April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

[AusChook]

thank you so much everyone for tolerating all of my newbie questions and being so kind!

Two random ones:
- do you ever give your chicks in the brooder a stuffed animal to hid under? Read that in a book, what are your thoughts?

- What kinds of treats can i give them to peck at and explore? i.e piece of an apple?

I have 9 babies total! They are all so cute Two cochin, two Orpingtons, and five RIRxBR cross (all barred)

I'm not sure what the weather is like there but I take all my chicks outside from a few days old. I put them in a little pen that we can move around in the sun and they sctratch around and peck in the dirt and grass.

 

[mmeyette]

one of my chicks (hatched about 9am) still hasn't really perked up, two others who hatched later are already running around her and stepping on her and much more vocal. I am concerned!! She seems to always flop to one side too...I thought I had Save-A-Chick but I CAN'T FIND IT! Any ideas? I did see her drink a little water a couple of hours ago when one of the other chicks stepped on her prompting her to move and her beak hit the water so she drank and then adjusted and flopped down. she isn't vocal at all...what do I do?? Can I make electrolytes? Should I worry?

The little chick is clicking when she breathes, I've seen her sit up and take a few steps but then she collapses again. The other chicks are picking on her and stepping on her and pushing her around, if she needs to rest maybe I should separate her? The incubator is still running, I could take the water out and put her in there? The clicking from what I could search for on here sounds like a respiratory infection - is it possible she aspirated some water/fluid during hatch? could she potentially spread this to my other chicks? Should I just go to bed and quite worrying so much?

 

[hokankai]

I would place her back in the incubator so that she's by herself. The clicking could be anything and if it were an infection you would probably have discharge, sneezing, and other symptoms. I would put the chick in there for 24 hours or so, and then make sure it gets food and water. Add a couple tablespoons of sugar, and some electrolytes to the water and try and get her to drink.

 

[LBKS]

This morning I had to toss my clears despite wanting to wait until later - one had started beading up fluids on the outside. So incubator #1 is down by 8 eggs (the only clears I left were the brown eggs which will get at least two days longer - they are much harder to see through. I'm guessing all but the two browns are clear though, so I moved the questionable eggs to the far side of the incubator.

Cleaned incubator #2 again and was happy that this morning it just smelled faintly of vinegar rather than spoiling egg - so I think I have most of it cleaned up (still a few stained spots on the bottom that are hard to reach).

Still too early to see if the temperature spike killed them, going to try and not candle until Friday so I can focus on making sure the incubator is clean. I can honestly say I look forward to going to work today so I have something else to focus on for a few hours!

 

[annabell254]

Ok, so it is day 22 and we have one of my silkie eggs hatch, a bought silkie egg hatch and three BLRW hatch and one Lav. Orp... out of 26 eggs!!!!

my other three from the farm have not even piped yet, and yeasterday one that had piped early I found dead with nothing more than a pip, as I did not know to help it in time.... all of the others needed help to get out after piping!!!!!

Do my other eggs still have a chance?

 

[mumma3crazedboy]

I have a question- I hope not to intrude.... Our bantee has had some contact with our rooster- but we have been trying to keep them penned up and have moved most of our chickens into the barn. "martha" my bantee does not like to be penned and will fly out of the coop as much as she can, so we figured we would just let her be. our rooster is very large and he cant fly out- so he tends to get stuck in the old coop until the other one is finished enough for everyone. anyway- my question is, how long does a chicken stay "furtle" They have had babies last year & martha has made a nest and has been sitting for a few days.- Im just unsure if anything will come of it because she has had some contact with the rooster, but not on a daily basis. Does anyone have any idea?

 

[MissBroodyHen]

Chick fever. Just bought a fully auto bator. Holds 56 eggs and hopefully another one if I win! Hovabator fully auto as well (no fan tho) fingers crossed! I'm hoping to have two bator a and I hatcher from three! Should be good! Can't wait for the new one to get here! Thinking about eggs to get already! Want silkies, leghorns and something else can't remember the blasted name errr!
Anyone got any ideas on what type I should add to my collection of eggs? Think rare breeds in the uk. But what do u all recommend?

 

[annabell254]

ok, sooooooooooooo........... I had a cracked egg that I tried to fix, that was devoloping.... and so I very carfully opened the crack, leaving the membrain (both) fully intact... I dont think it is good... there is fluid moving around in there... should I take this egg out... day 22.... right now I covered the part where the shell is missing with a moist paper towel.... ive never opened an egg before but I would think it should be harder if it is a chick getting ready to hatch!!!!

 

[pogmobum]

I have a question- I hope not to intrude.... Our bantee has had some contact with our rooster- but we have been trying to keep them penned up and have moved most of our chickens into the barn. "martha" my bantee does not like to be penned and will fly out of the coop as much as she can, so we  figured we would just let her be. our rooster is very large and he cant fly out- so he tends to get stuck in the old coop until the other one is finished enough for everyone. anyway- my question is, how long does a chicken stay "furtle" They have had babies last year & martha has made a nest and has been sitting for a few days.- Im just unsure if anything will come of it because she has had some contact with the rooster, but not on a daily basis.  Does anyone have any idea?

Chickens can store sperm so they can stay fertile for about 2-3 weeks after having a "special moment" lol with the rooster.

 

[mumma3crazedboy]

Chickens can store sperm so they can stay fertile for about 2-3 weeks after having a "special moment" lol

with the rooster.

Oh good. Ill expect to have more baby chicks on top of the ones we ordered that are due to be picked up in may.