The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[starlingdaly]

I have to say I don't think chicks care at least mine don't. But my 2 ducks and goose come running to Mr still and want to cuddle in my lap even though they've been in a pen outside for over a week.

Two ducks and a goose? You can play duck-duck-goose! Lol

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Two ducks and a goose? You can play duck-duck-goose! Lol

I do

 

[gryeyes]

Found a lone, "surprise" chick in the yard near the coop this morning. Probably a couple of days old. Well, hellooo, chick, who's your mama? Grace - the banty hen who had gotten off the Easter HAL eggs I gave her, was nearby, but not acting protective at all. Carl, my dominate roo, was keeping curious ducks and geese away from it, though. (He is THE best rooster!) I scooped up the little gal/guy, took it into the coop and placed it in the bucket nest with Buffy, (who is currently broody but I keep taking eggs from her). She pecked it, so I put it in with Angel, who has hatched and is raising two Easter HAL chicks. She accepted it. "Grafting" chicks to broody hens is an interesting process. This Easter is the first time I've tried it.

 

[pickitfarm]

DH had a lone Blue Wheaton Ameraucana hatche after the ice storm in SC. We were surprised that any hatched after electricity was lost during incubation. The chick he named Stormy was given stuffed Care Bear and a wash cloth to cuddle up to. He brought it out to the brooder coop after several weeks and it still crawled into the the little container with the stuffed animal and wash cloth even though it was placed with other chicks its size. He also runs to DH when he goes into the coop to feed them. I found out that DH would let the chick sit on his shoulder when he was working the computer at work, thus he is accustom to being handled by him. Now we think Stormy is a cockerel and is still acting like more of a pet. Hopefully he will be a good rooster to our pullets that are a few weeks younger.

 

[redneckchic]

Ok, Incubation Question:
I have the Farm Inovators Pro Series Incubator 4200, ciculated air, egg turner, blah blah...
Ive hatched literally dozens & dozens of egg in this bator I really like it and for the most part ive perfected how I like incubating. I usually hatch my own eggs, from my flocks. I bought an 18 pack that was mailed from only about 4hrs from me... the air cells were a bit detached but all but 4 developed up untill the last week, then died in the egg. I then bought another 10eggs and had them shipped from Connecticut to California. I let them rest longer than the 1st shipped batch before putting them in. All but 1 developed & showed great movent when candled at day 7 & day 14... yesterday was day 21 and only 2 have hatched so I candled and I believe the rest are dead in the egg :-(
I have 95% to 98% hatch rate on all my other eggs (not shipped). Does anyone have any input on what may be happening here? The first batch were Brahmas and this last batch were D'uccles, if that matters...? I really dont think its the moisture content in the egg, like there drowning at first pipe (its never been an issue in my others) Any and all input is welcome... I'm really upset this last batch did not make it!
Thanks all

 

[redneckchic]

Ok, Incubation Question:
I have the Farm Inovators Pro Series Incubator 4200, ciculated air, egg turner, blah blah...
Ive hatched literally dozens & dozens of egg in this bator I really like it and for the most part ive perfected how I like incubating. I usually hatch my own eggs, from my flocks. I bought an 18 pack that was mailed from only about 4hrs from me... the air cells were a bit detached but all but 4 developed up untill the last week, then died in the egg. I then bought another 10eggs and had them shipped from Connecticut to California. I let them rest longer than the 1st shipped batch before putting them in. All but 1 developed & showed great movent when candled at day 7 & day 14... yesterday was day 21 and only 2 have hatched so I candled and I believe the rest are dead in the egg :-(
I have 95% to 98% hatch rate on all my other eggs (not shipped). Does anyone have any input on what may be happening here? The first batch were Brahmas and this last batch were D'uccles, if that matters...? I really dont think its the moisture content in the egg, like there drowning at first pipe (its never been an issue in my others) Any and all input is welcome... I'm really upset this last batch did not make it!
Thanks all

Sory I just realized I posted this in the wrong area... ill repost:/

 

[misbhaven]

My phone double posted

 

[misbhaven]

Q

Ok, Incubation Question:
I have the Farm Inovators Pro Series Incubator 4200, ciculated air, egg turner, blah blah...
Ive hatched literally dozens & dozens oQf egg in this bator I really like it and for the most part ive perfected how I like incubating. I usually hatch my own eggs, from my flocks. I bought an 18 pack that was mailed from only about 4hrs from me... the air cells were a bit detached but all but 4 developed up untill the last week, then died in the egg. I then bought another 10eggs and had them shipped from Connecticut to California. I let them rest longer than the 1st shipped batch before putting them in. All but 1 developed & showed great movent when candled at day 7 & day 14... yesterday was day 21 and only 2 have hatched so I candled and I believe the rest are dead in the egg :-(
I have 95% to 98% hatch rate on all my other eggs (not shipped). Does anyone have any input on what may be happening here? The first batch were Brahmas and this last batch were D'uccles, if that matters...? I really dont think its the moisture content in the egg, like there drowning at first pipe (its never been an issue in my others) Any and all input is welcome... I'm really upset this last batch did not make it!
Thanks all

shipped eggs are hit and miss..I personally never ship eggs more than 3 days old..so they are 6 maybe 7 when the person set them..I had 1\16 turkeys 2\8 FBCM 0\6 duck 0\14 ameracauna (the ameracauna was my second attempt from the same source I suspect were EE's and low quality..the turkey eggs some were broke others I had repaired only 4 made it to lockdown...I usually get 90 plus on my own eggs. I have gotten 60% on shipped before.. probably nothing your doing wrong.

 

[redneckchic]

I got both batches from seperate but reliable breeders so I dont think it was quality. & They were shipped very well, not one broken or cracked. What I dont get is they developed for so long before dying. I would understand if they didnt developed at all or not past day 7. Just wondering if there's something else I could be doing differently.

 

[bantambury]

ONE OF MARSHIES EGGS HAVE PIPPED!!! e

I went down to the coop this morning before church to check on her and she was outside.....I became nervous that she left the eggs. I came down around noon to find no broody signs, but dust bathing away. I took her and plopped her on the coop and she instantly turned her mama madness on . I thought it was odd how she was sitting on the eggs....she seemed to be standing lightly over them....I knew she was either doing so because of how hot it is outside and she didn't feel she needed to incubate them as much, or she KNEW something was on its way!

I had taken Cadbury and Woodstock back to the house to free range a bit and when I took them back to the coop I checked on marshie once again. I whistled a bit, but didn't hear anything. my sister began walking back to the house; not being amused by my egg obsession. once marshie got off the nest there was TONS of cheeping, and I screamed.....A PIP! ALYSSA THERES A PIP!!!!

so, the egg that I found had the internal pip yesterday (day 18) had finally pipped today (day 19). im guessing the extreme heat we have had boosted the growth a bit, but I still have to be very cautious in case the baby pips a vein.

I blocked the coop off from the other chickens, and put a baby waterer in there for marshie. I DONT want any birds bothering her eggs.....unlike my last pitiful broody hatch. SO tonight im moving her to the broody quarantine coop located INSIDE the run of my coop.


WISH US LUCK!