Arizona Chickens

[kpgoldstar]

Hey all. It's been a while. My girls are still doing well. Eleanor is forever dealing with a pendulous crop which is super annoying but we deal with it a day at a time. I do think I'm finally going to fashion a bra for her to hold it up and hope it helps her. Phillie and Onyxia both still lay about 5 eggs a week each which isn't too bad with the cooler weather. Eleanor laid about 5 cream colored eggs but hasn't laid since we had our first night with frost which was over a month ago. Around that time she had a bad case of sour crop, got quarantined and then the temperature dropped pretty significantly. I think it was just too much and she hasn't adjusted back. I also got a few barely speckled eggs back then too which I assume were from Tea. Either that or Phillie or Ony had some fluke spotty eggs instead of their usual solid light brown. I haven't gotten another speckled in about a month so we'll wait until spring and hopefully I start getting some more speckled ones regularly. All the girls are about 8 1/2 months now.

I ordered 4 chicks through MPC for mid May. A silver laced polish, blue orphington, blue laced red wyandotte and a white silkie. I did list substitutions I'd accept in order to get them on time but crossing my fingers I end up with the 4 I really wanted. I recently won an Ecoglow 20 brooder and am really excited to use that instead of being paranoid about the heat lamp falling in the garage. So that's an update on chicken news. Hope everyone is doing well.

Hey Twinklin! So nice to see you! I wondered what happened to you. Oh I am so jealous about your MPC order. If you've read back, I am beginning to regret my single breed flock. I love them all the same, but it would be so nice to have different colored birds hence different eggs. Being able to tell them all apart would be so much easier. My 4 RIR's are nearly 16 weeks and daily it gets more difficult. Sorry about Eleanor and her crop. Great that you did so much research and are able to treat it regularly. My girls are all very happy and healthy on their fermented feed.

I've been seeing other posts where people are getting eggs at 18 weeks but from production reds. I thought that may have been what I had, but after seeing pics of those mine are much closer to a true RIR so I am still not expecting eggs until late Feb/early March. 25-28 weeks maybe. This weekend I am planning to get straw to build the nesting boxes and we'll see if they change any behavior. Right now they are juvenile hoodlums that want to get into everything!

 

[maryhysong]

Anybody remember Earl? my pretty EE boy?

In the summer I set some eggs from him and a half sister, because Earl has a pretty grey chest with lacing and his sisters are a beautiful soft grey with gold partridge pattern. I want more girls like them. So these chicks hatched out










But only two were pullets, they are the two girls hiding towards the back. One nearly white and one red & white. Apparently I don't have any more recent pics of them, will try and get some this next week.

because they have all grown up now. And one of them laid the tiny blue egg in the center here. It is smaller than a silkie egg, which it's next to. Around 22 weeks of age.

 

[RockNSuccess]

We have CHICKIES!!!! e Well one at least. Day 23. It pipped this morning, but when I got home tonight, it hadn't made any progress. Its beak was sticking through, but it was really struggling. It had a saddle shaped air cell that went really far down the egg. It pipped below the air cell and didn't appear to be able to rotate. I know everyone says not to help, but given the location and it had been all day without any progress, I decided to try to help a bit.

I got a pair of tweezers and slowly chipped away at the egg around the beak. I was careful not to get the membrane, but did take note of the fact that there were no blood vessels. I know that is a good sign. Anyway, I cleared away a large enough area to make room for its head. I pulled the membrane back a little as it was really drying out. I moistend it with warm water, then I cranked up the shower to up the humidity and left it. It took an hour or so, but when I went to check it last time, I walked in right as it burst from the shell!!! Yay, I am a momma hen!

There is still the other egg left and I was getting concerened as it is day 23 and no sign of anything. I figured I would try to candle it to see if it had an internal pip, but could not see anything. I held it to my ear and I heard peeping and little pecks. I hope it is not going to pip below the air cell too because it has an even worse saddle shapped air cell. Also, this egg is much smaller. Doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room for a chick. The peeps sounded really vigorous, but I am still a bit worried. How long should I wait before I try to help by pipping it? I don't want to lose it because it isn't able to position itself correctly.

