Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[Beekissed]

Apparently cornmeal is supposed to kill them. They can't digest it and it'll starve them. Not sure if it actually works.

It will work on regular black ants and does a wonderful job but sweet ants are so tiny that I don't think they can even eat the meal....it would have to be a powder. And it really does work for regular army ants....like a charm!

Bee our unconventional hatches are due very soon! can't wait!

I missed something, Deb....what kind of hatch are you doing and where can I read about it?

 

[Debs55]

oh I posted a couple pages back about how I have a broody one two clutches of eggs with different hatch dates..I was the one who said you were right about making the soil damp because the shavings under my broodies were always damp even though they did not go outside

 

[Beekissed]

oh I posted a couple pages back about how I have a broody one two clutches of eggs with different hatch dates..I was the one who said you were right about making the soil damp because the shavings under my broodies were always damp even though they did not go outside

I remember now! What will you do if she abandons the unhatched eggs to take care of the hatched ones? Just incubate them the rest of the way?

 

[Debs55]

I remember now! What will you do if she abandons the unhatched eggs to take care of the hatched ones? Just incubate them the rest of the way?

Well I don't have an incubator so I am planning to take the chicks as they hatch and give them back after they are all done.
I have 2 hospital chicks from a brooder earlier this week and since I knew I wanted to give them back to her I took a hand towel and folded it and propped it in the corner (so there was space for them to go under) and then shined a heat lamp only on the towel. they liked it and thought the towel was their mom until they went back with the hen and they automatically went under her. So I will probably do that again or use a heating pad if I can find one before then

 

[Tomtommom]

Depending on how far apart your clutches are, I have finished brooding for a chicken before, with just a heat lamp and a spray bottle to keep them from shrink wrapping.. results were a little iffy, but ended up with 2 healthy chicks (out of 6 eggs). Eggs hatched on day 19, because she NEVER left the nest, which is why she couldn't finish brooding.. she had gotten super skinny (she was broody 2 weeks before she got eggs).

Two hatched.
One clear egg.
One egg died on day 17 or 18... it just wasn't as developed as the other ones.
One pipped, but never made it out the egg... It looked like it was too big for the egg/legs were tangled up.. Wish I had helped it out.
One pipped on the bottom of the egg...I had moved the eggs to be in the same position they were in the nest, but I fear the mom kicked the egg as she abandonned the nest.















Taking the chicks out may work better, but it's smart to have a 'what if' plan in place.

 

[Beekissed]

I probably did this at the wrong time, here at the end of all things, but I was so curious as to if the float test would work....so I tried it. It works! All three eggs have chicks squirming in there. I put the eggs back the way I found them and hope they will settle back down to where they were before. It was so neat to see those signs of life. I did note that #7 took a little longer than 11 and 6 to move...maybe not as active of a chick or a little behind in development? Not sure.

 

[Debs55]

Depending on how far apart your clutches are, I have finished brooding for a chicken before, with just a heat lamp and a spray bottle to keep them from shrink wrapping.. results were a little iffy, but ended up with 2 healthy chicks (out of 6 eggs). Eggs hatched on day 19, because she NEVER left the nest, which is why she couldn't finish brooding.. she had gotten super skinny (she was broody 2 weeks before she got eggs).

Two hatched.
One clear egg.
One egg died on day 17 or 18... it just wasn't as developed as the other ones.
One pipped, but never made it out the egg... It looked like it was too big for the egg/legs were tangled up.. Wish I had helped it out.
One pipped on the bottom of the egg...I had moved the eggs to be in the same position they were in the nest, but I fear the mom kicked the egg as she abandonned the nest.















Taking the chicks out may work better, but it's smart to have a 'what if' plan in place.

I will definitely keep that in mind. there is supposed to be 4 hatching the 20th then 4 more on the 22th. I have my fingers crossed that it'll work..Im more concerned that she won't be able to cover them when she also has to cover chicks than with her abandoning them. they also have a heat lamp too since like I said she has had a hard time covering them

 

[theawesomechick]

Someone posted this on another thread. After the first two tries and mishaps, I think this information is quite valuable to the ambitious experimenter.
http://www.brinsea.com/customerservice/poweroff.html

So they are tough! Bee, turns out that 104 heat spike shouldn't be too harmful for the little ones.

 

[joni1986]

Following.

 

[Ariel188]

Great luck to you on your 3 moving chicks!!