Against the odds hatching thread (with pictures and questions)

[UThobbyfarmer]

That last local chick is lovely. What a pretty color.

Yeah, sometimes they're crispy like that. Doesn't affect them at all. Eventually it'll preen it out and they fluff up. It can go into the brooder if it hasn't already.

That last egg pic does look internally pipped. Any movement? You can go in from the top of the egg into the aircell again. Check for breathing or movement. If I don't see anything I gently poke them with a qtip. If they move it's back in the 'bator. If they're not moving that means they're deceased and usually a bit stiff too (rigor). Are you thinking you'll eggtopsy these ones too?

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

You'd asked somewhere about spacing for your coop/run. I don't get too hung up in the numbers. A healthy batch of chickens raised together should do fine in the space you mentioned. Keep the run clean and them well fed. Lots of treats and protein. They get along great!

I have 3 bird areas. A hoop coop that's about 12x6. And two areas that are about 40x40 each.

The larger area seem like they'd be great but it just means I can procrastinate longer between cleanings. They get pretty nasty even with 10 bird or less. The smaller one on the other had I've packed in about 12 birds (half adult, half grow outs) and it's still easier to maintain. Because I rake and add new bedding weekly. Stays much cleaner. My point is husbandry will factor greatly into what constitutes over crowded.

I consider it overcrowded if one or more of the birds is getting continuously bullied or has an unthrifty look to them. But with the quantity you're talking about 5-6 adult hens, raised up together, you'd be fine keeping them all if you wanted to.

 

[Pyxis]

@Pyxis do you think you could give me your expert opinion on this first time assist? From the last couple pages of this thread. Malpositioned shipped egg, no internal pip and distressed movements, but I can’t find the beak

'
Hey! I missed this tag How are things going now?

 

[aart]

The chick from the white local egg hatched over 12 hours ago, but isn’t fluffy yet... It had dried up goop and shell bits on it which I wiped off earlier, but the down on its back seems to have been glued down as well. Like it wiped itself on something sticky coming out, and it dried the down hard on its back... Should I dampen it and try to wipe it clean? I read that you’re not supposed to wet new chicks, but I doubt this is good either... It’s still in the incubator, so it will be warm. Here’s what it looks like right now (looks wet but it’s not):

Hatching gunk....soft toothbrush and/or gentle fingertip preening will help loosen in up.

 

[K0k0shka]

That last egg pic does look internally pipped. Any movement? You can go in from the top of the egg into the aircell again. Check for breathing or movement. If I don't see anything I gently poke them with a qtip. If they move it's back in the 'bator. If they're not moving that means they're deceased and usually a bit stiff too (rigor). Are you thinking you'll eggtopsy these ones too?

Yay, so there's hope for at least one of them! That pip shape definitely was not there the night before. There's still no movement though... It has air from the safety hole, so at least it won't suffocate. I'll give it until tonight, and then I'll check again. If there's no progress, I'll make a hole in the shell and take a look. If none hatch, I'll do eggtopsies on all of them just so I know what happened. They're probably malpositioned as well...

 

[K0k0shka]

You'd asked somewhere about spacing for your coop/run. I don't get too hung up in the numbers. A healthy batch of chickens raised together should do fine in the space you mentioned. Keep the run clean and them well fed. Lots of treats and protein. They get along great!

I have 3 bird areas. A hoop coop that's about 12x6. And two areas that are about 40x40 each.

The larger area seem like they'd be great but it just means I can procrastinate longer between cleanings. They get pretty nasty even with 10 bird or less. The smaller one on the other had I've packed in about 12 birds (half adult, half grow outs) and it's still easier to maintain. Because I rake and add new bedding weekly. Stays much cleaner. My point is husbandry will factor greatly into what constitutes over crowded.

I consider it overcrowded if one or more of the birds is getting continuously bullied or has an unthrifty look to them. But with the quantity you're talking about 5-6 adult hens, raised up together, you'd be fine keeping them all if you wanted to.

Good to know, thanks! That space will need to be good enough for 11 until they grow up and I can cull. The yard is plenty big and can hold even more, the coop is technically big enough for 8-9 full grown birds, but they'll only be sleeping there. I'll make sure to keep everything clean.

 

[K0k0shka]

'
Hey! I missed this tag How are things going now?

The chick in question didn't make it It was malpositioned and I couldn't find the beak. There's another questionable one now, which looks like it has an internal pip, but there's no movement. There was no movement the night before and no pip, then the pip appeared, but still no movement. It's day 23 today. How much movement should there be at this point?

 

[K0k0shka]

Hatching gunk....soft toothbrush and/or gentle fingertip preening will help loosen in up.

It's slicked down flat and glued solid, like somebody brushed hair gel on it and it dried hard. I tried soft brushing it, but it won't budge... I guess it will need to shed that on its own eventually. I'll probably be giving that chick back in the next day or so anyway, so its owner can decide what to do about the gunk.

 

[K0k0shka]

Update: Head count is up to 15 now. 11 from my shipped eggs, and the 4 local eggs all hatched. Everybody is in the brooder right now. I still have the 5 remaining eggs in the incubator, with safety holes. I'll give them until day 25, candling every night, then I'll do eggtopsies after that and toss them out. I have the humidity cranked up to above 80% so they don't dry out from the holes. If nothing happens by day 25, how stinky and gross are they going to be when I open them up? I'm curious and want to see what happened, but if they're gonna be rotting and gross I'd rather not...

 

[aart]

It's slicked down flat and glued solid, like somebody brushed hair gel on it and it dried hard.

The 'Brylcreem Effect'

I'm curious and want to see what happened, but if they're gonna be rotting and gross I'd rather not...

Probably not rotten, gross is subjective.
I use plastic bags to do eggtopsies.
This was a stray egg found in my yard, very weird, my birds don't range.
Good thing I used the bag because it was rotten.
Was really glad the dog or the mower or my feet didn't 'find' it.