January 2017 Hatch-a-long

[jessnurse05]

Ok, I had stopped hatching for several months - didn't have any babies - none.  Everybody is actually laying eggs.... 

But then I hatched some silkies over Thanksgiving, then bid on an auction and hatched those over New Years.  Those chicks are all outside!  My bathroom was CLEAN!!!  

Well, I had thrown in some of my own mix of eggs in after I cleaned the New Years bator.... I didn't remember when I actually set them, so turns out I locked them down a week early. I didn't think anything was hatching, but 3 hatched Monday.  They are in my bathroom.....

Last week, I bid on some eggs in the 24 hour auction - got them, they are on day 4.  I bid on MORE eggs in the 24 hour auction (they arrived today), and I bid on some Sizzle/Silkie eggs on ebay.....they should be here Saturday.  

I have a problem....I must stay away from auctions!!!!!

I guess I should check to see if we have a February Hatch a Long.

I think it's contagious because I have that problem too!!! I just wanted 2 more hens and I have 4 chicks in the brooder and I also won an auction and have 18+ hatching eggs on the way!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks. I'm super happy. It appears that incubating eggs is addictive. Can't wait to set more eggs even though I know I shouldn't.

The hovabator is a 1602N that I added a fan to.

Welcome to BYC!

I have the 1602N, no fan added.

I'm afraid I might be addicted to!

Never thought I would be all the times I saw hatch along threads pass by.....

BYC has changed my chicken life forever.

This one could almost be a CA hatch along, so many of us here....

 

[orrpeople]

Welcome to  BYC! 

I have the 1602N, no fan added.

I'm afraid I might be addicted to! :/  

Never thought I would be all the times I saw hatch along threads pass by.....

BYC has changed my chicken life forever.     This one could almost be a CA hatch along, so many of us here....

Seriously!! I hadn't thought of that before, but you are right.

 

[Sekmet]

My cream legbar eggs came from Cali. Does that count?

 

[orrpeople]

Ok, I had stopped hatching for several months - didn't have any babies - none.  Everybody is actually laying eggs.... 

But then I hatched some silkies over Thanksgiving, then bid on an auction and hatched those over New Years.  Those chicks are all outside!  My bathroom was CLEAN!!!  

Well, I had thrown in some of my own mix of eggs in after I cleaned the New Years bator.... I didn't remember when I actually set them, so turns out I locked them down a week early. I didn't think anything was hatching, but 3 hatched Monday.  They are in my bathroom.....

Last week, I bid on some eggs in the 24 hour auction - got them, they are on day 4.  I bid on MORE eggs in the 24 hour auction (they arrived today), and I bid on some Sizzle/Silkie eggs on ebay.....they should be here Saturday.  

I have a problem....I must stay away from auctions!!!!!

I guess I should check to see if we have a February Hatch a Long.

I needed a good chuckle this evening - thanks for sharing this! I just received 14 American Bresse to hatch for some friends who are sharing all their processing equipment with us, and then won an auction for some nice heritage BR eggs to revitalize my stock. I should also be getting some local eggs from Papas (maybe legbars!!) And I'm throwing in a dozen of my own sexlinks and a couple olive eggers. Whew!!!
Now the depressing part - one of my Dec 1 hatch cockerels was killed by a hawk today. I had let those rambuncious boys out into my garden and forgot to put them back while I went to the store. When I got home, our flockmaster roo was raising a huge rucus and our dogs were going crazy. I ran back to check and saw the hawk fly away from the garden which has its own fence, so neither dog nor roo could do anything about it. I was probably about 10 minutes too late for little #55 (he was one of our first attempts to create an olive egger hen, but as I've said before, my rooster throws a lot of male offspring). Anyway. We lose a chicken every now and then, you'd think we'd be used to it, but itwas still sad.
Self edit: I didn't know my article on dealing with loss would be on the website homepage today - kind of ironic. Guess I need to take my own advice!

 

[orrpeople]

My cream legbar eggs came from Cali. Does that count?

Sounds good to me!!!

 

[lexielou623]

I have two remaining in the bator and this one pipped the wrong side! Do you think it'll be ok? I've never dealt with this before!!

 

[orrpeople]

I have two remaining in the bator and this one pipped the wrong side! Do you think it'll be ok? I've never dealt with this before!!

Malpositioned chicks can hatch, but it's definitely more difficult for them. It looks like it has a decent sized hole so it is getting air, and it doesn't look like it pierced any blood vessels, so that's a good start. Just follow the normal guidelines - after a pip, wait a day to see if it begins to zip. If not, you might need to chip some shell away for it. If it begins to zip and stops for longer than about 30-45 minutes, again, that's the time to step in. The hardest part of assisting this type of hatch is not accidentally making it bleed. It was helpful to me to watch a couple videos on youtube about assisting malpos before I intervened on one of mine. Also, be prepared for there to possibly be a deformity in the chick that caused its positioning.

 

[DancingWthDucks]

I have two remaining in the bator and this one pipped the wrong side! Do you think it'll be ok? I've never dealt with this before!!

I've had a chick which pipped at the pointy end hatch by its self in only a couple of hours, but most of the time you have to help them. How long ago did it pip?

 

[DancingWthDucks]

Also, you should read this article before trying to assist:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching