5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm finished. Well, I guess that's a relative term. I ended up with 34 healthy chicks. All Black Penedesencas.
47 set
38 went into the hatcher
2 weak stragglers and 2 shrink wrapped, none of which made it past a day or so.

Believe it or not there are 35 chicks in this box. One of which didn't make it.



11 in this temporary brooder

11 in this one

12 in this one




Once this cold spell passes in about a week, they'll be going outside to much larger quarters.

We're just starting to get dumped on with snow and the next 2 nights will be well below zero. Monday's high won't even reach zero. There's no way to warm that building enough so these guys will have to stay in a few days.

 

[JDchicks]

I'm finished. Well, I guess that's a relative term. I ended up with 34 healthy chicks. All Black Penedesencas.
47 set
38 went into the hatcher
2 weak stragglers and 2 shrink wrapped, none of which made it past a day or so.

Believe it or not there are 35 chicks in this box. One of which didn't make it.



11 in this temporary brooder

11 in this one

12 in this one


The ideal coloring for a Black Penedesenca chick


Once this cold spell passes in about a week, they'll be going outside to much larger quarters.

Oh wow, that's alot of babies. I get overwhelmed with just a dozen.

 

[JDchicks]

Don't forget to post baby pics for the Cutest Chick Contest. I believe it is still open.

link: Cutest Chick Contest

 

[cluckcluckluke]

She is so very cute. What is she?

How many do you have in lock down?

Thanks.
She is a White Leghorn.
I have about 12 left in shutdown.

Hatch day was 3 days ago.lol.
I am really not hopeful for them.
I am just not sure what happened this time. Last hatch I got 7/8 with this rooster now only 2 have hatched, 1 pipping and its day 24.

 

[Wunjo]

What!!! Oh my gosh, a bobcat?! I would have had a heart attack. We've seen fox, coyote, raccoon, skunk, and feral cats but that's the extent of it.

Here there is Bobcat's, Mt. Lions. Black Bears on a daily basis (until they hibernate), Eastern Coyote which actually are mixed with wolves, hawks and barn owls. Many predators here but we have been lucky to keep the chickens beside the dogs and nothing has bothered them. On the other hand bears have broke into the feed shed. Clawed and chewed up the door.

Finally got caught up this morning after yesterday preparing for snow and cold. When it snows here there is no getting out for a few days. Might run over a cliff.... Our total chicks hatched was 19 of 36. So 52.7% hatch rate. They are little cuties.



I have a question. With this big cold front coming in. It is going to be a low of -4 here Monday and a high of 4. I have 8 week old chicks outside in a shed that have a heat lamp. Can they survive or do I need to bring them indoors for this? Not sure if windchill counts for them but it will be -25. I do have the big brooder I can temporarily put them in, in the house and move the new babies to a small brooder if need be.

The shed room they are in. They are fully closed in with a door.

 

[Pozees]

Quote:
The vaccine you and I can purchase is not the same as what the hatcheries use, unless something changed since last time I checked on this, and it certainly may have - last time I checked I also could not buy vaccine for fewer than 1000 chicks.

Anyway, I digress.

Marek's is a herpes virus. Turkeys all have it in its mildest form, and if chickens and turkeys are kept on the same ground, the chickens pick up this mild form of the virus, and their immune systems "learn" to fight herpes viruses - usually completely asymptomatically; you never know they have become infected and developed the resistance. The vaccine available to us is the same as what the Turkeys carry. The vaccine used by the hatcheries is a triple vaccine. Vaccinated birds will shed all three forms (as I understand it anyway), which places not only any newer birds at risk, but if you show or have other flock owners visit, you can spread the virus to other birds.

I had been cautioned repeatedly not to keep turkeys with chickens, yet two local keepers who are friends of mine have had turkeys every year with their flocks with no negative consequences, and neither has lost a bird to Marek's. Yesterday I put 21 Midget White Turkey eggs in the incubator, and am hoping at least a few hatch. I don't really want great big turkeys, but these stay smaller and seem manageable to me, and if keeping them helps the flock without harming it, I'm all for it.

Immunity and resistance are different, to be sure, and for me, keeping their immune systems working and developing resistance to something so omnipresent is helpful.

 

[Pozees]

I had decided not to vaccinate my chicks but my older birds were vaccinated at the hatchery and I got them as POL. could they give my chicks mareks? I have two coops so they can be separate flocks but I did want to breed my roos to my older hens

Susceptibility is primarily between the ages of 5 weeks and 5 months. Once they are 6 months or older their immune systems should be able to deal with it. There are never guarantees, these are living beings.

 

[Pozees]

ChickenCanoe, those pics are just heartwarming, all those beautiful, healthy chicks! Glad you had such a nice hatch - I notice there seems to be variation in how much yellow the chicks have on their faces, does that indicate anything about their appearance as adults?

I do not envy the weather you and others in that part of the country have to look forward to the next few days. Brrr! This morning when we got up it was 5 degrees, now it's 4.5, I am hopeful it doesn't go down much more. We got a few inches of snow yesterday and are glad for it, we need the moisture.

At least you don't have far to go to check on them for a few days

 

[chickengirl1193]

Susceptibility is primarily between the ages of 5 weeks and 5 months.  Once they are 6 months or older their immune systems should be able to deal with it.  There are never guarantees, these are living beings.

okay so I can keep them separate until 6 months, about the time roos would be processed and pullets would be laying correct? I'm new to all this.. still llearning a lot!

 

[Myfourladies]

What!!! Oh my gosh, a bobcat?! I would have had a heart attack. We've seen fox, coyote, raccoon, skunk, and feral cats but that's the extent of it.

Bobcats aren't so unusual here.... just rarely see them. =) The Black Bear sow and two cubs 5 feet from my porch is what made me about wet my pants. LOL