2 Q'S...Seperateing bator chicks and turner/bator temp change

[k2chickens]

Well i have 24 eggs in the bator due to hatch on/around halloween.

6 WB silkies
7 mille fleur d'uccle
5 black mottled d'uccle
6 "top secret" cross breed eggs my pullet just started laying for me

Now i eventually want to take the black mottled chicks that hatch and start a breeding trio. Now, the reason why i can do that is i have eggs in the bator that got shipped to me on the same day from 2 different breeders. I don't think brother/sister breeding is too healthy so i want to mark the chicks separate from one shipper to the next. I just don't want 5 black mottled's to hatch and start running around the inside of my bator all together and then i will not be able to tell who is who and what bird came from what shipper. So, what are a few ways i can separate them as they hatch/dry out??

Next question, my auto egg turner in my LG bator. This is the first time i am using it and it raised a question. Since the eggs will be suspended up off the wire mesh due to them sitting in the turner...wouldn't that make the internal temp of my eggs go a little warmer since they are closer to the heating element??? My thermometers are resting on the wire mesh because i was able to remove a few egg rails since i did not need them and they are reading 99 to 100. Should i back down my temp to where they read 97 98 since my eggs are closer to the heating element?? Or am i just over-thinking everything?? lol thanks for all your future help

 

[k2chickens]

no help?

 

[Elite Silkies]

You always put your thermometer on top of your eggs. That will give you the most accurate temp reading.

You do not want to take the chicks out one by one. You will drop the temp and loose humidity, and could kill the other chicks that have not hatched yet.

Is your bator still air or forced air? Still air is 102 degrees. Forced air is 99.5 degrees.

It is okay to breed brother and sister

Not a huge deal in chickens. A lot of us do it.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

There was a great article in Backyard poultry that gave instructions on how to make a Pedigree Basket. They are really simple.

The basics on this is to form a shallow box out of 1/2" hardware cloth. I used the rabbit clips and tool to attach the sides to the bottom and top. Then I used Duct tape to make the cut wire edges a little less sharp although I don't think I really needed to do that.

I will try to post a post a picture of mine in a little bit. I know this sounds confusing. It really only took about 1/2 hour for me to make a couple of them. I made a small one to hold about 6 eggs and a larger one to hold about 12.

They are shallow and keep the chicks from moving around alot. Which is also supposed to be good for their feet.

I worried when I used it for the first time if the little guys could even stand up but they were fine. Then when I took them out of there, I toe punched them. Now I can tell which BCM came from which breeder line. They have a little hole in the web of their foot. They barely noticed the hole punch and as they have grown it is easy to identify them.

I think when hatching out large batches of eggs this is also helpful from having the chicks playing football with the other eggs.

Look for pictures in an hour or so.

And I would not worry about the temp too much. Do put the thermometer on top of the eggs to calculate. Also, I would use several thermometers to see if they all coralate and measure the same. Each thermometer can be off by alot and if you are using the one that came with the incubator I have found that they are WAY off.

 

[mulia24]

can't wait to see rustywomen's pedigree basket pictures. please post the detailed pics.

and i don't understand with these statement, thank you to help me to make the more clearer and easier to understand.

I toe punched them

They have a little hole in the web of their foot

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Battery was exhausted and is charging on the camera, sorry! A little longer

Hello Mulia, A toe punch is a small tool that you use on a day old chick.

You take the chicks foot and open it up to the webbing. Then you use the small tool on the webbing it cuts a hole (very tiny) in the webbing to form a hole (kind of like a hole punch you use on paper or piercing your ears)
As the bird grows the hole is very easy to see. There are certain patterns you can use to know which breeds are which. It is up to you to remember which breed has the "hole" punched in which foot and in which webbing.
Lets say I wanted your chicks to have a toe punch in the webbing of their right foot. first webbing site.
The Speckled Hens chicks would get a toe punch in the webbing of their left foot, first webbing site.
Boyd's would get a toe punch in the webbing of their right foot in the first and second webbing (so two holes)
And so on and so on.....
It is important to keep records of who has what holes in what foot and where

 

[mulia24]

hello too rustywoman,

no problem as long as i can still see the full detail pics.

wew, i have the same tool that work like that but this one is bigger use to make a hole in *hanger* to make goods be able to be hanged on the wall and i'm pretty sure i can't use this since my chick feet will be *broken*.

i just wondering is that safe to punch the chick feet? won't it hurt them? can i see the pics of the tool and the chick feet that have been punched? much better if i can see the video process

. i'm sorry asking too much, i'm too curios with that, i just know people here use textile dye to coloring the chick and the color last long so they can know which is which.

thank you.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Hi, I am not sure where I put the little tool but you can search the internet and they will show you a picture of it.

Yes it hurts a little when I do it to them, but so does when one of the other chicks pecks at them. They recover instantly. I don't put any kind of antibiotic on it either. Maybe I should?

OK here are the pictures. The crimping tool is old and well used so please understand. They are not expensive either and I am sure you could probably use zip ties too. And it would be just as easy.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

They really can stand up in there too. I was sure they would be squashed but they were not.

 

[mulia24]

great!

very2 detail pics.

thank you rustywoman, i will try to make it and will use it on next batch (not sure when).

ouch. i will prefer use *ink method* but thank you for the information.

once again thanks for the great pics. i won't have any chicks acted like ronaldo or beckham kicking eggs anymore on the next hatch.