March 2017! Hatch with us!

[slantrhymes]

Update: I swapped the ceramic eggs out for real ones yesterday evening, while mama hen went out (unwillingly--I really had to lift her off the nest) to do her business. When she went back into the nest box, she was clucking softly. Eyed the eggs really closely for a few tense seconds (remember, I've never done this before, so I'm sitting there like, "DOES SHE KNOW? IS SHE GONNA EAT THEM?"), then softly rolled them under her breast with her beak. Hooray!

Went out this morning and she's sitting on them, all fluffed up, and absolutely doesn't want to leave the nest even when I leave it open. Fingers crossed! She and I are both first-time hatchers, so hopefully between us we can figure it out.

 

[WVduckchick]

Update: I swapped the ceramic eggs out for real ones yesterday evening, while mama hen went out (unwillingly--I really had to lift her off the nest) to do her business. When she went back into the nest box, she was clucking softly. Eyed the eggs really closely for a few tense seconds (remember, I've never done this before, so I'm sitting there like, "DOES SHE KNOW? IS SHE GONNA EAT THEM?"), then softly rolled them under her breast with her beak. Hooray!

Went out this morning and she's sitting on them, all fluffed up, and absolutely doesn't want to leave the nest even when I leave it open. Fingers crossed! She and I are both first-time hatchers, so hopefully between us we can figure it out.

good luck! That is a tense moment, huh!

I'm up to broody #4 this year already. Guess I'm giving her some eggs tonight. She doesn't appear to be breaking. Broody #1 is on day 16!

 

[slantrhymes]

You guys! I just candled (Day 14) and I. SAW. TOES. Adorable little waving toes. And all 4 have movement!

Aww! Congrats!

 

[orrpeople]

I have seen many make it all on their own.  Just went toward the wrong end for no apparent reason.  So I suggest giving it time to try on its own.  And remember, even extra time, since they miss the air cell, the first hours are like the time that normal pippers spend breathing the internal air.  They do a lot of absorbing during that time.  So chipping them out too soon can be bad.  Just watch for the membrane to get brown-ish.  Even though we don't see them move a lot, they normally move enough to keep the membrane moist.  Paper-white to gray-ish wet is what you want to see.  When it gets yellow to brown, they aren't moving enough and the membrane starts drying, and sticks to the feathers. 

Big holes vs little holes...  I'd rather see them with a nice, open, small hole, with just a beak in it.  Big holes tend to let more air in (especially in incubators with fans), and speed up the drying out process.  You want them to stay moist and not get stuck.  So as long as they have breathing room, a bigger hole doesn't really help. 

But, if it starts to dry out, you may have to do the zip, remove the membrane, and let him push himself out.   

Curious... Do you incubate with them laying down or upright?  I think ones that are laid down tend to be malpo more often, and especially more rounded eggs. But that's just my thinking and wondering. 

Good stuff, thanks! This group I put on their sides at lockdown . I go back and forth with how I position them. Sometimes I keep them upright (especially shipped eggs), sometimes I put them on their sides (my backyarders). I am probably one of the biggest second-guessers on the planet (I am terrible at taking my own advice).

 

[yeye5]

Sweet! Some hens are very accepting, some are not. I've slipped chicks under a hen at night and found it dead in the morning. But another one, I gave chicks to her in open daylight and she gladly took them in. Glad Mima is a good one!

And psssst... FYI.... you can't tell a story like that without PICS!! Guess we have to train you too.!

Yes, thankfully Mima is a love bug in a silkie hen suit!
I'm so sorry you had to have the "other" experience that time.
I do want to take and post pics. It was too cold last evening to do anything but make sure they were all doing well. Same for early a.m. And truth be told, I was so worried that the dreaded "something" could happen to any of anyone at any time in life, but specifically to them, here, now, that I was trying to save my feelings in case something sad happened.
But something happy happened! And pics will be taken and posted in excess of course. If I proved anything this week it is not only that I'm dumber than a very smart chicken but that everything I do seems that I do in excess...words, descriptions, losses, tears, and celebrations and...pics, you'll see!!!
I have a notebook sitting beside me and I seem to be on a roll lately with names corresponding to flowers.
Apropos of nothing at all I named my bright yellow buff silkie (Mima's daughter) Peaches, hatched 9-8/9. Peaches' sister (hatched 11-26) who looks identical is Marigold--I'm sure she'll become goldie before long.
I love flowers. I love chickens. Let's see? Is there a way to join these 2 interesting loves?
So far for the Brahmas I have Daisy and Tulip. I steadfastly Refuse "Bouganvillea", but if there's a male in there, I have considered Bougie.
The name list will go on until all chickens have proper names! and proper pics to match! Soon.

 

[dannyelle123]

Happy St. Patty's day everyone! Trying to keep myself busy. Ugh I tried using old fence boards with 1x1s and reused the previous chicken wire to put around my garden beds and it was hideous! Guess I'll just be purchasing stronger chicken wire with the old stakes because it wont look as bad. What does everyone use to protect their veggie beds? Now I'm on to making a teepee with the 1x1s to grow some loofahs. Yay, distraction! Lockdown for me is still a week away. Sigh.

 

[angieangie]

3 chicks. One yesterday morning, one last night at like 12am, and one just hatched at 9am. Their feet look kinda clinched. And the one that kept me up last night gets its foot stuck on its wing. Has anyone else ever had that?

 

[dannyelle123]

Oh and I made fermented chicken feed for the first time, fail! LOL or I guess success since it is indeed fermenting! Haha

 

[slantrhymes]

Oh and I made fermented chicken feed for the first time, fail! LOL or I guess success since it is indeed fermenting! Haha

Ooooof. That looks icky, but that probably means the chickens will love it.

One thing, though: I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be fermenting in glass containers. The build-up of gasses from fermentation can cause pressure that'll make the glass explode. It looks like you need a bigger container anyways... Maybe pick up a lidded plastic bucket!

 

[Jessimom]

3 chicks. One yesterday morning, one last night at like 12am, and one just hatched at 9am. Their feet look kinda clinched. And the one that kept me up last night gets its foot stuck on its wing. Has anyone else ever had that?

Clenched like this?

If so, you will need to make boots for them. They won't fix themselves. It's called Curled toes. Here is one of the posts about how to fix it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/72885/boot-for-curled-toes-on-3-month-old-chicken-update-w-pics

Good luck!