Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Mahonri]

Any one else have brooder cry babies?

For me, it's almost always an Ameraucana. All of the chicks can be sound asleep, the cry baby will wake up and start chirping as loudly as possible because it thinks it's alone cuz all the others are laying their lifeless. Crazy cry babies....

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Last night and after weeks of saying it will be survival of the fittest, they must hatch themselves, I caved in to aid the last two. It was obvious they were glued to the shell.

After a two hour procedure that started with zipping the shells leaving the membrane and misting with warm water. Seeing what they could do for a while in incubator, letting warm water mist loosen up the glue. Then slowly zipping the membrane and misting, letting set. At the near two hour mark my partner just couldn't take it anymore and finished deshelling.

Of course the one that was pipped the longest ended with splayed leg. Gave them overnight to recoup and see what they could do this morning. Well, they definitely didn't fluff out rather dried goo, one couldn't open eyes. So a morning bath was in order with Q-tip to clean eye lids of the runty, splayed legged girl. All fluffed out now with a band-aid to keep legs in position. Can't find a cup that holds her upright though, Amanda is quite content to hold it all day it seems so all is well. The other really just needed a bath and is about to play in the brooder with siblings.

17 hatched total out of 34. 50%
3 hatched from 14 shipped.
making 14 of our own birds 20 eggs. 70% hatch rate for the home front.

 

[mstricer]

Any one else have brooder cry babies?

For me, it's almost always an Ameraucana. All of the chicks can be sound asleep, the cry baby will wake up and start chirping as loudly as possible because it thinks it's alone cuz all the others are laying their lifeless. Crazy cry babies....

No I just bought a Eco glow20. Got it at Meyer, someone returned it saying it didn't get warm enough got it for 53$ instead of 65$. Now because it is nice and toasty they don't want to come out to eat. Just love it.

 

[Arielle]

Post your Cutest Chick from this Hatchalong pictures here on the thread and they will be posted to the Contest Page. Don't forget to mention in the post that it is your entry. If you have posted one (please give us some time to see it) but if you don't see it here https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/2012-easter-cutest-chick-contest after a reasonable time, then PM SuperChemicalGirl and she will add it.



PLEASE REPORT THE NUMBER OF CHICKS YOU HATCHED ---->HERE
THIS NUMBER NEEDS TO BE REPORTED BY APRIL 11TH, 2012 AT 11:59:59 "Mahonri time" MST.

If you have not posted your numbers yet . . . . . now is a good time . . . . . .because I'm dying to know the total number hatched!!

Last night and after weeks of saying it will be survival of the fittest, they must hatch themselves, I caved in to aid the last two. It was obvious they were glued to the shell.

After a two hour procedure that started with zipping the shells leaving the membrane and misting with warm water. Seeing what they could do for a while in incubator, letting warm water mist loosen up the glue. Then slowly zipping the membrane and misting, letting set. At the near two hour mark my partner just couldn't take it anymore and finished deshelling.

Of course the one that was pipped the longest ended with splayed leg. Gave them overnight to recoup and see what they could do this morning. Well, they definitely didn't fluff out rather dried goo, one couldn't open eyes. So a morning bath was in order with Q-tip to clean eye lids of the runty, splayed legged girl. All fluffed out now with a band-aid to keep legs in position. Can't find a cup that holds her upright though, Amanda is quite content to hold it all day it seems so all is well. The other really just needed a bath and is about to play in the brooder with siblings.

17 hatched total out of 34. 50%
3 hatched from 14 shipped.
making 14 of our own birds 20 eggs. 70% hatch rate for the home front.

I always figure a chick in trouble with sticking is my fault as I don't have perfect hatching techniques yet. Usually one to wash, none this time to unstick from a glued shell. My technique is improving!!

No I just bought a Eco glow20. Got it at Meyer, someone returned it saying it didn't get warm enough got it for 53$ instead of 65$. Now because it is nice and toasty they don't want to come out to eat. Just love it.

Good score !

 

[annabananaandfamily]

Alright, we hatched 8 chicks from our 18 set. And I am no good at math, so I cant figure it out! Is it 44%??? Please dont laugh me off the boards for my lack of mathmatical ability! Thats why I had to get into chickens...because it appears that, though I lack in conventional math skills, I excell at chicken math!

Anyway, now I do have a question for the experts. Of our 8 chicks hatched, 2 have splay legs and one just wont use her legs at all. I read in several places that this can be caused by incubation conditions, but I cant find an explanation as to what those conditions might be. Any thoughts? I would like to get it under control so I can set my next round of eggs and hopefully have better success. Also, any suggestions as to what I can do for my chicks? I did the bandaid sling thingy for the splayed ones and have set up a little chickie infirmary to keep everyone seperate and immobile(ish). I dont have any cups they will fit in....though I did try just about every cup in the house! This is our set up for them for now:

 

[ChooksChick]

My final count is 25. I started with sooooo many. I had put several under broodies a bit later, out of the incubators, and that helped. Only 15 came out of the incubators.

Oy. Just OY!!

I'm worried about a couple of these skinny, weak things. Low temps and old eggs. So very bad!!

In other news, I set 6 geese, 26 turkeys and a pea egg with 25 more chickens on Sunday. I'll be putting more chickens in on Sunday next, for the turkeys to hang out with. I'm thinning my flocks, too. Really. Sending my Gold-Laced Orp roo to Jim Hall and moving the girls into the Isabel/Porcelain pen.

Hope everyone's chicks are fluffy and eating like little fathered pigs!!

 

[LaGeniaLoca]

@ annabananaandfamily - Your math is correct. 44%

Out of the 43 I set, 22 went into lockdown, but only 3 hatched.

I couldn't see into the quail eggs to candle, but they were all duds or early quitters when I finally opened them. The rest of my eggs had fully formed chicks that quit after lockdown. Can anybody explain this??? It happened with my last hatch, too, but that was 1 survivor from 2 hatched out of 69 eggs. Temp was steady at 100, humidity around 40, with lockdown humidity at 65. I used a hovabator with auto-turner.

 

[ThePigeonKid]

1 chick hatched so far!

 

[Sphinx]

I'm sorry about the two chicks with the splayed legs. I had a chick with that, and it was so awful. i don't feel like I got her appropriate treatment in time, and she was a lost cause.

I found this site to be incredibly helpful: https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/


I will go to check on my incubator/chicks in about 45 minutes. Can't wait!

 

[ThePigeonKid]

I'm sorry about the two chicks with the splayed legs. I had a chick with that, and it was so awful. i don't feel like I got her appropriate treatment in time, and she was a lost cause.

I found this site to be incredibly helpful: https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/


I will go to check on my incubator/chicks in about 45 minutes. Can't wait!

Thanks for the link.