February 2017 Hatch-a-long

[supersymmetry]

Batch #2 is out of the incubator! I think I have a little more then half hatched so far... Lots of pip holes left, so we shall see what Sunday brings...

Just pulled out 30 more, will post pics tomorrow but I am happy with my largest hatch to date. Congrats to everyone hatching! So much fun to share everyone's stories...

 

[MontainBourbons]

Batch #2 is out of the incubator! I think I have a little more then half hatched so far... Lots of pip holes left, so we shall see what Sunday brings...

What humidity do you use. I have been having large hatch fails lately, most likely due to humidity.

 

[orrpeople]

What humidity do you use. I have been having large hatch fails lately, most likely due to humidity.

I can't remember - were you hatching. shipped or non-shipped eggs? The reason I ask is that if they were shipped, it may not be a humidity problem at all. I have tried several different types of humidity settings (virtually none to maintaining mid 40s until lockdown). I rarely have less than 100% hatch rates on my non-shipped eggs, regardless of humidity. Shipped eggs, now that's another story. I'm very convinced that fresher eggs make the automated, tumbling, Post Office journey much better, and have a higher hatch rate. But, again, my humidity settings haven't seemed to make the difference. (And, if you search long enough on this website, you will find very strong advocates for both 'dry' and 'standard' humidity settings... it's enough to make you second guess every thing!)

 

[Janie hall]

Hello can anyone tell me if this is a frizzle.

 

[Janie hall]

Hello can anyone tell me if this is a frizzle.

 

[WVduckchick]

I have had horrible luck fixing crooked toes, but have never failed at fixing splayed legs. I hope your crooked toe fix works, and congrats on your great hatch as well!!

Painters masking tape has worked the best for toes with mine. That reminds me, I haven't had to fix any toes since I got rid of my golden sebrights.

What humidity do you use. I have been having large hatch fails lately, most likely due to humidity.

25-30% dry, then 65-75%

I can't remember - were you hatching. shipped or non-shipped eggs? The reason I ask is that if they were shipped, it may not be a humidity problem at all. I have tried several different types of humidity settings (virtually none to maintaining mid 40s until lockdown). I rarely have less than 100% hatch rates on my non-shipped eggs, regardless of humidity. Shipped eggs, now that's another story. I'm very convinced that fresher eggs make the automated, tumbling, Post Office journey much better, and have a higher hatch rate. But, again, my humidity settings haven't seemed to make the difference. (And, if you search long enough on this website, you will find very strong advocates for both 'dry' and 'standard' humidity settings... it's enough to make you second guess every thing!)

X2 100%

Hello can anyone tell me if this is a frizzle.

The buff one does not look frizzled to me. The blue one maybe.

 

[Janie hall]

Painters masking tape has worked the best for toes with mine. That reminds me, I haven't had to fix any toes since I got rid of my golden sebrights.
25-30% dry, then 65-75%
X2 100%
The buff one does not look frizzled to me. The blue one maybe.

that's interesting cuz the blue on is a silkie

 

[supersymmetry]

What humidity do you use. I have been having large hatch fails lately, most likely due to humidity.

I am incubating and hatching in a GQF. In this hatch of 193, I tried to keep it at 65-75%. It's winter here, and quite dry... was a bit of a daunting. What made it more challenging was that I had some scheduled to hatch 02/25, and then 02/26. To work with the prolonged lockdown time, I added 2 hdpe sterilite "shoebox" tubs filled with water before lockdown, giving me an extra 1.5 sq ft of surface area. The key was to make sure there was enough airflow both around and over the tubs. I also misted the eggs (with warm water) every time I opened the hatcher to remove the birds. . I should have a final tally of the hatch rate late today or tomorrow.

 

[WVduckchick]

that's interesting cuz the blue on is a silkie

Well, no, I didn't mean it looked like it. I just didn't know which one you were talking about! Lol so I was just saying the blue one was still possible (thought maybe it was a cochin)

After looking at the light one again, do the feathers curl out at all? They do kinda look like they might. What breed is it?

 

[dawn secord]

Hi All ( That means WV too !! )

I have an oldish (I am her 3rd home so I have no idea how old she is) white bantam frizzled cochin hen that my partridge silkie rooster has wonderfully helped me with some chicks.

I have a friend (with a very patient husband) that is getting into chickens and wants some of these "sizzle" babies.

Here are our scenarios:
Hatch # 1 - produced one pullet - she is in my house and is 5 months old. (she is from a black show silkie rooster that I returned to the breeder - long story)

Hatch # 2 - produced 5 babies (hatched under my white broody silkie hen). The babies were raised by my friend in her home. Sadly, only 1 pullet. She is keeping 1 cockerel and we are placing the other 4. (this clutch is also out of the black silkie rooster)

Hatch # 3 - About 10 days ago I used an incubator to for the first time and successfully hatched all four eggs. They are from the partridge silkie rooster I have. Not sure the sexes yet. All babies are partridges.

Now....while hatch # 3 is in the incubator my broody silkie hen started sitting on the cochins freshly laid eggs, one at a time. Three eggs in all. For about a week she sat on them only at night. I was about to throw them away when she took in a new egg laid 2/6 and then started sitting full time. We added one more cochin egg laid on 2/7. So, I candle the eggs and all appear to be fertile. My girlfriend decides to take the two laid on 2/6 and 2/7 once Hatch # 3 is out of the incubator. We leave the other three eggs under the silkie. Well 3 days ago the three eggs under the silkie hatched and the two in the incubator are pipping.

HERE IS THE QUESTION.....
My girlfriend would like to take 1 or 2 of my newly hatched babies to her house once her two are hatched and out of the incubator.

I've never raised chicks at this time of year before. I've always locked the hen in the nesting box area (that is raised with a full bottom ladder) and let the others roost on the ladder at night. It is too cold at night to keep the other chickens out of the nest box at night. I have two concerns and this is where I need help. I'm concerned about the chicks being able to follow the hen in and out of the nesting box - have no idea how quickly she may or may not do that. Also, if one chick can not get back into the nesting box, would she leave it down below and hope it finds her? What is best for the chicks - letting my friend take 1 or 2? I really don't want to take all the chicks from the hen. She keeps trying to hatch them, then we steal them (she hatched some eggs from a bantam leghorn mix a few years ago - two clutches) when they have been the sizzle chicks over the past 5 months. Should I let her keep 1 and have my friend take 2 for safety reasons?

Don't want anything to happen to the chicks.

Thanks for your feed back!!

Here is hatch 3. My black silkie hen likes to help. She and the white hen are best friends. Have no idea where the black chick came from, but considering all 5 chicks that I have from previous hatches are partridge, I'm thrilled.