Ameraucana thread for posting pictures and discussing our birds

[bruceha2000]

Have you been talking to @abbevilleoz ???

Nope. Perhaps I should. We can start a fan club

With enough encouragement perhaps you will impart your understanding to scads of people who just can't grasp the animal thought process on their own.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Is there something wrong with this cockerel? He is smaller than the pullet, and the blue cockerels from the same hatch are 30-40% bigger.

He could be a runt like others have said, or slow developer. One other thing it could be is a slow crop leading to malnutrition and lack of growth. Have you picked him up lately? Is he fleshy like the other birds or does he feel more boney? Is his crop always big and doesn't empty at night? Birds that have a blockage in the crop will hang around a while, but won't grow well and if it's really bad, they will starve to death. If it's something that passes with time, they will just be smaller from the lack of nutrition during the growing stages. Just one other possibility.

I see what looks like a big crop in that pic, that's why I ask.

 

[daxigait]

He could be a runt like others have said, or slow developer.  One other thing it could be is a slow crop leading to malnutrition and lack of growth.  Have you picked him up lately?  Is he fleshy like the other birds or does he feel more boney?  Is his crop always big and doesn't empty at night?  Birds that have a blockage in the crop will hang around a while, but won't grow well and if it's really bad, they will starve to death.  If it's something that passes with time, they will just be smaller from the lack of nutrition during the growing stages.  Just one other possibility.

I see what looks like a big crop in that pic, that's why I ask.

Thanks, I will try to check into it this weekend when I can.

 

[Chicken5555]

I could really use y'all's help, please.
The BBS Ameraucana eggs I bought will have been in the incubator for exactly 16 full days this afternoon. Lockdown is on Saturday. For the last 15 hours or so the temperature in the incubator has been going up. I've turned it down several times and temperature keeps increasing. I've double and triple checked that I'm turning the dial the right way. I am worried that if the temperatures don't stop rising that they baby chicks will die before hatch day arrives. What should I do??? and why is this happening???

 

[Ravynscroft]

I could really use y'all's help, please.
The BBS Ameraucana eggs I bought will have been in the incubator for exactly 16 full days this afternoon. Lockdown is on Saturday. For the last 15 hours or so the temperature in the incubator has been going up. I've turned it down several times and temperature keeps increasing. I've double and triple checked that I'm turning the dial the right way. I am worried that if the temperatures don't stop rising that they baby chicks will die before hatch day arrives. What should I do??? and why is this happening???

What kind of incubator is it?

ETA: if it has a wafer thermostat, it sounds like the wafer is going out... see if your local coop or feed store carries extra wafers, some do and some don't... if they do, I would unplug it and replace it ASAP... otherwise you might want to set up a temporary hatcher with a regular lamp or heat lamp... or pick up a cheap bator from the feed store... either way, I would not leave the eggs in that bator...

 

[Chicken5555]

@RavynFallen , this is the one I have - http://efowl.com/shop/thermal-air-flow-incubator-gqf/

Edited to add - I did not use the original thermometer. I am using my own that I tested for accuracy using the freezing point method. Also, I had to wrap the lower half with tin foil and I added "heat sinks" as per Sally Sunshine advice. It has prevented temperature fluctuations up until now.

 

[Ravynscroft]

@RavynFallen
, this is the one I have - http://efowl.com/shop/thermal-air-flow-incubator-gqf/

Edited to add - I did not use the original thermometer. I am using my own that I tested for accuracy using the freezing point method. Also, I had to wrap the lower half with tin foil and I added "heat sinks" as per Sally Sunshine advice. It has prevented temperature fluctuations up until now.

Is it this one?

Link you posted is broken...

 

[Chicken5555]

yes it is. sorry it took so long to get back to you - had to feed my chickens

 

[Ravynscroft]

yes it is. sorry it took so long to get back to you - had to feed my chickens

I'm dozing off, lol... read my edit in earlier post... the round piece inside the top of the lid is the wafer... I think it's going out...

 

[samouw]

I could really use y'all's help, please.
The BBS Ameraucana eggs I bought will have been in the incubator for exactly 16 full days this afternoon. Lockdown is on Saturday. For the last 15 hours or so the temperature in the incubator has been going up. I've turned it down several times and temperature keeps increasing. I've double and triple checked that I'm turning the dial the right way. I am worried that if the temperatures don't stop rising that they baby chicks will die before hatch day arrives. What should I do??? and why is this happening???

Agree with Ravyn - sounds like your wafer is going bad. Replace it, if you can. TSC has some cheap styrofoam incubators (I think about $49?) that can work as your lockdown for this hatch, if you can't get a new wafer in immediately.