Beginner's Hatch-A-Long

[Alaskan]

The breed is called "Blue Ameraucana"

Although, the color could be applied to the eggs as well! Now that I'm starting a flock of my own, I took a long time to decide what breed I wanted. When I found out about this breed, not only was I interested in how the birds looked (They're quite beautiful), I really was captivated by the egg color!

The chickens do look kinda blue though, dont they?

That is a beautiful blue chicken! I really like the blue breeds.

I hope you have a good hatch!

 

[ebnetbmd]

Well, update on our hatch... 19 BLRW shipped eggs have resulted in 8 hatched (one sticky chick) and 6 blood rings early at day 9, 2 shrink wrapped chicks due to low humidity after lock down, 2 non-fertile and one that hatched and didn't survive. We tried the dry incubation method. Humidity was low for most of the time. Temp was mostly stable. Had a couple spikes but not for long. Our new babies are so pretty. 4 dark and 4 light colored chicks. Will post pictures!

 

[Alaskan]

Well, update on our hatch... 19 BLRW shipped eggs have resulted in 8 hatched (one sticky chick) and 6 blood rings early at day 9, 2 shrink wrapped chicks due to low humidity after lock down, 2 non-fertile and one that hatched and didn't survive.  We tried the dry incubation method.  Humidity was low for most of the time.  Temp was mostly stable.  Had a couple spikes but not for long.  Our new babies are so pretty.  4 dark and 4 light colored chicks.  Will post pictures!

So, next time you incubate, will you do it the same way?

I know you said you lost some due to the low humidity, but do you think you would lost more if the humidity had been high?

 

[Mamahumecky]

34 went in 6 were culled 29 are on lock down. sad to say that most of my cochin were the ones culled but funny enough the free ones i got are all viable so we'll see what hatches i expect chicks by wed.

 

[Missyktsm]

Well my hatch was awful. I had 45 eggs and ended up with 8 chicks! Only 27 of the 48 actually went into lockdown - mostly clear, non-starters and a few bloodrings got tossed. Hatch day was horrible...talk about trial by fire! The very first egg that pipped had done nothing for 25 hours when I decided to help. I found the chick shrink wrapped and unable to move. I cleared the way a little, wrapped it in a damp paper towel and returned it to the bator. Seven hours later, she hatched. Exact same thing with the next two. I finally had one pip and zip all by itself and it only took it about 4 hours. I had two malpositioned chicks that pipped well under the middle of the egg...the first one didn't make it and after losing it, I helped the second one and she's one of my eight living. I lost two other that hatched...one had a horrible bloody protrusion from the navel and the other was just very week. I had six chicks that were fully formed and never cracked the shell...three were malpositioned, two pipped internally and drowned, and I have no idea what happened with the last one.

This was the most harrowing few days that I've spent in a long time! I think one of the problems was the humidity during lockdown. I live in a log cabin and the logs soak up all the moisture in the air. There were two humidifiers running and the bator was full of water and sponges but the humidity never got above 58. I will definitely be doing more research and find a better spot for the bator before I attempt this again.

 

[Missyktsm]

34 went in 6 were culled 29 are on lock down. sad to say that most of my cochin were the ones culled but funny enough the free ones i got are all viable so we'll see what hatches i expect chicks by wed.

 

May I ask where you got your Cochin eggs? And are they LF or bantam? Good luck with your hatch!

 

[Mamahumecky]

they are lf black cochin and then one of the eggs is a cochin mixed with something it's a blueish green egg. i got them from someone in dawsonville

 

[DavidKerk]

The only chick that hatched from my incubation had to be put down. He had what we thought was spraddle leg, but it ended up that it was a broken leg that had healed wrong or something. He could only hobble using his knees. He never used his feet. Well, there's always next year!

 

[Alaskan]

Well my hatch was awful. I had 45 eggs and ended up with 8 chicks!

This was the most harrowing few days that I've spent in a long time! I think one of the problems was the humidity during lockdown. I live in a log cabin and the logs soak up all the moisture in the air. There were two humidifiers running and the bator was full of water and sponges but the humidity never got above 58. I will definitely be doing more research and find a better spot for the bator before I attempt this again.

I am SO sorry you had to go through that....

Truly awful!

 

[Missyktsm]

they are lf black cochin and then one of the eggs is a cochin mixed with something it's a blueish green egg. i got them from someone in dawsonville
 

Thanks!

I am SO sorry you had to go through that....

Truly awful!

Thank you. It is not something I want to repeat anytime soon. I know that half those chicks probably due to my inexperience and I really hate that. On a positive note...I truly think the eight I have are Super Chicks to have survived my bumbling!