"Springing in the Chicks" 2016 April Hatch-a-Long Hosted by Mike & Sally

[PAchickenlover]

Thanks everyone. I'll get some pictures as soon as i can.

 

[mamahmendez]

oh no, sorry you have been sick!!! Congrats on the babies!!!! PICTURES PICTURES!!!

took me a while lol!!
if you care to know how let me know
AWESOME!!!!!! go babies!!

oh WOW!!!! I am sorry!! what a mess!!! yes, you need sunshine!!! oh and bleach

And the sun is OUT!!!! Wow, My #TheSunWillComeOutUmmmNowWouldBeGood sure did work fast. I don't know how long it we will have sunshine but all the creatures seem to be enjoying it. Birds are chirping, deer are roaming, dogs are barking, bees are on my trees, chickens are in clean run and my cat is in the window. Let the Vitamin D be absorbed!

Also, I just found out that I will be receiving 6 Spitzhauben tomorrow in the mail from a "wait list" I was apparently on that I didn't remember. Good thing my brooder can be compartmentalized as I have 13 2wk olds in there, and tomorrow 6 (likely 15 with extras knowing my luck) day olds and ducks in 10 days... Ummmm, how did I go over 30 chickens again?!

 

[mamahmendez]

Well I have been having a time with the incubators and lost the first 2 batches due to temp spikes so when I saw my 10 mo. old silki sitting on her egg I stuck eggs under her that had been laid the same day. We had a cold spell for 2 days and one night it dropped into the upper 20's. I did not expect to see what I saw this morning.

My 5 year old granddaughter and I happened to walk out the basement door to see momma silki out of the dog. carrier and these three beauties with her. I am sooooo excited. This girl is a keeper! So this might be my only hatch for April but I have more in the incubator and 3 more under momma silki.

They are so beautiful!!! Congrats and what a great Momma!

 

[chicken hawk 33]

Three days till lockdown on the chicken eggs

 

[DwayneNLiz]

I started in college when my oldest kids were little way back in 95' I only went part time and took a lot of long breaks between semesters. Finally finishing my degree May 14th I graduate.. I keep telling my hubby and kids they should buy me some hatching eggs for a graduation present

Plus May is mothers day

Congratulations on graduating!

for hatchings eggs!!!

I'm suppose to have chicks hatch today but I think my Hovobator killed them. The temp was great all up till lock down. I took out the turner and added water which ended up being too much. The temp spiked to 103 and humidity up to 69. I finally got the temp down and it went down to 96. I removed some water but haven't been able to get the humidity down more without removing it all. The temp is at 99. I have no pips and haven't heard any peeping. I'll leave them in a few more days in case all the instability slowed down their growth. Last time I almost gave up I had my best hatch I ever had in that bator.

Good Luck!

Ugh I figure that the hatch that was due 4/17 and I expected to be late because I had temp troubles early on is likely to not hatch any more.. I had 1 yesterday afternoon and 1 last night. No signs of anything happening to any of the other eggs and then to top it all off the heating element went in that incubator today as in kaput no more heat. I don't know what to do with this batch at this point. I really hate to tell my friend I only got 2/24 of her eggs (2 were eliminated early as clears, the rest HAD been developing)

I can't even put into words how defeated I feel right now.

Anxiously waiting on my hatch that should start today. Checked eggs at noon and no pips yet. I went out to till up the garden, came back after an hour and had 3 hatched! Waiting on the rest now!!

Yayyy!!

Frizzled? Could the one in the 4th picture be silkie? I really wanted at least 1 silkie. All of the other chicks look to be smooth feathered.

Pretty Frizzles!!

Mike picking up 3 Pygmy goats tomorrow!!!!!! I'm excited one of the female may be pregnant.

That's exciting!! I am trying to find a couple but can't

Ya I'll post pics soon as I get them. I'm super excited. Two females one male!!!

Can't wait to see!!

My next eggs are patiently waiting for their turns to cook. My specialty backyard blend.

Very colorful assortment! Love it!

Well i too thought i heard peeping at work today! Oh wait...I did!!! Post office called and I ran to pick up my babies that arrived from TN. I was afraid they were too cold as here in Texas last night and this morning it was in the 40s and 50s. I brought them to the hospital (i am a nurse)gave them water and stowed them away in the bosses office who happened to be off today

and I made them a heat pack with a biohazard bag and hot solidifier. They drank and got quiet. Ate really good when I got home. 1 didnt survive the trip a tiny splash isbar. Another splash doesnt look to good. I have her in a brood box by herself her wing is droopy and she is having a hard time standing. Not sure if she is just weak or if she might have a broken leg or wing.

Good Luck on the babies!

for the loss

After being sick with the flu for the last however many days (I've lost count) I'm finally starting to feel better and, i went out to check on momma broody #1 (Fibro) Squee! I heard peeps!!! Momma again was fierce and went after my hand so I'm not sure of their status totally yet other than i can hear some! Heheheee

Glad to hear you feel better!

For those of us in the Southern part of the US -
I hope everyone is safe and somewhat dry. The theme song at my house since Sunday has been "And The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks. And even though house house seems to me covered up with rain we keep Houston and all those in effected floods in our thoughts and prayers.

