Because I Don't Like Chickens: Tales of My Flock

[My Pretty Pekins]

Loved the story. Like I'm on the journey too!

Thank you! I hope you can follow along and join the fun!

 

[My Pretty Pekins]

As promised: photos of my beautiful first incubator chick! Now, fingers crossed there'll soon be more to join the family...

I can't say I sleep upside down, but then I'm no chick, so...!

 

[Henrietta 65]

Loving this super cute chick

 

[My Pretty Pekins]

Loving this super cute chick

S/he really is adorable. And the incubator is right next to me. I can hear him/her peeping away right now.

 

[My Pretty Pekins]

Well, incubating certainly has a major learning curve. We think we're only going to get the one chick (), but this one appears to have splayed leg. So we're working on that - it has an elastic-band-and-straw arrangement and we're going to try the cup idea (placing it in a cup so it can't let its legs get splayed) as soon as we can.

It is improving and seems a very spunky little fighter. I'll keep updating!

 

[My Pretty Pekins]

Well, incubating certainly has a major learning curve. We think we're only going to get the one chick (), but this one appears to have splayed leg. So we're working on that - it has an elastic-band-and-straw arrangement and we're going to try the cup idea (placing it in a cup so it can't let its legs get splayed) as soon as we can.

It is improving and seems a very spunky little fighter. I'll keep updating!

I'm sad to share the news that this little chick won't make it. S/he can't stand and the crooked toes are getting worse. They just aren't healing at all. The leg appears to be really weak and I think there's something else wrong with it.

I feel guilty over this as it could have been prevented, if I'd only known more about incubating and lining it.

We've made the decision to cull this little beauty, and I have peace about the decision. I know God will care for it, but I'll miss this little chick.

 

[My Pretty Pekins]

With a wind chill of -7c, the girls (and boys) are very keen on staying in... but that doesn't stop them from acting as crazy as usual!

We all laugh when, when we imitate our roosters' 'treat call', all of them come running, even if they are on perches in the coop. In their eagerness, you're more than likely to find some will fall off the perches, typically landing on whoever else is trying to get out.

Then of course there's the Chase-whoever-has-the-treat game, which even snow doesn't put a stop to. Anyone else find that seeing spiders being tossed from mouth to mouth is slightly, well, disgusting?

 

[My Pretty Pekins]

I wanted to give a little update on the chick situation. The cull was successful (though I hate to say that, as 'success' would ideally have been recovery.... but still) and painless. We're going to try again, and will put eggs in the incubator come Tuesday.

Here's to hoping that this will be more successful!

 

[Shell from Zim]

You are a fabulous storyteller.. I have enjoyed catching up on your thread immensely Sending love to you and your family flock x

 

[Mellowmalt]

great thread, loved the story on picking out the chickens. So the flock has expanded a lot since then, have you expanded your coop from the prefab one that could only house 4?

Hope you have more luck with incubating. I recently posted about my chick Sir-Sleep-Alot who unfortunately is forever sleeping now but when I saw your chick he reminded me of him straight away.
I still haven't figured out what caused the deformity. From my research it could be from genetics, a deficiency in the parent flock or wrong incubator temperatures.

In hindsight I could have possibly had too high temps for the last 3 days of lockdown but I blamed the person I bought the eggs from as hatch rate was very bad on those eggs anyway.

That doesn't help in your situation as I take it they are your own eggs! From what I gather peking bantams are more prone to having hatching troubles but if you can try to feed them sunflower seeds for a couple of weeks before taking the next eggs.

I honestly believe if you feed the parents a complete but varied diet their eggs will be stronger. Of course the hens laying the eggs should be a year old minimum to increase chances too.