Adventures in Incubating Shipped Eggs

[Rebel58]

Thanks for being a great hatch-a-long pal, @Morrigan . I really do appreciate that link. It's sensible and practical.
I chipped away to get a better look, and used coconut oil on the exposed membrane.
Chick is not peeping, but is struggling very hard.
The veins are still active - on Day 23! - so I put the baby back in the incubator.

I so hope this baby can make it. Today's my birthday, so this will be my little birthday twin, if it can survive. (I was a twin, myself, but my sibling was stillborn, so I've been a lone twin all my life. Really don't want to lose this baby today. )

 

[Morrigan]

Integrating the 3 new chicks into the brooder was easy. Chicks are so non-judgmental. "Blondie", although the littlest one, took to the brooder like she owned it.

This is my brooder set up for their first 10 days or so. You can see them under the EcoGlow. I could not agree with @Josefina more about it. They took to it immediately, and I no longer live in fear that a hot lamp will come crashing down on them.

Then, like little superheroes they emerge from underneath.

Here are some close-ups of Blondie, one of the Lavender Marans and the Black Maran

Last, but not least, here is one of the buff orpington's I brought home today. It didn't take her long to find the food dish.

 

[Cerise1924]

Last year I used a Brinsea Ecoglow for the first time--it worked great! The chicks seemed to like having a dark place they could get under (maybe it psychologically simulates being under a mother hen for them?) and it kept them nice and warm. Before that I used a heat lamp, but those are a huge fire hazard and even with all the straps and cords to hold it in place, about seven years ago there was one unfortunate incident when the heat lamp fell. After using the Ecoglow, I don't think I'd go back to the heat lamp.

When I'm hatching eggs, not buying day-old chicks, I always use a broody hen. Between the buff Orpingtons and the bantam Cochins, I can only go a few months each year without having a broody. Or five broodies. Or half the flock broody! (I think some of my Cochin roosters have even considered brooding.)

Thanks for the input! I just put my chicks under the heating plate in the spare brooder, so I could clean the first one.

I agree, I'd never use a 250 watt heat lamp. They scare the heck out of me... I've heard of so many fires with those. I use a 75 bulb and I suspend it from a metal chain. I don't trust the clamp at all. But if the chicks turn out to love the 'electric hen,' I'll stick with that!

Ah, broody Orps and Cochins! The best incubators/brooders ever. I had forgotten that my new little Orp chick could end up being a great broody. (Hope it's not a roo...)

 

[Morrigan]

I... actually use a reptile under-tank heat pad that I had laying around, with paper towels over it, and a black snake 'hide' box over the top. It's not the 'mhp' idea, since I keep the heat on the bottom for ease of set up, break down, and cleaning, but the chicks seem to love it and thrive on it. I start with a Medium box, and up-size as they grow. I also cut more exits into the ends. Notably, this is all stuff I already had in storage before I ever got chicks.

View attachment 1414700

I should say - this works great for me, but I haven't tried it with a large number of chicks at one time. For more chicks, I might use a heat lamp or shelf, simply to avoid crowding inside and a chick potentially not being able to get out to cool off.

What a clever idea. I love it when you figure out a way to re-purpose something.

 

[Rebel58]

Integrating the 3 new chicks into the brooder was easy. Chicks are so non-judgmental. "Blondie", although the littlest one, took to the brooder like she owned it.

This is my brooder set up for their first 10 days or so. You can see them under the EcoGlow. I could not agree with @Josefina more about it. They took to it immediately, and I no longer live in fear that a hot lamp will come crashing down on them.

View attachment 1414701

Then, like little superheroes they emerge from underneath.

View attachment 1414704

Here are some close-ups of Blondie, one of the Lavender Marans and the Black Maran

View attachment 1414711 View attachment 1414712 View attachment 1414713

Last, but not least, here is one of the buff orpington's I brought home today. It didn't take her long to find the food dish.
View attachment 1414714

 

[Morrigan]

I had forgotten that my new little Orp chick could end up being a great broody. (Hope it's not a roo...)

That's one of the reasons I drove 3 hours yesterday to get 2 more orpingtons (90% guaranteed to be hens). The ones I've had in the past have just been fantastic mothers. I hear good things about Marans too, but I have no idea how many hens might be in what hatched out. As much as I'm loving the Eco-Glow, it doesn't hold a candle to a broody. Plus, there are not words to describe how much I enjoy see a momma hen take her brood out in the the yard for the first time.

 

[Cerise1924]

View attachment 1414710

Thank you!

 

[Cerise1924]

Integrating the 3 new chicks into the brooder was easy. Chicks are so non-judgmental. "Blondie", although the littlest one, took to the brooder like she owned it.

This is my brooder set up for their first 10 days or so. You can see them under the EcoGlow. I could not agree with @Josefina more about it. They took to it immediately, and I no longer live in fear that a hot lamp will come crashing down on them.

View attachment 1414701

Then, like little superheroes they emerge from underneath.

View attachment 1414704

Here are some close-ups of Blondie, one of the Lavender Marans and the Black Maran

View attachment 1414711 View attachment 1414712 View attachment 1414713

Last, but not least, here is one of the buff orpington's I brought home today. It didn't take her long to find the food dish.
View attachment 1414714

Adorable chicks!! They do seem to love that EcoGlow. Mine are all tucked under the Titan right now.
I love seeing your happy, fluffy little flock!

 

[Cerise1924]

That's one of the reasons I drove 3 hours yesterday to get 2 more orpingtons (90% guaranteed to be hens). The ones I've had in the past have just been fantastic mothers. I hear good things about Marans too, but I have no idea how many hens might be in what hatched out. As much as I'm loving the Eco-Glow, it doesn't hold a candle to a broody. Plus, there are not words to describe how much I enjoy see a momma hen take her brood out in the the yard for the first time.

Isn't it the sweetest, seeing mama and babies? I can't believe my Sebright turned out to be a stalwart broody and devoted mother. She used to get bossed by the bigger hens, but now that she's protecting baby, she just has to look sideways at the big ladies, and they scatter to all ends of the coop so the tiny Orp chick can get first pick of the feed.

I'm sure she'd raise another clutch for me, but she doesn't have the square inch capacity of an Orpington!

Smart that you got some extra Orps.

 

[Morrigan]

Isn't it the sweetest, seeing mama and babies? I can't believe my Sebright turned out to be a stalwart broody and devoted mother. She used to get bossed by the bigger hens, but now that she's protecting baby, she just has to look sideways at the big ladies, and they scatter to all ends of the coop so the tiny Orp chick can get first pick of the feed.

I'm sure she'd raise another clutch for me, but she doesn't have the square inch capacity of an Orpington!

Smart that you got some extra Orps.

I love when the timid little chicken becomes a fierce broody.

I hope you are having a great birthday and your last svart pulls through.