I started with six eggs and three were not fertile. The fouth was a late quitter, around day 14 I think. They are Lavender Orpington eggs and I really want the last egg to hatch! I am so excited!!!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Believe it! This is what is coming.................
[VIDEO]

 

[maryhysong]

We have CHICKIES!!!!

Well one at least. Day 23. It pipped this morning, but when I got home tonight, it hadn't made any progress. Its beak was sticking through, but it was really struggling. It had a saddle shaped air cell that went really far down the egg. It pipped below the air cell and didn't appear to be able to rotate. I know everyone says not to help, but given the location and it had been all day without any progress, I decided to try to help a bit.

I got a pair of tweezers and slowly chipped away at the egg around the beak. I was careful not to get the membrane, but did take note of the fact that there were no blood vessels. I know that is a good sign. Anyway, I cleared away a large enough area to make room for its head. I pulled the membrane back a little as it was really drying out. I moistend it with warm water, then I cranked up the shower to up the humidity and left it. It took an hour or so, but when I went to check it last time, I walked in right as it burst from the shell!!! Yay, I am a momma hen!

There is still the other egg left and I was getting concerened as it is day 23 and no sign of anything. I figured I would try to candle it to see if it had an internal pip, but could not see anything. I held it to my ear and I heard peeping and little pecks. I hope it is not going to pip below the air cell too because it has an even worse saddle shapped air cell.

Also, this egg is much smaller. Doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room for a chick. The peeps sounded really vigorous, but I am still a bit worried. How long should I wait before I try to help by pipping it? I don't want to lose it because it isn't able to position itself correctly.

I started with six eggs and three were not fertile. The fouth was a late quitter, around day 14 I think. They are Lavender Orpington eggs and I really want the last egg to hatch! I am so excited!!!

maybe make a small hole in the air cell end and have a peek if it's pipped or not

 

[kpgoldstar]

Any news on the unhatched egg, Rockn?

 

[RockNSuccess]

Any news on the unhatched egg, Rockn?

So after thinking about it for a bit, I decided it wouldn't hurt to put a small hole at the large end. I used an exacto knife and was able to make an itty bitty hole. I enlarged it a bit, and much to my surprise I had made it right where the chick had done its internal pip. I put it back in the incubator and left it.

In the midddle of the night I woke up and decided to check. Lo and behold, it had hatched! I am so happy, but also a bit concerned. The Thing One is fluffing out and doing well. However, Thing Two is smaller (the egg was substantially smaller than all of the others) and it can't stand. It will try to, and then take a couple of steps, but then it kind of falls down.

Do you think it is just because it is smaller and its legs will strengthen eventually? It has made some progress. Or could there be someing wrong with it? This is my first hatch ever, I so want these little guys to be heathy and strong!

 

[RockNSuccess]

Here is a pic of the little tykes.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

I have have been told that late chicks can have deformities do to being in the egg to long. Have you checked its legs and feet. I do not fully remember but I think it was club foot the majority of the time. I do hope it turns out to be fine. It looks like it is still a little wet.

I am itching to hatch eggs again. But I have a full coop, and as it is I have 6 fuzzy butts I may be keeping the pullets. I will (sniff) be probably (whipping eyes) send the cockerels to camp freezer. I am still guessing I have a perfect 50/50 mix. Those that have watched my video, what do you think? It's very early, I think it is fun to guess.

 

[RockNSuccess]

I have have been told that late chicks can have deformities do to being in the egg to long. Have you checked its legs and feet. I do not fully remember but I think it was club foot the majority of the time. I do hope it turns out to be fine. It looks like it is still a little wet.

I am itching to hatch eggs again. But I have a full coop, and as it is I have 6 fuzzy butts I may be keeping the pullets. I will (sniff) be probably (whipping eyes) send the cockerels to camp freezer. I am still guessing I have a perfect 50/50 mix. Those that have watched my video, what do you think? It's very early, I think it is fun to guess.

Yes, still a bit wet. I did check it for any deformities, but didn't see anything overt. How long does it typically take before they are up running around. These two are still sleeping a lot. Thing Two seems to be gaining more leg strength. Last night she couldn't even stand up. Right now she is standing and stretching up really tall. She takes a few steps, then sits down. Will keep you posted.