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

[Roan]

I posted that. Yeah the egg that sank did hatch, but I did the test before lockdown. So, day 18. At that time the air cell was still way undersized. I also didn't leave it in the water very long to wait to see if there was wiggling.
edit: as for accuracy, I wouldn't trust it 100% , unless you see movement! I like to do it for fun to watch the eggs move.

Oh, okay. Thanks.

Okay, so I have 4 pullets that will be 6 weeks old on 1/6 so I was thinking that it was time to transfer them, during the day, to an outside run. However, the weather's supposed to be all over the place and on Wednesday, the high is only supposed to be 17 degrees. Having said that, I'm not sure how well they could handle the weather. The run is actually an indoor dog kennel. I can put a top on it to protect them from rain/snow and such but not from the cold. @ronott1 , if I remember correctly, you said that at 6 weeks, they no longer need the supplemental lighting. Did I remember right? If so, do you think they'd be able to handle that drastic of a drop in the temp? I can possibly get a tarp to drape over it so that at least 3 sides are protected from any wind.

The reason I ask is because I want to start slowly getting them acclimated to the outside so I can start getting my 6 babies into the big brooder.

So my plan is;

1. Move our 7 pullets and 3 cockerels into the main chicken house with the adults.
2. Move our 4 pullets from the brooder into the outside starter house.
3. Move our 6 new babies into the main brooder.

Also, our 10 from step 1 free range with the adults but tend to stay somewhat away from them. I think it's because they're just used to it that way and they have their pecking orders established. So, what is the less stressful way to start getting them all under one roof?

My brother thinks we should just lock them into the run together and since they won't be able to get to their house, they'll roost in the main house with the adults on their own. However, every time we try this approach, the little sneakers always find a way out of the run and back to their own house. I think the best way to do it is to just lock them in the big house for 3 days, watching them carefully of course for any kind of abuse (besides dominance issues). So, we need some advice on how to do this.

I know this post is long but thanks for taking the time to read it and responding.

 

[misfitmorgan]

No external pips yet but there is atleast one internal pip on a very thick shelled egg. i saw pip last night around 9pm but it could have piped anywhere from friday night to saturday night....i am worried about the eggs cause the shells are very thick on 3 of them but they are moving inside the eggs and the one external pip eggs keeps moving around.

 

[Aliciahess]

They're BOTH in on it now! They just wont stop playing scare-the-pants-off-of-mommy! ... Really...??? What is this??? These Welsummers know exactly what they're doing, I tell ya! Evil! They're lucky they're so... darn... CUTE...

Little stinkers...so cute though!!

So much to catch up on. All the info on a the caveats great. I always have that around...always find new uses for it. So why no iron for the chickens?

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: I would take the 10 and put them with the adults after dark. Let them all out in the run in the morning and see who at the end of day doesn't return to the main chicken house. Move them back, after dark, in with the adults and repeat. Don't move the step 2 pullets into the starter house until you have successfully got the 10 joined-up with the adults. I think locking them in the coop, unless it is large and has lots of places for them to stay separate from the adults, could causes problems. If the weather is going to be as bad as you say, they, more than likely, aren't going to be off the roosts much anyway. What is the age difference between the step 1 and step 2 pullets?

 

[hennible]

Oh, okay.  Thanks.

Okay, so I have 4 pullets that will be 6 weeks old on 1/6 so I was thinking that it was time to transfer them, during the day, to an outside run.  However, the weather's supposed to be all over the place and on Wednesday, the high is only supposed to be 17 degrees.  Having said that, I'm not sure how well they could handle the weather.  The run is actually an indoor dog kennel.  I can put a top on it to protect them from rain/snow and such but not from the cold.  @ronott1
, if I remember correctly, you said that at 6 weeks, they no longer need the supplemental lighting.  Did I remember right?  If so, do you think they'd be able to handle that drastic of a drop in the temp?  I can possibly get a tarp to drape over it so that at least 3 sides are protected from any wind.

The reason I ask is because I want to start slowly getting them acclimated to the outside so I can start getting my 6 babies into the big brooder.

So my plan is;

1. Move our 7 pullets and 3 cockerels into the main chicken house with the adults.
2. Move our 4 pullets from the brooder into the outside starter house.
3. Move our 6 new babies into the main brooder.

