April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

[Keggen]

Good morning everyone! Still waiting on #3 of 13 eggs to finish zipping. Not a peep out of the other eggs, but Day 21 is tomorrow so no rush. Moved the two fluffed out chicks to the brooder, so now I can worry over "did I get the brooder right? What if they aren't warm enough?" Type questions all day.

I'm already worrying about the brooder and the chicks aren't even hatched yet! It's been almost a year since I've had chicks that I've forgotten a lot and feel nervous about raising them.

Do you guys think I should either give unhatched eggs due to hatch late Friday/mostly Saturday or just hatched chicks to one of my broody hens?

Like I mentioned I have 2 broody hens and since this is my first time with any new chicks with this flock I'm unsure what to do. I have technically 2 coops inside my coop yard, although one is in tough shape and not fixed up (was the coop for the previous home owners a few years ago). I could try to do something with it real quick but I have no idea what. It is small....like 3 feet wide by maybe 7 feet long. Tall enough to stand up in though, with an opening along one wall and a tall door to walk in. I could use it for one of the broody hens but it is basically just empty space right now.

I could take one of the broody hens and separate her in there. The question is, which hen? One has been sitting dedicated on her nest for approximately one week, I have to double check the exact time. The other has been trying to sit but we have been taking her eggs and putting her on the roost every night. Yesterday when I saw her on a nest with a fake egg I just let her be over night. If she stays on the fake egg again today I'm going to let her and I think it would show she is dedicated for real. She really seems to be trying even though I keep disrupting her.

So do I move the first one with 1 week eggs? Lock her in the other coop? It's so not even close to the niceness of the regular coop though that I wonder if it's not a good idea though. There are no windows and just one ventilation spot. Or do I just leave them both and give new hatchlings to the 2nd broody who is sitting on the fake egg and let them raise their babies in the same area? There will be about 2 weeks between my incubator chicks and the ones that broody number 1 is sitting on.

Sorry this is confusing. Hope I've made it clear...I definitely need some coffee this morning! Lol

Just not sure what to do about that other "coop" if anything...and how to balance these two hens. I would really like to give #2 some eggs or chicks so I have fewer to raise myself in a brooder in the barn.

 

[LBKS]

Wish I had experience enough to give you advize, Keggen. Good luck though, I'm sure someone will chime in soon with something useful

 

[roxyq]

hi all...
need some help... well kinda a lot of help.
I am on my very first batch of bantam chick,,, I had 4 beige & 4 blue, all were doing very well.. well up until last night..
We had a temp spike of 120 just after id put them into lockdown.... i am soooo gutted!
The temp spike lasted around an hour before i checked it,,,, I have candled them today... I know i should'nt have done so really but I had to. I can only see movement in 2 eggs.......is it time to cry?
roxy

 

[pogmobum]

N

hi all...
need some help... well kinda  a lot of help.
I am on my very first batch of bantam chick,,, I had 4 beige & 4 blue, all were doing very well.. well up until last night..
We had a temp spike of 120 just after id put them into lockdown.... i  am soooo gutted!
The temp spike lasted around an hour before i checked it,,,, I have candled them today... I know i should'nt have done so really but I had to. I can only see movement in 2 eggs.......is it time to cry?
roxy

Nope its not i didnt see movement in any of mine after a power cut but left them in and they all hatched, you never know

 

[LBKS]

N
Nope its not i didnt see movement in any of mine after a power cut but left them in and they all hatched, you never know

May as well keep them all in - you could be surprised. There is always the chance that it wasn't that high that long or the thermometer wasn't reading right. If you still have a few moving you may well have more survivors.

 

[oesdog]

Ohhhhhh sorry you had that problem.
I would keep them in and see what happens you never know.

Oes

 

[roxyq]

I hope so,
I was hoping that theyll be ok but I suppose I'll have to wait and see.
Has anyone else had such a high spike?
All replies are appreciated.

 

[TheCrazyChick]

Just took the remaining 7 duds out of incubator. 4 had full size chicks inside that just didn't cut the muster I guess. 3 had never been viable. So, final tally stands at 5 hatched. Considering I figured I screw the entire hatch up, I am pleased.

Hatch Day for the 8 Polish officially starts tomorrow, but they have been in with the other eggs since last Friday. Candled this morning and all look viable, at least so far. One actually has started pipping externally already. Picking up kids and grandkids from the airport in an hour, so REALLY hoping they get to see a few chicks hatch over the next few days! Temp is at 101.4 (LF Still Air) and humidity is steady at 70%.

Next lockdown starts April 23, next Tuesday! Just enough time to clean the bator before round 2.

 

[Mtn Margie]

I'm already worrying about the brooder and the chicks aren't even hatched yet! It's been almost a year since I've had chicks that I've forgotten a lot and feel nervous about raising them.

Do you guys think I should either give unhatched eggs due to hatch late Friday/mostly Saturday or just hatched chicks to one of my broody hens?

Like I mentioned I have 2 broody hens and since this is my first time with any new chicks with this flock I'm unsure what to do. I have technically 2 coops inside my coop yard, although one is in tough shape and not fixed up (was the coop for the previous home owners a few years ago). I could try to do something with it real quick but I have no idea what. It is small....like 3 feet wide by maybe 7 feet long. Tall enough to stand up in though, with an opening along one wall and a tall door to walk in. I could use it for one of the broody hens but it is basically just empty space right now.

I could take one of the broody hens and separate her in there. The question is, which hen? One has been sitting dedicated on her nest for approximately one week, I have to double check the exact time. The other has been trying to sit but we have been taking her eggs and putting her on the roost every night. Yesterday when I saw her on a nest with a fake egg I just let her be over night. If she stays on the fake egg again today I'm going to let her and I think it would show she is dedicated for real. She really seems to be trying even though I keep disrupting her.

So do I move the first one with 1 week eggs? Lock her in the other coop? It's so not even close to the niceness of the regular coop though that I wonder if it's not a good idea though. There are no windows and just one ventilation spot. Or do I just leave them both and give new hatchlings to the 2nd broody who is sitting on the fake egg and let them raise their babies in the same area? There will be about 2 weeks between my incubator chicks and the ones that broody number 1 is sitting on.

Sorry this is confusing. Hope I've made it clear...I definitely need some coffee this morning! Lol

Just not sure what to do about that other "coop" if anything...and how to balance these two hens. I would really like to give #2 some eggs or chicks so I have fewer to raise myself in a brooder in the barn.

You can try giving the chicks to Broody 1, it's only been a week or so but she just might take them. When she leaves the nest, take her eggs and put them under Broody 2 and she will then have chicks in two weeks. I would not move anyone, I would just make them an enclosure if you are worried about the rest of the flock. But as always, be ready to brood them yourself if they get rejected. That is how I would handle the situation anyway.

 

[roxyq]

They look ( when candled) different to what they did before, any ideas what i can look out for apart from movement, or lack of in this case??
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