6th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2015 Hatch-A-Long

[hennible]

I may be in the singleton group as well. I still have two eggs in the incubator, but I'm quickly giving up hope (this is day 22). I will candle and do the water candling tomorrow if I don't see any pips. I spent the day trying to figure out how to get a buddy or two for him and options seem pretty scarce! Here is a photo of my little blue chick with his rock-buddy under the ecoglow... The good news is that he seems to be thriving, already growing. I just wish he had a friend!!

I know people give ducklings stuffed animals... Maybe a feather duster also...

 

[MisfitMarie]

For real though.. I've only ever had one chick die (once they clear the hurdle of my hellish incubation skills that is..) And it's funny how you can walk by the brooder and see chicks crashed out in the weirdest positions.. But this time it stopped me in my tracks. And you nailed it- it was just, flatter looking.

Yes, I have experienced the "flat chick" once. I have no idea what happened to it. It was a little Hamburg bantam. When I found it the next morning, it was FLAT... and probably three times the size of the others.

Very strange!

The other Welsummer is catching on.... now they're BOTH doing it!!

 

[Cynthia12]

Well, I went to check on my New Year's chicks in the brooder..... AND THIS IS WHAT I FOUND:



Apparently, this is how this silly chick prefers to SLEEP! It scared me half to death, but no, just takin' a snooze under the heat lamp... #_#

Cute chick photo..can I fix it up a bit? Not sure that is against the rules..but oh well, this is one cute photo. I've had them scare me like this too..little stinks!

 

[LemonMeringue]

Well, I went to check on my New Year's chicks in the brooder..... AND THIS IS WHAT I FOUND: Apparently, this is how this silly chick prefers to SLEEP! It scared me half to death, but no, just takin' a snooze under the heat lamp... #_#

That is hilarious!

 

[MisfitMarie]

I don't mind at all, it's yours! It's even funnier now that the other Welsummer baby joined in... maybe the others will follow suit and I can get a hilarious group photo.

Question... Anyone here good at determining the gender of newly hatched Welsummer chicks? I only have two, and they look somewhat different... but neither has markings developed enough to determine either way. =/ I'm hoping one is a pullet. I'm just not sure. =/ The larger one has a much darker stripe and more obvious white side strips, but I can't see the "eyeliner" I hear about. At least not yet.

 

[MisfitMarie]

YUP... NOW THE OTHER CHICK IS DOING IT:

At least you can see them breathing. I am surprised they don't mind gentle tummy rubs, they don't even move. Soft little fuzz-butts.

 

[Cynthia12]

Man, no matter what I tried, that little stinker...looks ~ well, asleep asleep ~ Sleep tight baby.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Well, we inspected our side pip. He'd been in the same position since yesterday morning but managed to make the pip a little bigger. The membrane was turning black. I couldn't stand it.

I helped him hatch.

And I'm very glad I did. His leg was twisted all the way over his head in a very unnatural position. He wasn't able to turn himself around in the sell.

There was zero bleeding from the membrane, but I did find something like looked like dried/cooked yolk stuck to the shell/membrane. He bled a little from his belly button, but that stopped on its own quickly.

Now he's recovering in the incubator and drying. I'll leave him in there overnight to finish fluffing and maybe encourage the final egg to pip (float test tomorrow if no activity by morning). He's peeping and falling everywhere. That's a good sign!

I'm a little worried about his leg. It was sticking out at a weird angle, due to the position in the egg... I'm hoping it will correct itself by morning.

This is a prime example of weak genetics... a chick that wouldn't have hatched and maybe shouldn't have, as cruel as that is to say. My soft heart (and some prompting from a pacing husband) led me to intervene.

I hope it turns out for the best.

MrsB

 

[MisfitMarie]

Man, no matter what I tried, that little stinker...looks ~ well, asleep asleep ~ Sleep tight baby.

That is AWESOME

 

[MisfitMarie]

Well, we inspected our side pip. He'd been in the same position since yesterday morning but managed to make the pip a little bigger. The membrane was turning black. I couldn't stand it.

I helped him hatch.

And I'm very glad I did. His leg was twisted all the way over his head in a very unnatural position. He wasn't able to turn himself around in the sell.

There was zero bleeding from the membrane, but I did find something like looked like dried/cooked yolk stuck to the shell/membrane. He bled a little from his belly button, but that stopped on its own quickly.

Now he's recovering in the incubator and drying. I'll leave him in there overnight to finish fluffing and maybe encourage the final egg to pip (float test tomorrow if no activity by morning). He's peeping and falling everywhere.

That's a good sign!

I'm a little worried about his leg. It was sticking out at a weird angle, due to the position in the egg... I'm hoping it will correct itself by morning.

This is a prime example of weak genetics... a chick that wouldn't have hatched and maybe shouldn't have, as cruel as that is to say. My soft heart (and some prompting from a pacing husband) led me to intervene.

I hope it turns out for the best.

MrsB

I'm glad you were able to get to that little chick's rescue. Sounds like it could be "spraddle leg". I had to treat a chick with it awhile back by taping its legs together for a few days. Right now, I'm trying to treat one with a crooked toe. I understand the feeling of rescuing a chick that otherwise wouldn't have survived. I've thought about that many times, because I tend to be very "hands on" with the chicks that I think are struggling. =/ I am keeping my fingers crossed for your chick.