Also, our 10 from step 1 free range with the adults but tend to stay somewhat away from them.  I think it's because they're just used to it that way and they have their pecking orders established.  So, what is the less stressful way to start getting them all under one roof? 

My brother thinks we should just lock them into the run together and since they won't be able to get to their house, they'll roost in the main house with the adults on their own.  However, every time we try this approach, the little sneakers always find a way out of the run and back to their own house.  I think the best way to do it is to just lock them in the big house for 3 days, watching them carefully of course for any kind of abuse (besides dominance issues).  So, we need some advice on how to do this.

I know this post is long but thanks for taking the time to read it and responding. 

This is just my opinion of course but if your adult birds and the ones you want to move into the main coop have already socialized I don't see why you can't lock them all up as long as your keeping an eye on it...
Do you garden? This is what I'm trying to do with my older pullets and cockerels: harden them off like you harden off the seedlings you started inside before you plant it outside... I would do that and I would definitely try to block wind out of your pen. Is there some sort of chicken house in this pen the birds are graduating to? And is it just a daytime thing or you gonna have them out overnight?

 

[Canadianislupus]

Okay still trying to catch back up but I've got an important question. One of my chicks has a defect that is common and sometimes correctable in mammals, He is unable to straighten his legs to stand as they are locked at the joint. Is there any chance of fixing this? Or should I cull him? He appears to be in no pain but crawls around on his knees and belly when he moves I know there is almost no chance for him but I'm new to chickens so I though I would ask in case its not locked tendons or messed up joints.

 

[ronott1]

Oh, okay. Thanks.

Okay, so I have 4 pullets that will be 6 weeks old on 1/6 so I was thinking that it was time to transfer them, during the day, to an outside run. However, the weather's supposed to be all over the place and on Wednesday, the high is only supposed to be 17 degrees. Having said that, I'm not sure how well they could handle the weather. The run is actually an indoor dog kennel. I can put a top on it to protect them from rain/snow and such but not from the cold. @ronott1 , if I remember correctly, you said that at 6 weeks, they no longer need the supplemental lighting. Did I remember right? If so, do you think they'd be able to handle that drastic of a drop in the temp? I can possibly get a tarp to drape over it so that at least 3 sides are protected from any wind.

The reason I ask is because I want to start slowly getting them acclimated to the outside so I can start getting my 6 babies into the big brooder.

So my plan is;

1. Move our 7 pullets and 3 cockerels into the main chicken house with the adults.
2. Move our 4 pullets from the brooder into the outside starter house.
3. Move our 6 new babies into the main brooder.

Also, our 10 from step 1 free range with the adults but tend to stay somewhat away from them. I think it's because they're just used to it that way and they have their pecking orders established. So, what is the less stressful way to start getting them all under one roof?

My brother thinks we should just lock them into the run together and since they won't be able to get to their house, they'll roost in the main house with the adults on their own. However, every time we try this approach, the little sneakers always find a way out of the run and back to their own house. I think the best way to do it is to just lock them in the big house for 3 days, watching them carefully of course for any kind of abuse (besides dominance issues). So, we need some advice on how to do this.

I know this post is long but thanks for taking the time to read it and responding.

You have gotten good advice!

6 weeks is a general rule. Some breeds feather slowly but most breeds will be fully feathered at 6 weeks and can go out to below freezing temperatures. Chickens can take a lot of cold but not so much heat.

Chickens die here in the Sacramento Valley in the summer from the heat.

 

[DevilsDenHen]

Well my official count is 5 out of 10 eggs set. So 50% isnt to bad for my first attempt at incubating i think

 

[valleychicks]

Okay still trying to catch back up but I've got an important question. One of my chicks has a defect that is common and sometimes correctable in mammals, He is unable to straighten his legs to stand as they are locked at the joint. Is there any chance of fixing this? Or should I cull him? He appears to be in no pain but crawls around on his knees and belly when he moves I know there is almost no chance for him but I'm new to chickens so I though I would ask in case its not locked tendons or messed up joints.

How old is the chick? If it is just a day or two you can follow the instructions for Spraddle Leg on this link. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it.html

 

[ronott1]

Well my official count is 5 out of 10 eggs set. So 50% isnt to bad for my first attempt at incubating i think

Nice!