It is so wet here my chicken run was covered in mold. YEP, MOLD, AND TONS OF IT. Thank goodness that my flock has been indoors, dry and safe, in there coop during all these storms and wet weather and not hanging out with the fuzzy, gross mold. Last night, between showers, I was shoveling and removing the entire top layer of soil throughout the entire run, even the areas that were fine. Needless to say, even thought I was TOTALLY grossed out after much reading I saw this is common when food gets wet. And, that is what happened. My hens are apparently more messy that I realized. What I thought was dust was also a lot of food. We will be building "spill less" feeders if it ever stops raining.

Although this story is GROSS and EMBARRASSING I thought it might be good to share since a good portion of the country is under "wet conditions". I have been in Texas less that 12 months and this is apparently the wettest it has been. The creek in our backyard has over a foot of water in it, I have MANY buckets and bowls collecting water in our warehouse, our koi pond is almost overflowing, a portion of our driveway will need to be re-graveled and I am getting every pennies worth out of my "Mucking Boots". All this and I am NOT in a flood zone!

Stay drive Southerners. #TheSunWillComeOutUmmmNowWouldBeGood

hopefully it dries up soon!

 

[cree57i]

For those of us in the Southern part of the US -
I hope everyone is safe and somewhat dry. The theme song at my house since Sunday has been "And The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks. And even though house house seems to me covered up with rain we keep Houston and all those in effected floods in our thoughts and prayers.

It is so wet here my chicken run was covered in mold. YEP, MOLD, AND TONS OF IT. Thank goodness that my flock has been indoors, dry and safe, in there coop during all these storms and wet weather and not hanging out with the fuzzy, gross mold. Last night, between showers, I was shoveling and removing the entire top layer of soil throughout the entire run, even the areas that were fine. Needless to say, even thought I was TOTALLY grossed out after much reading I saw this is common when food gets wet. And, that is what happened. My hens are apparently more messy that I realized. What I thought was dust was also a lot of food. We will be building "spill less" feeders if it ever stops raining.

Although this story is GROSS and EMBARRASSING I thought it might be good to share since a good portion of the country is under "wet conditions". I have been in Texas less that 12 months and this is apparently the wettest it has been. The creek in our backyard has over a foot of water in it, I have MANY buckets and bowls collecting water in our warehouse, our koi pond is almost overflowing, a portion of our driveway will need to be re-graveled and I am getting every pennies worth out of my "Mucking Boots". All this and I am NOT in a flood zone!

Stay drive Southerners. #TheSunWillComeOutUmmmNowWouldBeGood

I use lime when it gets to that point. It can be very wet and humid in middle Tennessee. Put on a mask, get the chickens out, put the lime down, cover it up with something dry, like sand or rocks. It will take that terrible smell out and kill all your mold. Be very careful putting it down though. The ground will be more alkaline. Gardeners have used lime for centuries to "sweeten" the soil.

Prayers for the great state of Texas. It makes me remember our own terrible flood and the loss of lives.

 

[generaldsherman]

Thanks for the update.

Speaking of updates: 8/11 ducklings hatched. Today is day 28 and no sign of the other 3 pipping as of this morning. Lost 1 duckling (the sticky-duck I think) leaving me with 7 cutey-pies.
My chicken eggs were locked down yesterday evening. I have 1 aloha egg, 4 golden-laced wyandotte eggs, 4 buff orpington eggs, and 10 crested cream legbar eggs in that group. Hope to see peepers soon!

 

[generaldsherman]

I started in college when my oldest kids were little way back in 95' I only went part time and took a lot of long breaks between semesters. Finally finishing my degree May 14th I graduate.. I keep telling my hubby and kids they should buy me some hatching eggs for a graduation present

Plus May is mothers day

Congrats on the degree!

 

[sasafras4u2]

Well i too thought i heard peeping at work today! Oh wait...I did!!! Post office called and I ran to pick up my babies that arrived from TN. I was afraid they were too cold as here in Texas last night and this morning it was in the 40s and 50s. I brought them to the hospital (i am a nurse)gave them water and stowed them away in the bosses office who happened to be off today

and I made them a heat pack with a biohazard bag and hot solidifier. They drank and got quiet. Ate really good when I got home. 1 didnt survive the trip a tiny splash isbar. Another splash doesnt look to good. I have her in a brood box by herself her wing is droopy and she is having a hard time standing. Not sure if she is just weak or if she might have a broken leg or wing.

I am so grateful the PO called and were able to provide life support for them. It was 85 when they left TN. I laid awake last night thinking about those little girls. Hoping the injured one recovers well.

They ate well. Itty bitty made it thru the night not sure about her leg and wing gave her some electrolytes.

 

[TJordan]

I use lime when it gets to that point. It can be very wet and humid in middle Tennessee. Put on a mask, get the chickens out, put the lime down, cover it up with something dry, like sand or rocks. It will take that terrible smell out and kill all your mold. Be very careful putting it down though. The ground will be more alkaline. Gardeners have used lime for centuries to "sweeten" the soil.

Prayers for the great state of Texas. It makes me remember our own terrible flood and the loss of lives. 

I use food grade lime. Won't burn your animals feet.