September Hatch-A-Long

[CharterChick]

Congrats on the hatches, I just put mine in lockdown, now the "real" wait begins!

Man CharterChick, what I would do with that many acres,,,,,,

Man you ain't just whistling Dixie Red Star Rob!

I double drool you

We love it but it is a lot of work! We have 1900 Xmas trees and a scotch broom/blackberry issue to keep up with... I need goats for that! LOL

Quote:

Wife - "oh my, DH, I accidentally shot that chicken!"

Husband - "But, DW, you aimed at it!"

LOL There is a Large wall of trees separating our properties but it does seem like an open invite if they weren't clearly marked. We have the tree farm they have bowmans range if someone took a turn too soon.... LOL

 

[CoopCop]

If she hatched, she was ready to come out for one reason or another. You'll just have to trust Mother Nature on this one, but keep an eye out to make sure the little one is keeping up.

Well I think she will be ok. They have been knocking the shells around and pecking inside at the membrane. The little one caught one of the Icelandic chicks trying to eat the yolk thing from her shell and pecked at it and ran it off. Then she waddled back over and ate it herself. I take that as a good sign that she has some spunk.

I am up to four of my BA X EE eggs hatched with one left, and three Icelandic eggs hatched with three more pipping.

 

[gimmie birdies]

wet look and dry look.

 

[lauraschicks]

[/quote]

wet look and dry look.

Beautiful little fellow! BCM crossed with Blue Andalusian? You'll have to post pictures when he's older.

 

[Iko127]

I just got two more free chicken coops on craigslist today and a sweet little fenced run that is 8 x 5ft... hard to believe I fit most of that in or on my car!! I have to go back for one of the coops though. Why build coops when I can get then for free??!! I am going to build the cabinet incubator instead.... I can't get it out of my head! And I am building a brooder/ bird cage out of an old dresser, it is going to be so cute... just have to finish painting it and make a door.

I sure wish I had your luck! I would be doing good if I could find some free coops

 

[CharterChick]

That's a cute lil fluff butt!

I HAVE PIPS!!! At least 5 and I can hear the tapping noise on their shells so there would be more soon and I've got chirping! Nice vocal babies! I love hatching day!

 

[Iko127]

My hatch is almost over!!!! 27/31 are out and running around, The 28th is doing well but still not hatched, I'll give it til morning... The last three have been the slowest ever...

2 never piped, it looked like they were wedged pretty tight and the third has me stumped as I have never seen anything like it... I wish I had taken a picture but when I candled the three that hadn't piped two I could tell right away were full term but dead, opened them up and sure enough, they were wedged pretty tight. The third egg I thought was an early quitter that I had missed as there was quite a bit of fluid and no blood vessels visible nor was there any movement... Opened it up and much to my surprise the chick was alive!! I covered it with a paper towel because I knew I had just killed it, a few minuets later I went back to look at it and it was half the size of my smallest chick, Fully formed but the yolk sack was unabsorbed and there was a lot of fluid around it.. I have never come across that before, I know in the still air the bator is cooler along the edge where the motor is so I try not to have any eggs sitting there, this egg was smack dab in the middle, It was a leghorn/Blue Orpington white egg so I couldn't have mistaken it for one of the others, I only had five of those in there..

weird, but anyways, very happy with this hatch, Lady is picking them up Tuesday and I am resetting Tuesday afternoon

I was wondering what kind of incubator do you have and what temp/humidity do you run at before and during lockdown? Congrats on such a great hatch!!

 

[AmericanMom]

I was wondering what kind of incubator do you have and what temp/humidity do you run at before and during lockdown? Congrats on such a great hatch!!

I have a hova bator still air, I run the incubation temps no lower than 101.5 and as high as 102.9 and even hit 103.5 a couple times. I do not monitor the humidity within my incubator, I keep track of the ambient humidity within my hatch room (spare bedroom) and just watch the air cells.. I practice dry incubation, I do not add any water from day 1-18 and at lockdown just cut a small sponge in three strips, dip them in warm water once a day and leave the hatching chicks to create enough humidity for the remaining hatchlings, On day 18 I lower the temps to 101. My way of doing it may not work for everyone , I live in Oregon and except for a few days here and here our humidity hovers around 50% anyways. The best advice I or anyone can give is test different ways of doing it for yourself, I have realized that just because the instructions say one thing doesn't mean it will work for everyone. I am working out the kinks in anticipation for hopefully hatching my Turkey eggs this coming spring so I am hatching chicks right and left, thankfully I haven't had a problem selling them, as a matter of fact, the lady buying this last batch wants me to reset again, but this time with Just EE Eggs...

Oh and I moved the chicks to the bigger brooder outside with a heat lamp and counted as I transferred them, 31/34 hatched.

 

[Iko127]

I have a hova bator still air, I run the incubation temps no lower than 101.5 and as high as 102.9 and even hit 103.5 a couple times. I do not monitor the humidity within my incubator, I keep track of the ambient humidity within my hatch room (spare bedroom) and just watch the air cells.. I practice dry incubation, I do not add any water from day 1-18 and at lockdown just cut a small sponge in three strips, dip them in warm water once a day and leave the hatching chicks to create enough humidity for the remaining hatchlings, On day 18 I lower the temps to 101. My way of doing it may not work for everyone , I live in Oregon and except for a few days here and here our humidity hovers around 50% anyways. The best advice I or anyone can give is test different ways of doing it for yourself, I have realized that just because the instructions say one thing doesn't mean it will work for everyone. I am working out the kinks in anticipation for hopefully hatching my Turkey eggs this coming spring so I am hatching chicks right and left, thankfully I haven't had a problem selling them, as a matter of fact, the lady buying this last batch wants me to reset again, but this time with Just EE Eggs...

Oh and I moved the chicks to the bigger brooder outside with a heat lamp and counted as I transferred them, 31/34 hatched.

Wow!!! Congrats!! That is a great hatch! Only one more question are you hatching your own eggs or close by or are they shipped eggs?

 

[AmericanMom]

Wow!!! Congrats!! That is a great hatch! Only one more question are you hatching your own eggs or close by or are they shipped eggs?

I hatch my own eggs... I have a blue Orpington rooster that I just love...