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

[ronott1]

Last Set (Dec 19) Hatch -- final results

First , since they hached over a 4 count that FOUR DAY period there was obviously hot/cold spot issues in the bator (still air LG way used when I got it, & I was starting to suspect that the right side heating coil is not working fully ie not as hot as the left side I rotated eggs but I think a 4 day spread confirms my theory on coil going out)

Second, as noted, major humidity issues -- my house heat pump is just horrible, I mean for my & my DH it kills our sinuses, makes my ear hurt (air pressure issues w/ it) and overall is a no go for winter hatching esp. w/ inconsistent out door temps (days between 75 F & -11 F during this hatch, including drops of up to 50degrees in 3 hrs) it is just too much to compensate effectively.

All that said I have of 7 live chicks from 10 eggs set atm.

3 that did not make it were all Large Brown layer flock under CL "Prince"

HATCHERS:

3<-- ALL 3 med green mutt EE under new CL "Good King Henry" , the chicks are *very tiny* but properly formed, feet good, today's last one out included and I'm guessing all pullets, so feeling like a jack pot there as a reward for going ahead w/ slight assistance to hatch. GHK did get some frostbite in our crazy cold snap, only one of my birds showing it but his comb& waddles are MASSIVE so I'm thinking on that as far as my breeding plans go, he is a great looking young Roo so he will be in the program but I'm not looking to choose sons w/ combs his size.

2<-- Cream Large Eggs -- today w/ assistance, took forever, & their feet show it, I may need to do sandles/booties a few more hrs and we'll see if they self correct. So I was expecting to be able to tell from the chicks if these eggs are from my SFH pullet "Flo" silly me-- CL roo Prince has stamped his genes all over these fluffies so atm I'm still wondering "whose your mama??!!" Both of these also have umbilical cord issues looked nasty out of egg, but are closing up rapidly so I believe will resolve just fine --not great but atm I'm blaming the incubator as these egg were side by side. Interestingly the new dark based pure SFH cockeral I bought for a boyfriend for "Flo" crowed for the 1st time this am, so some pen reconfigurations and a month and I'll have pure eggs to test!

3<-- Lg Brown Eggs layer flock under CL "Prince" (same as #47 who hatched for NYDH) These were out early & on time, last one needed help & had slightly curled toes which self corrected about 6 hrs after exiting egg. These are all growing like weeds already.

SO, its a wrap.
Between the 2 sets I now have 9 chicks, 1 pure CL the others all 50% CL
& I still owe the hatchalong cute pictures...

It sounds like you had to work really hard for this hatch!

I am looking forward to seeing pictures!

 

[Myfourladies]

Oh no sorry to hear that. But thank goodness they were responsible and returned the babies to the hatchery. Was there anyone part of the hatch a long that lives close by to you that might part with a chick or 2? Have you checked all of your local feed stores even in surrounding towns? Some might still carry chicks especially if the chicks were brought to them from a local person.

No chicks anywhere close. That is why I am so deturmined to start up my flock so I can offer chicks here locally all year round. Every place I called said February. No big deal it will just be a few more days =)

 

[chicken pickin]

No chicks anywhere close. That is why I am so deturmined to start up my flock so I can offer chicks here locally all year round. Every place I called said February. No big deal it will just be a few more days =)

Have you tried a WV thread on here. I just looked at one and someone was talking about chicks. Might be worth a shot asking on your states thread.

 

[insanity]

I set a 6 extras on the 7th. Now I have 5 more little barnyard specials running around. 1 from NYD hatch plus 5 today =6 to add to me egg flock,

 

[LearningChicken]

These two little ones are so cute! The have fuzz all the way down over their toes!! I have my fingers crossed that at lease one is a frizzle!!!!

I still have 5 more eggs (1 is in the trash from my 6 - it smelled funny today so I decided it was better to toss it than risk any other babies.) I decided to candle them again partly because I can't help it and partly because I just don't understand how there can still be babies this late still in the eggs! I can clearly see a baby in at least one. So ... the longest hatch ever is taking place at my house... I just hope that Mama will hatch the rest (she seems to be spending more time with the kids than the eggs cause she's a good girl!!).


look at those feet!!

Poor Mama, she pulled out all of the feathers on her neck and chest - she's one lucky girl though, she is in her condo in the house where she enjoys a warm 70 degrees all day and night!!

 

[Nicky-the-witch]

One of my chicks hatched Xmas eve appears to have just given up on life!!

She just stands there while all the others happily graze and scratch around under the supervision of my broody Momma.
It has been a warm day - in the low 30'sC - but there is plenty of shade and the mister is switched on by the coop.

I went out with their daily treat - a fish stick very finely chopped up - all the chicks came running as soon as the door opened with the exception of Morgan. She stood under the garden table and just watched. I threw some food her way - she just looked at it and was then run over by the other fighting to get to it first.

I have tried bringing her into the cooled house and giving her some water then tried sugar water - just shakes the drop off her beak not interested.
Not interested in food either, crop empty - has pooped but it is clear liquid with white.

Any ideas anyone? 17 days old today

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you can, I would keep her somewhere around 30 C, or lower if it pants.
You'll probably have to force feed her. Get some probiotics in her. In a pinch, some plain whole fat yogurt will give her protein, fat, vitamins and probiotics.
Make a slurry of a high protein chick starter and dechlorinated water and get some in her mouth.
Sometimes they just don't make it.

 

[ronott1]

One of my chicks hatched Xmas eve appears to have just given up on life!!

She just stands there while all the others happily graze and scratch around under the supervision of my broody Momma.
It has been a warm day - in the low 30'sC - but there is plenty of shade and the mister is switched on by the coop.

