4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[mrheinz77]

If you haven't voted for the best broody picture, head over and vote at https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...einz77s-nyd-best-broody-picture#post_10139497
There are only 40 votes so far.

 

[chicken fever]

don't apologize! stuff happens...like I just got a call from my dh who is taking this news better than I...he will have no job after January 11. I remind myself that God is in control of everything and when I worry i'm just thinking he may get it wrong and well we all know he won't. hugs to you!

 everyone. First if all I would like to apologies to everyone for not being here more, I've had a lot of personal issues going on and haven't been feeling like being around and being a bummer, so I stayed away. I'm sorry I have no idea what is going on with the contest and I feel like such a duf, for signing up to run it. I had no idea what I was getting into with it, as this completes I want to try to complete this. I'm trying to find out what contest are done and what are not, once again I am sorry. On a lighter note I hope everyone had a great Holiday, ate lots and spent quality time with your families. 
Michele 
[COLOR=FF0000]4 days till hatch[/COLOR]

great idea I've been trying to make boxes and do do me was thinking wire lol, regular boxes us much easier!

I keep them separate in the incubator. Either with little plastic pencil trays or small boxes with the bottoms cut out. It keeps the chicks in breed groups so I can keep track of them easier. Moving them to breed specific brooders is easier too. I want to keep all mine together in the brooder so I plan to use a little vegetable dye to mark their backs after they dry out in the incubator. Hope that helps!

 

[chiqita]

Mrheinz, how do you keep those chicks separated so u know which is which??? I'm trying to devise a method and I only have five kinds in there!
I did candle last night and have 6/7 bbs copper marans, 1/1 OE, 5/6 barred rock (shipped) and 2/2 project (mystery, shipped) going great! I also have 8/9 jubilee Orpington, but only 1/6 tolbunt polish and 4/9 lav Marans. So I should have lots of babies to fluff soon!!
Then.... A few weeks later.... I'll have some call ducks!!! They didn't fare so well in shipping... Of 37 eggs... Only 7 are for sure growing... ;-( but its my first ducks!!! So happy these are going!!!
I'm excited!!! Almost time to lock down!!

Either get little bands to put on the legs later so you know who's who, or use a little nail polish. ( will need to be renewed) on the toes or the head of different breeds. Oe's and Marans look a lot alike if they have Marans parents, it seems dominant. I always mark the oe's it takes about 3 weeks or more before they start looking different again. then the legs and combs start to be different.

GAA none of my other multi posts made it. I had so much to say. Ahh well, I'm watching homeland at the same time so I don't remember any of it. Silly chiquita, no cookies for you.

 

[RavenWood]

A few of my ducks have internally pipped! I heard a pip when I was turning this AM.

, oh and BTW, 8/8 of these eggs have made it so far, and they where shipped

Are these for this hatch or did you set them a bit earlier? What day does a chick internally pip? And how long after that does it begin to open it's shell?

Lockdown in Saturday the 29th(tomorrow) at Noon.

That's what I thought! Thanks for the reassurance

Shipped eggs usually do better if hatched standing up. I always assume that the air cell is messed up in shipped eggs!

None of mine were shipped, but I think it might be a nice idea next hatch-along to have a thread for a Canadian egg swap so that we can participate too.

With mine, the air cells that are detatched move a little when I tip the egg from side to side. The eggs with good air cells, the air cells don't move when I tip the egg...

Ah, well that makes sense. Mine didn't budge at all when I tipped my eggs. I'm hoping they aren't like concrete because of low humidity. I am going to increase my humidity today so that I can start to build a higher level before lockdown tomorrow, seeing as that has been my biggest ongoing issue. I think I will have to put a sponge in.

I keep them separate in the incubator. Either with little plastic pencil trays or small boxes with the bottoms cut out. It keeps the chicks in breed groups so I can keep track of them easier. Moving them to breed specific brooders is easier too. I want to keep all mine together in the brooder so I plan to use a little vegetable dye to mark their backs after they dry out in the incubator. Hope that helps!

A cardboard box with the bottom cut out would work too I bet. I have black copper marans and ameraucana mixes so they will probably look different enough, but I want to keep the 2 from my hens separate from the 2 that I got from another lady just to see what we get.

QUESTION: Do I have to vaccinate my peeps? If so, with what and how? I will be feeding medicated chick crumbles, but apparently there need to be vaccinated as well?

 

[MrsMoonCat]

I use those green strawberry baskets to separate the eggs in the hatcher. Once hatched, I use different colored vet-wrap and make little bands to mark my different breeds. The vet-wrap has a lot of give so I don't worry overly much about them getting too tight - BUT, I do keep a close eye on them as they start to grow and replace as necessary.

 

[RavenWood]

I think I'll try this idea too - separating the hatchlings from the unhatched. You could separate each section as well.

 

[CasieD]

Quote:
I haven't heard back from My Pet Chicken yet. I will update when I do.

 

[chicken fever]

what kinda wire its that?

I think I'll try this idea too - separating the hatchlings from the unhatched. You could separate each section as well.

 

[TMNfarm]

I use those green strawberry baskets to separate the eggs in the hatcher. Once hatched, I use different colored vet-wrap and make little bands to mark my different breeds. The vet-wrap has a lot of give so I don't worry overly much about them getting too tight - BUT, I do keep a close eye on them as they start to grow and replace as necessary.

Ooohh... I like the vet wrap idea!! I put little plastic bands on Prim's babies and kept such a close watch on them, check ing every couple of days to make sure they weren't too tight. Then around Christmas, when things got hectic, I slacked for a couple of days, and sure enough, the bands got too tight!! Poor babies... BAD momma!! Luckily, we caught it before any major damage was done, just tight and hard to cut off...

 

[greenrisingfarm]

This has been a crazy hatch!!! The night after Christmas we lost power. Our generator was down at the barn and the live power line was blocking our driveway. I was so upset about the eggs in the incubator that I contemplated driving over the live power line and trying to find some place to plug in the incubator like maybe a hotel lobby. Then my husband had a brilliant idea, start the Durango and plug in the incubator. I had completely forgotten the Durango had a regular110 plug outlet. So for the next 4 hours, the incubator ran in the Durango. Very long and stressful night. The incubator seems to be running great so I am hoping for a great hatch!! Getting so excited. Good luck everyone!