Maine

[IZZYBELLA]

Although I felt like a crazy person bathing a chicken in my house!

Don't worry, you're not alone! I feel absolutely ridiculous every time I do it, too. Do yours like the hairdrier? Mine love it... nestle right in. So funny!.

 

[mckenney]

Should I take the chick out if it is very active in the incubator? I've already named it bull because it is running all of the other eggs over.

 

[dowgirl71]

Seriously? Off by a day! I live right on the Fryeburg/Conway line and as of last night I had smooth and frizzled SLW chicks (as well as an adorable mix of "mutts"). If you're coming through again in a month I can help you out.

I thought I'd share pictures of the chicks I'm hanging onto. I kept out two SLW/Marans mixes (both females). One has a double jointed wing... Odd right? I also kept a frizzled SLW/Buff Orp pullet and an frizzled SLW/? roo. Here they are in all their cuteness:


I'm not sure what kind of markings that Orp will have, but her wings are so beautiful. She is such a doll. She's also the only one not yet named. My daughter doesn't like to rush into these things. The roo is something french my husband came up with. I can't pronounce it, so I'm calling him Bill. My son named the all black marans Hailey and I named the black and white marans Dottie Speckles.

What a bummer!! I always think of things too late, it seems. I think there will be a few options around here, in a few weeks, too, but if I happen to be coming your way in a month, I'll definitely contact you. Thanks!!

 

[quailtrail]

@MEMama3 SLW! !??? You r killing me lol!!! My 1st love but couldn't find any so got my BO and OE/EE but only 1 OE out of 3... now am hatching Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Amercaunas, BO, OE and BO/mix

 

[MEMama3]

I'm going to time the next hatch so they new chicks hatch out when the current ones are moving off heat. I'm thinking I'll set in a week or two. I'll let you all know. I'm also going to have some swedish blues hatching at the same time if anyone is interested.

 

[buckabucka]

Should I take the chick out if it is very active in the incubator? I've already named it bull because it is running all of the other eggs over.

If you have others hatching it is best to wait a bit. That bull might even help the others hatch. You'll lose quite a bit of humidity pulling him out.
That being said, I do pull mine out in certain circumstances. I've had them get trapped between a poorly-placed hatching carton and the wall, and I've had it get so crowded that some got their fluff trimmed on the fan.

 

[lazy gardener]

First pip this morning. Bucka, it's so crowded in there that the eggs are butted up against each other. Will that slow their progress? I have them all flat except for the extra large eggs and the ones that were slightly questionable, which are in an egg carton. I read a comment by one hatcher. As her chicks hatch, she moves them to snuggle in a down comforter with heat from a heating pad that she turns on intermittently. She leaves them there to rest for 12 hours before moving them to the brooder. Aside from the humidity issue in the incubator, what comment do you have to make about this practice? comments welcome from all.

McKenney. Last year, with 5 eggs hatching, they all did well with the bowling ball scene, except for the last one. Every time she tried to make progress, someone would send the egg spinning. So, I finally put the egg in a Rubbermaid container, and she was out within 45', and jumped over the side to join her siblings within the next 10 minutes!

 

[MEMama3]

First pip this morning.  Bucka, it's so crowded in there that the eggs are butted up against each other.  Will that slow their progress?  I have them all flat except for the extra large eggs and the ones that were slightly questionable, which are in an egg carton.  I read a comment by one hatcher.  As her chicks hatch, she moves them to snuggle in a down comforter with heat from a heating pad that she turns on intermittently.  She leaves them there to rest for 12 hours before moving them to the brooder.  Aside from the humidity issue in the incubator, what comment do you have to make about this practice?  comments welcome from all.

McKenney.  Last year, with 5 eggs hatching, they all did well with the bowling ball scene, except for the last one.  Every time she tried to make progress, someone would send the egg spinning.  So, I finally put the egg in a Rubbermaid container, and she was out within 45', and jumped over the side to join her siblings within the next 10 minutes!

I actually prefer to have mine touch. Since doing this regularly, my hatches have synced up better. It use to take a couple days for all the eggs to hatch. With them touching, they all tend to be out in about 18 hours.

 

[Jazor]

Jazzor: When my BSL started laying, she laid a lot of "rubber eggs", sometimes 2 in one day. It's just a glitch in the conveyor belt when the egg passes through too quickly to get the shell applied. I expect that it will correct it'self. Sometimes, a hen at the end of her reproductive cycle will chronically lay shell-less eggs. When I was a kid, I had a pet broiler hen that never bothered to put a shell on her eggs. If I had been able to stick a frying pan under her at the right time, I would have been all set for breakfast!

I was figuring something like this was going on. There wasn't anything that seemed to me like a red flag, I just wanted to check. Thanks for the tip

 

[Jazor]

Anyone know of any feed stores in/around central Maine (central to Freeport or Portland) that have chicks in stock? If I could find some I'd probably be interested in getting my hands on another 4-6 chicks for the spring.