3rd Annual New Year's Day Hatch!!

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:
As luck would have it, my hatch was not just miserable, it was an abysmal failure. Out of 28 eggs, only 13 made it to lockdown. Of those 13, 10 chicks hatched... of those 10, 6 died and I have 4 left.

Of course, I'm visiting my in-laws for the holiday and have a neighbor taking care of my babies- paranoid out of my mind that something will happen to the others while we're gone.

I'm a little emotionally shaken over this (silly, I know, but it still hurt), but if I'm over it in time for the hatch, I'll jump in!

So sorry to hear that. Do you have any idea what went wrong during incubation/hatching/shortly thereafter?

 

[joneus]

Quote:
As luck would have it, my hatch was not just miserable, it was an abysmal failure. Out of 28 eggs, only 13 made it to lockdown. Of those 13, 10 chicks hatched... of those 10, 6 died and I have 4 left.

Of course, I'm visiting my in-laws for the holiday and have a neighbor taking care of my babies- paranoid out of my mind that something will happen to the others while we're gone.

I'm a little emotionally shaken over this (silly, I know, but it still hurt), but if I'm over it in time for the hatch, I'll jump in!

So sorry to hear that. Do you have any idea what went wrong during incubation/hatching/shortly thereafter?

I wasnt holding out a lot of hope for viability because they were shipped to the northeast in late October. After hatching I suspect it was a combination of a wonky thermometer and dehydration. This was only my second hatch & I didnt lose ANY the first time around. They figured out the food and water thing on their own and moved away from the lamp when they got hot. I didnt realize that I *actually* needed to teach these new youngsters how to do that stuff. Survival of the fittest, indeed.

In any case, I was able to save one by dribbling a 50/50 mix of orange juice and water on her beak & she perked up within 10mins or so. The others were too far gone by the time I figured it out.

The last one (who survived the assumed dehydration fiasco) had to be euthanized the other day. She was struggling to breathe and her heartbeat was really fast, so I suspect a heart defect there.

If I dont do the New Years hatch, will there be a Mothers Day hatch?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Potentially there would be one for mothers day (not run by us, most likely, but i do seem to recall seeing one on the board last year)... but we do also do an easter hatch with most of the same players.

Sorry to hear about your bad luck hatch. I usually put about a tbsp of sugar in the quart waterer for the first day, then a tsp in the next 2, then regular water. I also choose 22% protein crumbles for the chicks. I haven't lost a chick from malnutrition - a couple to mean hens when I hatched in the coop under broodies and one I had to cull had a wonky neck (that's what I get for experimenting with an egg that was on my counter for about 2 weeks, not turned).


Better luck next time, which ever time it will be.


This is my first time hatching duck eggs... does anyone not mist their eggs with success?

 

[mrheinz77]

I've hatched ducks with my chicken eggs with no problem. I've had broody hens hatch them too.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Thanks for your response. I didn't have a mister so I just poured water on when I went to refill the troughs. Now I've got water dripping out of the incubator like it's bleeding. I don't want to do that daily if I don't have to.

 

[LegginMF12]

Quote:
I had a goose when I was a kid. That critter followed me everywhere to the point of sje would have to be locked up so I could go riding. Sweet girls. I dig geese!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Ok... I'm game. Who's sending me geese to hatch?

 

[LegginMF12]

IF my new incubator gets here in time, If I can find black, lavender or splash Orpington (not banties) eggs that aren't to far away for shipping. I will be in!

 

[LegginMF12]

Looking at the spreadsheet, what does column D & E represent? They have numbers in them for each person but no title in the top box. It looks like this: Timestamp/ particpant/ eggs set on 12/11/ Blank/ Blank/ Eggs at lock down/ # of chicks hatched/ Hatchable eggs/ etc......

 

[mrheinz77]

When my geese start to lay I wall be swapping and selling goose eggs. I have Dewlap Africans and Embden but the Embden have a few dark feathers. They will be a year old this Spring so it may be another year from what I read. I'm hoping they lay this year though.