5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[JDchicks]

I so want to takes pics. But I think one is internally pipped and don't want to open the incubator. And since my heat lamp busted, I can't more them to the brooder pen yet.

Finally moved so I could see her.

 

[champer]

Bad news

I've lost all but already hatched #47 & now being assisted to hatch #15

The 4 others that were alive showing movement when I went to LD all shipped all died:

2 internal pips through viens (bloody beaks) <--blaming shipped air cell for bad positioning

2 internal pips but apparently could not move enough to external pip

these last 2 I blame on a combo of wonky shipped air cells plus a sudden drop in humidity that messed up my LD (house heat pump & big change of weather argh).

So since #15 has been internal piped for 48 hrs & external pipped w/ no signs of ever zipping and a worrisome lack of peeping I started assisting about 2 hrs ago.
In small stages we have progressed to still sitting in the bottom of the shell, taking a nap as if after having down its own zip, I'm hoping this will allow #15 to rally some vigor and finish hatching...

I'd really like this one CL or BAM from the shipped eggs to make it, esp. as #47 needs a buddy. My next batch of eggs is not due for a week. (& I added water to that bator this am, I normally dry hatch but the house heater was on so much last night I felt water will be required hope I'm not too late w/ those...the amt of increase in air cell size on the dead eggs in the past 48 hrs was rather alarming esp. given they are in w/ water in the bottom well plus a dish w/ water & sponge)

Everyone cross your fingers for #15 pls.

. I hope little #15 rallies and lives a long and happy life!

 

[fosterson]

Okay, I did. I gave her a feather duster and she snuggled in with it under the ecobrooder and seems less distressed. She's twittering instead of frantically cheeping, if that makes any sense. She made some green poo in the incubator that I assume is the first poo all baby things do. I really want her to have siblings, but I just don't see any indication the other eggs are going to do anything.

Congrats (late) Whoops! Whatcha gonna call this one? How bout Ramanathaswamy?

 

[champer]

I've got a pip!!!!!!!!!!!! First chick of the season( hopefully ).

Yay, hope it's the first of many more!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Ok. Thank you very much for the response. Maybe you can answer something I've wondered but haven't found an answer to yet. Once they pip internally is it possible for them to run out of oxygen inside the egg if they don't externally pip soon enough? Or would there still be enough air exchange through the pores to allow them to breath until they are ready to pip?

Ok! thanks for all that info! my breeder has 3 hens and one roo....I think. I was wanting to breed my roo I have now with one of my hens.....my roo is like 9-10 months old now? will this make a difference? could you help me with this breeding ratio?


yep! I also use my Nikon D70 but it is SOOOOOOO old....8 years maybe? so its pictures are not too clear anymore.

Younger roos (over 8 months) tend to be more fertile. Some people like to wait till a rooster is past their second molt to make sure they are resistant to disease and exhibit all their traits. The main thing is to use birds with the greatest vigor. No wimpy snifflers.
And 8 years is SOOOOOO old. Lol.

I found a used gqf sportsman for $350. love it the only problem it has room for 288 chicken eggs per hatch. it will enable you

~~Everyone looking for incubators, just keep an eye on Craigslist. I've seen lots of them on there over time.

I finally got tired of fiddling with my LG bator and having crummy hatches and built a wine cooler incubator. It holds the turner from the LG perfectly and cost maybe $300 including the stand it's on. It's working really well so far, but without finding the wine cooler on craigslist for $45 it wouldn't have happened.

My cabinet incubator/hatcher combination started with a shelving unit my son was throwing away. Added some plywood and OSB I had laying around, a few tiles and the structure was done. Wiring and fixtures I already had and the biggest bite were IW controllers. All tolled, it probably has 200 in it with things like thermometers, computer fans, air pump, a jug of wine to make the humidifier, etc..

It is huge and heavy and doesn't hold a lot for its size. Easily 126 in the incubator and about 50 in the hatcher.

 

[bantambury]

Finally moved so I could see her.

 

[Whoops]

Quote:
me too!

 

[mspj]

Update: 6 hatched, 3 from my flock and 3 Brahma. Lost the first one, but I have 5 healthy peeping chicks and 9 more pips, so with any luck I may have a bator full come morning.

 

[bantambury]

Younger roos (over 8 months) tend to be more fertile. Some people like to wait till a rooster is past their second molt to make sure they are resistant to disease and exhibit all their traits. The main thing is to use birds with the greatest vigor. No wimpy snifflers.
And 8 years is SOOOOOO old. Lol.

Ok thanks!
So lets say my breeder has 3 hens and 1 roo. say my jap, Cadbury, was made by hen #1 and the roo. lets say a chick I JUST hatched was made by hen #3 and the roo.
Could Cadbury and the chick that just hatched breed once older (and not have defects) if they had the same dad but different mom?

sooooo old. ROFL

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have to work most of the evening to make preps for the weather.
We're getting a big snow tonight another Sunday and another next Friday. Along with that are the lowest temperatures we've had in 15 years.
It is 34 right now and dropping. Lots of sub zeros on the way.
I think I'm going to spend the night moving all the birds to new quarters. I've had 7 flocks for a while and I'm trying to figure out how to get them into 3 buildings. 2 flocks of hens/juveniles and a building of just roosters so I can put a minute amount of heat on them to keep their bachelor pad above 15-20 degrees.