it as it was on the big end, high above the air cell border. They zip around well below that. They actually hatched a couple of days ahead of schedule, so that worked out well for me. I was just worried when I heard a day 18 or 19 chick peeping through the cracks, but he/she is strong and happy. I will slip them in under momma tonight with their clutchmates.






I have a layer of eggs below them that I discovered in the tractor tire, they are at various stages of development up to 5 days, so another crazy hatch episode in the future. Plus my 4th setting hen over a clutch of mostly green eggs that I started the 5th, so due around the 26th.

Sorry to hear about the hens rejecting certain breed chicks! I think I'd make her a hood and see if the smell alone is different or just the sight of them sets her off.

As to the cedar or red colored chips in the shavings, I had heard that cedar was toxic to chicks and I only use pine shavings.

My DIY incubator is a foam chest with 2 nightlights, no fan or thermostat, so I constantly have to check on it and tweak it. It seems my bulbs are losing their intensity lately, as it is hard to get the temp over 100 and it used to go quite high if I didn't watch closely. May have to replace a bulb. I have 2 sponges that I add warmed water onto if the humidity is lower than I want the last few days, and if I have to open up, I mist a few squirts to bring it up before replacing the lid.

For those who have 'late' eggs and wonder, if you have been candling occasionally and can no longer tell from that if they are still viable, or can't tell on dark shells, have you tried the warm water test? There are links somewhere on here for how to do that, basically, they will float a little and once they become still after putting into the water, you can watch for movement. Be sure there are no cracks or pips before this immersion though. One minute won't hurt an intact shell and that should be plenty to get some jiggle indicator that you want to keep the egg a little longer. Also you can gently hold and smell up close the individual eggs to check for stinkies. If you have a small vent hole in the box, you can tell if there is any different odor by sniffing up close several times a day. At least that has been my experience here lately.

Really enjoy seeing everyone's pics, and grateful for all the helpful advice all along! I learn something new every day!

 

[butterfliesdoku]

So maybe I'm just being impatient but today is day 20 for my broody's lone Australorp egg and it hasn't pipped yet... don't they normally pip on day 19 or 20?

 

[darkbluespace]

So maybe I'm just being impatient but today is day 20 for my broody's lone Australorp egg and it hasn't pipped yet... don't they normally pip on day 19 or 20?

It's not late yet! The last days are the hardest to wait!

 

[CaseyV]

So maybe I'm just being impatient but today is day 20 for my broody's lone Australorp egg and it hasn't pipped yet... don't they normally pip on day 19 or 20?

My lemon cuckoos didn't pip until late day 21.

 

[Cynthia12]

I agree, wait on those eggs, especially if they are large eggs. They always take longer. The RIR's that I just hatched, all hatched a day early. The Red Sex Link, pipped late day 20, hatched day 21 and 22.

 

[butterfliesdoku]

Thanks everyone! It's even harder to wait when it'll be the first baby we've ever hatched here!