I went out with their daily treat - a fish stick very finely chopped up - all the chicks came running as soon as the door opened with the exception of Morgan. She stood under the garden table and just watched. I threw some food her way - she just looked at it and was then run over by the other fighting to get to it first.

I have tried bringing her into the cooled house and giving her some water then tried sugar water - just shakes the drop off her beak not interested.
Not interested in food either, crop empty - has pooped but it is clear liquid with white.

Any ideas anyone? 17 days old today

It is a bit early, but chicks that do that get corid at my place.

I have heard of cocci hitting them that early. sometimes it can be ecoli though. A person had a lot of deaths at 2 or 3 weeks old and finally got some in for Necropsy and ecoli was found and an anti biotic specific to the strain was used.

I hope your little one gets better!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

1st update:

~~My purpose for the following experiment was to compare the way I raised chicks a few years ago with the way I raised them last year and the way I hope to raise them in the future.
~~With all the discussion of better growth with probiotics and feed savings using fermented feed, I wanted to test the postulates on my birds. Using all the same breed and starting early should help.

~~I just started a probiotic and FF experiment. I had 34 chicks hatch last week. The first 3 days they were together and were fed 22% grower crumbles and de-chlorinated water containing probiotics and vitamins. I then separated them into 3 groups, selected randomly.
Group 1 (control group) is getting 22% grower and plain chlorinated city water.
Group 2 is getting the same 22% grower and de-chlorinated water with Gro-2-Max probiotic powder.
Group 3 is getting FF using the same 22% grower and de-chlorinated water without the probiotic powder.
I weighed them when first hatched were 3 days and will weigh at 7 days and every week thereafter. After about 4 weeks or less, if I see a significant difference, I'll start the control group on probiotics but continue the FF and non FF experiment. I have also weighed the feed each group is getting. For the FF group, I'm weighing the feed dry before fermenting so I'll have a better handle on actual dry feed consumed and it will be an apples to apples comparison.

If anyone has suggestions on something I should consider or that I'm missing, feel free to chime in.

On 1 week age weighing:
Control group 1 - 59% weight gain.
Group 2 (only probiotics in de-chlorinated water) 65% weight gain.
Group 3 (fermented feed/no probiotics but de-chlorinated water) 65% weight gain.
This is very preliminary but after a week, I surmise that regardless of whether the probiotics come from the water or feed, feed conversion is the same. .
The FF is the same 22% starter with yeast, ACV and the same probiotic powder added that is in group 2's water.
If it continues like this, feed conversion will be simpler just with the probiotics in the water. Feed conservation, on the other hand, is probably better with FF. I've been keeping track of how much food each group goes through and it is too early to tell. Groups 1 and 2 are using about the same amount of dry feed. Currently, I'm mixing 500 gram batches of FF so it will probably be at least 3 weeks before I get a good handle on how much feed they're using.

~~Another discovery which I plan to keep a closer eye on is pasted vent.
Group 1 had several with some degree of pasting, 2 were severe.
Group 2 had just slightly less and only 1 severe.
Group 3 had very few but 1 was severe.
So after 1 week, my takeaway so far is that the FF somewhat limited pasting.

 

[chickydee64]

1st update:

~~My purpose for the following experiment was to compare the way I raised chicks a few years ago with the way I raised them last year and the way I hope to raise them in the future.
~~With all the discussion of better growth with probiotics and feed savings using fermented feed, I wanted to test the postulates on my birds. Using all the same breed and starting early should help.

~~I just started a probiotic and FF experiment. I had 34 chicks hatch last week. The first 3 days they were together and were fed 22% grower crumbles and de-chlorinated water containing probiotics and vitamins. I then separated them into 3 groups, selected randomly.
Group 1 (control group) is getting 22% grower and plain chlorinated city water.
Group 2 is getting the same 22% grower and de-chlorinated water with Gro-2-Max probiotic powder.
Group 3 is getting FF using the same 22% grower and de-chlorinated water without the probiotic powder.
I weighed them when first hatched were 3 days and will weigh at 7 days and every week thereafter. After about 4 weeks or less, if I see a significant difference, I'll start the control group on probiotics but continue the FF and non FF experiment. I have also weighed the feed each group is getting. For the FF group, I'm weighing the feed dry before fermenting so I'll have a better handle on actual dry feed consumed and it will be an apples to apples comparison.

If anyone has suggestions on something I should consider or that I'm missing, feel free to chime in.

On 1 week age weighing:
Control group 1 - 59% weight gain.
Group 2 (only probiotics in de-chlorinated water) 65% weight gain.
Group 3 (fermented feed/no probiotics but de-chlorinated water) 65% weight gain.
This is very preliminary but after a week, I surmise that regardless of whether the probiotics come from the water or feed, feed conversion is the same. .
The FF is the same 22% starter with yeast, ACV and the same probiotic powder added that is in group 2's water.
If it continues like this, feed conversion will be simpler just with the probiotics in the water. Feed conservation, on the other hand, is probably better with FF. I've been keeping track of how much food each group goes through and it is too early to tell. Groups 1 and 2 are using about the same amount of dry feed. Currently, I'm mixing 500 gram batches of FF so it will probably be at least 3 weeks before I get a good handle on how much feed they're using.

~~Another discovery which I plan to keep a closer eye on is pasted vent.
Group 1 had several with some degree of pasting, 2 were severe.
Group 2 had just slightly less and only 1 severe.
Group 3 had very few but 1 was severe.
So after 1 week, my takeaway so far is that the FF somewhat limited pasting.

Very interesting.

Thank you for sharing your hard work.