Bator to full?

[Mareloo]

You flatter me jeaucamom but I don't think all true. Thank you anyhow..

Back to the business at hand. 5 hatched, 2 piped and is making good progress and 8 to go.

The very first chick that hatched about 12 hours ago is pecking at the little pieces of beaked of shell.. Isn't it hungry? Should I not feed it? Just snatch it from the bater and relocate it to the brooder? Unfortunately there are no other dry chicks to relocate with..

Is it common for a large chick (compared to the others) that is standing strong, alive.. for it's eyes not to be open jet? It hatched about 2 hours ago..

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Chicks are good for up to 3 days after hatching because of the yolk absorption. Most people suggest not to open the bator until all your chicks have hatched and dried.

Edited to say, the chick is probably bored and wants some playmates to join it.

and the other chick that's still laying there is probably just gathering it's strength. It's tough work to get out of those shells!

 

[Mareloo]

I know you are right..

For some reason I am having a real hard time keeping my hands of them!

 

[seminolewind]

You sure are brave-taking on a big hatch like that. What are you going to do with all those chickens? Did you say you found the eggs in the wild? Karen

 

[silkiechicken]

Start offering feed at 2 days. Do you have formulated chicken feed there? Here it's simple as you just go to the store and buy "chicken starter".

As for the bator, you do want it to have air holes. Cracks between the door and the box are fine. I leave the door cracked about half a cm when it is in use so that it gets good ventilation. I didn't want to drill too many holes and so it is not air tight, the top plexi glass thing is also not tight on the top so air can flow. Just adjust the spacing to increase or decrease humidity, open = lower, closed = higher. The eggs do need to breathe so some circulation is good.

Good luck with the chicks! Your story is interesting to hear about. Do you have pictures of where you live? That would be interesting to see. And where the chickens are kept. Here it is all just standard barns or tractors. But you said you found the eggs? That was interesting.

 

[skeeter9]

Yes, post pics if you have them. It would be interesting to see images from a culture different from ours.

You have done a great job with your bator and your eggs. You should be very proud!!

It's good to have you on the forum.

Hope you have more babies to show us soon,

Lori

 

[Mareloo]

Today I paid school fees.. (learned the hard way)

Of all the idiotic things I have done in my life.. Today was the cherry on top. I have electrocuted a chick! When I started building the bators, I was so engrossed with what will be the perfect place for what, that I completely forgotten about covering the thenomiters connectors. Who would have ever thought a baby chick will be able to get up there, ground itself and shock itself to death! Had 8 babys.. down to 7..

There were also 2 eggs that piped late yesterday evening. This morning no progress.. I zipped both. Carefully following the instructions in the sticky. Had to do some work. Checked in later, still no progress. I decided to remove the membrane. Not knowing what the hell I am doing I tore it. Carefully of cause. I don't know what is so difficult to understand about "if there is any blood, stop immediately!" I think it bled to death or shock or both or maybe something I don't even know about.. Anyhow.. School fees. I left the other egg.. Just moisen the membrane.

This afternoon I notice the baby getting quieter and weaker.. I asked advice in the sticky and hatched a chick in my hand! Alive and thriving! Back up to 8. Another one hatched normally right after that..so 9! There is 5 eggs left. I will just have to wait them out...

Pic of the baby I hatched in my hand, right after I placed it back in the incubator!

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikeninhand004.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikeninhand001.jpg

Allow me to clear this up. I got the 100+ eggs as a birthday gift from my brother. He bought them from a man that lives in the middle of no were and yes, the chickens truly free range there! (Bush, wild, what ever you wanna call it. I went today to see if I cant get some more eggs and to try and find out what breed they are. I took some pics. You be the judge. I got no idea!


Welcome to Africa! This is the main road leading to the mans "kraal"
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-2.jpg

This is were his chickens live
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-8.jpg

The next pics are not to clear cause I had to use max zoom. The chickens don't allow you to get to close and the very fast!

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-20.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-19.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-18.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-17.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-16.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-15.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-23.jpg

Then I got lucky.. A thunderstorm broke out and he agreed to use some of his "mielies" to bribe them into some of the "coops" he got for some. I think the next photos tell all about the breed of the eggs. Not for the faint hearted.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-12.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-11.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-10.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-9.jpg

If any of you could maybe identify any of those chickens I will be grateful.

The following pics are of my own setup I got going here.

I build a steel cage for the nursery. I suspect you call it a brooder.. Everything that moves is after the chickens here. I had to to keep them save. It is empty at the moment because unfortunately all the chicks that hatched yesterday is severely suicidal. They are trying there best to drown them self.. They got them self and there cage sopping wet. I will have to make a new plan for water. We do have commercial feed and I am stocked up since week 1 in the bator but unfortunately not as far as I can find out those nifty feed and water you guys got.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-26.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-25.jpg

This is the "pre school"

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-29.jpg

This is the teenagers

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-28.jpg

This is the "big white" with his hens

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-30.jpg

This is the australop with his hens

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-31.jpg

This is the main suite with the lord of the manor and his hens

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-33.jpg

This is a side view of the whole coop. Bottom part still closed up because of the storm.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-34.jpg

This is the temperately nursery until the steel one can dry out and I make a different plan with the water.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-1.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoenders.jpg

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-24.jpg

I do let them free range every second day. They got access to my veggy patch and I try to balance things out.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/hoenders004.jpg

And lastly the twins. the two small bators. I have already posted links in this thread for the large ones

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd191/Mareloo_photo/kuikenenbatorenverskillendehoend-35.jpg

I think I have covered everything.. (?)

Lastly.. If it wasn't for this site specifically, I wouldn't have been were I am today. Everything you saw now come from somewhere in this forum. It is a wealth of information.

I thank everybody!

 

[silkiechicken]

That's really cool! Interesting to see how things are outside of here. I would have to say that all the chickens that were outside running around would be mixed breeds. Saw some turken, polish, rock body shapes mixed in there but couldn't point out any purebreds besides the ones in the coops you named. It will be an exciting mix of chicks you get out of there!

 

[nccatnip]

Marelo-- quite interesting!!!! I love the photos. Where in Africa are you?

 

[tiffanyh]

Those pics where GREAT to look at! Thanks so much for sharing!