MARCH Hatch-A-Long 2015: Please Read the First Post to JOIN the H-A-L

[uzisuzuki]

My mom just sent these pics to me at work because another one hatched! This is pretty crazy! I wasn't expecting any to hatch.

 

[WalnutHill]

Then you are doing great!

 

[mommyrocks74]

I started with 48 eggs and put 17 in lock down last night. I only had one dorking egg go into lock-down. It was not as far along as the others but moving so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The easter egger eggs even though shipped are champs, 11 of those went into lock down and looked the best. I have two from my pullets of mix just for fun (probably barred rock over australorp) and they look like they're lagging too but I kept them in. Then there are three cochin eggs, only one looked certain, the other two I almost tossed, they looked like they might be late quitters but they didn't smell so I kept them since I'm a first timer and didn't want to throw out a potential chick. When I left for work this morning they were all just sitting quietly but it's only day 19. MAN this part is hard, just staring through the plastic looking for a wiggle haha. And I'm also having a really hard time keeping humidity up I have had it at between 40 and 45 for incubation and was hoping for 65-70 for lockdown but I've been lucky to get it to 65 and it hovers in the high 50s mostly. I hope that won't doom the hatch There is definitely condensation on the walls though so that confuses me. Wish me luck!

 

[uzisuzuki]

As of this morning, I've got 3 chicks! Started with 7, 4 made it to lockdown. I'm not too sure about the last egg hatching, but I wasn't too sure about the one that popped out this morning either! So, if that last one hasn't had any development by the time I get home from work this evening, the 3 Amigos here will go into the brooder and the incubator will get cleaned out for the next batch of eggs. If it does show signs of pipping, it'll stay in the incubator until it hatches. I'm very interested to see how they develop and what they'll look like full grown (they're Silver Sebright over Golden Laced Polish).

This was a fun first time hatch for me! I'm glad I was able to join this HAL for it.

 

[paris_r]

i have a hypothesis about pasty butt. my chicks were not having that issue until two nights ago. the difference was that two nights ago i really wanted sleep and they were nit being quiet so i turned off their white light (they have a heating platform they sleep under). i believe it is from them pooping multiple times in their sleep as opposed to pooping and walking away. with the white light on they slept in cat naps, but the light off forced them to sleep and stay put for 5+ hours.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

i have a hypothesis about pasty butt. my chicks were not having that issue until two nights ago. the difference was that two nights ago i really wanted sleep and they were nit being quiet so i turned off their white light (they have a heating platform they sleep under). i believe it is from them pooping multiple times in their sleep as opposed to pooping and walking away. with the white light on they slept in cat naps, but the light off forced them to sleep and stay put for 5+ hours.

I was having pasty butt issue with my 101 chicks until...

I began moistening their food with water and a splash of ACV and I made sure the environment wasn't an oven.

In the little brooders I put the light off to one side with their food and water out of it. In the greenhouse where i move them all to I had a 3 sided corral that was tented for heat retention with one side open for ventilation. I think the intense heat was cooking the poop to their butts! It was just so dry in there with all four sides closed off. Within 1 day of the change the pasty butt stopped. Thank goodness as cleaning 100 butts was arduous!

I also believe the moistened food helps with food loss and water intake.

 

[mymilliefleur]

Chick count:
41 eggs originally set,
5 clears,
23 chicks hatched, 1 died, and the last 2 are still in the incubator, one of which piped from the wrong end, and is very weak with part of the yolk sack still unexsorbed, so I doubt it will survive.

The other 21 all seem to be thriving and doing fine though.
No activity in the other 13 eggs. Not a great hatch, but I've had worse.


Here are some pictures:

















I'm a sucker for fluffy cheeks!

The brown ones are Easter Eggers, and the light colored ones are EE X RI reds, EE X BLRW, and EE X Wheaten marans.

You can read more on my progress with them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/a-journal-of-raising-baby-chicks-naturally

This hatch-a-long has been really fun, I can't wait for the april HAL!

 

[Studio Chick]

As of this morning, I've got 3 chicks! Started with 7, 4 made it to lockdown. I'm not too sure about the last egg hatching, but I wasn't too sure about the one that popped out this morning either! So, if that last one hasn't had any development by the time I get home from work this evening, the 3 Amigos here will go into the brooder and the incubator will get cleaned out for the next batch of eggs. If it does show signs of pipping, it'll stay in the incubator until it hatches. I'm very interested to see how they develop and what they'll look like full grown (they're Silver Sebright over Golden Laced Polish).

This was a fun first time hatch for me! I'm glad I was able to join this HAL for it.

 

[uzisuzuki]

Not as of this morning when I left for work. I don't think it will hatch but I might be surprised again!

 

[Varglet]

Put the duck eggs in lockdown. Almost certain the one quit, but it won't hurt to keep it in there (no smell or anything coming from it). The one looked close to pipping internally, and this way I can check on the humidity and such before I have to go out of town in the morning (technically lockdown is tomorrow). Hoping at least the one hatches, otherwise I'm a complete failure (read as: I would feel bad because this person asked for my help in hatching them).