August Hatch-A-Long!

[AParmer]

Can't express how sorry I am this happened, especially since you have children....................

It is part of the life cycle.but knowing that does not make it feel better...................
I hope you have more chickens.

That is very sad, especially for your son. Life lessons can be so traumatic for kids.

We have buzzards and hawks that fly over our place multiple times each day. I was aware that we live in a buzzard habitat area so when we built out coop and enclosed run I installed hawk netting over the top. I've had those suckers land on the roof of the house and peer down into my run trying to figure out how they can get to my chickens...thankfully they haven't been able to find a way. It is illegal to,shoot them, but if one breaks its way through the netting, it isn't getting out, that's for sure.

Hugs to your son.

Thank you both so much. After the flock settled down, I found the little rooster I thought it got, he was in hiding. The dang bird did kill my favorite girl. Little cream and tan bantam. We have a flock of about 32 that free range in the back yard.

 

[jnjmanning]

some had some goopy stuff in the shell that is still stuck to their fluff and gluing their eyes....strange! I think it killed one it died after pipping its air 2 I had to help cause this stuff was thick and when it dried it glued them in...one was so full it's pip oozed....but caught that one.....I dry incubate so it wasn't humidity...or was it? hmm something was strange

Yes it was humidity, that is called a sticky chick. The sticky stuff is the membrane the chick is in. There are 2 membranes, the one attached to the inside of the shell and the one the chicks is in. Kinda like a bag. Not enough humidity, the membrane will be anywhere from as tough as rubber to slimy sticky, to the perfect membrane which is soft and pliable.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Thank you both so much. After the flock settled down, I found the little rooster I thought it got, he was in hiding. The dang bird did kill my favorite girl. Little cream and tan bantam. We have a flock of about 32 that free range in the back yard.

Have you tried a life-like scarecrow? I saw one made of a mop, that wore a brightly colored outfit, floppy hat and all. I have noticed that the hawk and buzzards do not fly over while I am out there working in the run or garden, so I've been thinking about putting an old mannequin I have out there dressed in something really bright and loud. I wonder if that would help you?

 

[DeannaA]

Throwing my 2 cents in...I think that there are too many variables so even if two people followed EXACTLY the same instructions you are going to get two different results. Examples of variables that will result differently:

Dry hatching in a dry time of year vs a humid time of year.

Different elevations of two different people.

The temperature that each person keeps their thermostat in the house set to.

The weather on different days during the 21 day incubation cycle.

Where the eggs came from, how far or short, smooth or rough they were handled.

The health, age, and genetics of the rooster and hen.

So, what I'm trying to say is the instructions will be different, even if only mildly different, for each and every person incubating eggs. So even for an article siting specific temps, humidity, water added, etc, those instructions will need to be tweaked by each individual person. I could write a book on what "I" found as the PERFECT method of hatching here in AZ at 5000 ft elevation during monsoon season, but they won't be Perfect instructions for either of you.

Personally, I tweaked the instructions that came with my incubator (I have two, both with different instructions) until I found what what worked for me. Next summer, they may need to be tweaked again due to climate changes and the fact that I will be hatching different eggs.

I keep thinking I did something wrong and killed them. So many people tell me to change change change something. Just about all of them have been shipped. Thanks for the information, I don't feel qite so quilty.

 

[DeannaA]

Put into lockdown today- 2 Buff Orpingtons, 3 Red Star X Salmon Favorolle, 8 Black Australorp, 9 Silkies, 14 frizzle cochins. Started 10 Silkies.

 

[epmchickens]

Advice needed.... is there a % increse from incubation to hatching with humidity? It seems like everybody has a different opinion. I incubated them between 35-45% and my air cells look beautiful! They mostly hung right around 40% give or take 1. Now that they are pipping a little ahead of when I expected them lol I can not seem to bring it up any higher than about 55%. Acceptable or should I keep at it?

 

[epmchickens]

Have you tried a life-like scarecrow? I saw one made of a mop, that wore a brightly colored outfit, floppy hat and all. I have noticed that the hawk and buzzards do not fly over while I am out there working in the run or garden, so I've been thinking about putting an old mannequin I have out there dressed in something really bright and loud. I wonder if that would help you?

It has helped me.....do you often see the hawk(s) perched in a specific place watching the flock? I have an I get super angry. I wa told to set a mirror where it will catch light while the hawk is there. My death toll has gone from 5+ birds a summer to 3 this year. Not perfect but the mirror seems to have helped. My guys have a certain hangout spot so I propped it there and the hawk seems to either avoid attacking them there or it just gets confussed.

 

[sweetappleacres]

My Broody's are setting on 13 eggs (that are due next fri) and temporarily on 6 others (that I'll take out from under them on Tuesday). Anyway, with their day 18 fastly approaching (Tuesday) should I allow them to raise their 13 chicks or take them away. Any if I do let them raise them do I isolate them and their babies away from the rest of the flock? I mean, how would they do it in the wild? I have a pretty laid back flock but I don't know. Hubby says to do it as nature would (I think he's trying to get out of making another coop). Thoughts friends?

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Advice needed.... is there a % increse from incubation to hatching with humidity? It seems like everybody has a different opinion. I incubated them between 35-45% and my air cells look beautiful! They mostly hung right around 40% give or take 1. Now that they are pipping a little ahead of when I expected them lol I can not seem to bring it up any higher than about 55%. Acceptable or should I keep at it?

I use 45-55% during incubation then bump that to at least 65%, usually 70% as my goal. Even during slow pip to zip stage I have not had any issues with my chicks drying out inside. To get it up that high I add wet sponges and a rag on the floor draped down into the water wells. I add water to the sponges and floor thru the vent hole (which should be left open in lockdown because chicks need fresh air), as needed to maintain the higher humidity.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

It has helped me.....do you often see the hawk(s) perched in a specific place watching the flock? I have an I get super angry. I wa told to set a mirror where it will catch light while the hawk is there. My death toll has gone from 5+ birds a summer to 3 this year. Not perfect but the mirror seems to have helped. My guys have a certain hangout spot so I propped it there and the hawk seems to either avoid attacking them there or it just gets confussed.

We are surrounded by mountains where the buzzards and hawks live. They don't perch in a tree near our house, just soar over our place all day. Sometimes they have landed on the roof edge over the run. Watching my birds. They don't stay there but a minute or so because they are pretty exposed there. If I am outside they will soar near, but not over our place. That's why I think a scarecrow/mannequin would keep them away.

I think my chickens are safe under the hawk netting, but they get scared every time the soar overhead and the chickens hide under the elevated coop. I hate that they have to be in fear so often...unless I am out there that is.