Update on my Marans hatching:
From quick peeks..the Momma Silkie has hatched 3 possibly 4 of the 6 eggs thus far. (Good news).
Two look to be healthy and vigorous Black Copper Marans.
I think I see one partially hatched...but not sure with the quick peek...and then 2 eggs. Can't tell how that's all progressing without actually moving and touching the eggs (which I don't do at this stage...best to let mom do her job). Will know in the morning.
Bad news, one of the chicks must have died shortly after hatching. Momma Silkie had drug it away from the nest along with its shell. The chick appears to have died from omphalitis (infection that sets in on an unclosed or malformed naval...sometimes called "squishy chick" disease)....bummer...from its feather coloring I think it was a blue splash (double bummer).
After some research, the only way to try to prevent omphalitis during a hatch (as sometimes an unclosed naval will close within a couple of hours as the chick dries therefore protecting it from the germs in the environment) would be to have immaculate hygiene within the incubator...I'm not sure that is possible within a broody hen environment.(Anyone care to comment on that???)
As I always try to learn with each hatch, and I will share my thoughts here so those interested on this thread can learn with me, I think I could always be sure momma has enough room to relieve herself
away from the nest box....I was working more closely than normal this time as the other half of my broody hutch was blocked off...I had used it briefly as a holding pen to move some birds out one day and got busy and didn't take the barricade down...and hatch day arrived. I kept mom blocked in one nest box (a BIG nest box, enough for food, water, stretch her legs, and then hold a wooden insert for the nest). But mom was often relieving on the side of the nest box insert, and sometimes into the nest box insert by the eggs. I was faithfully removing the mess every day, but that would have definitely made things "dirtier." Having the ability to leave that little "room" might have encouraged her to relieve outside the container.
But I notice broodies often mess inside the nest even if they have access to a full run; I just don't remember if my Silkie is one of my neater ones or not (I failed to write that down in my notes on her....I remember my Welsummer/RIR is a messy mom, just don't remember if my Silkie is too.) So, next time I will be sure my Silkie has access to the run for relief and see if that keeps things tidier...or if she is just a messier mom and thus I'll have to try to help her keep her nest cleaner....although she instinctively knew to drag the dead chick AND shell away from the others hatching.
Likely there was nothing to be done as the chick simply had a malformed naval which makes it ripe for internal infection even in clean standards...the bacteria from the environment grows very quickly within the remaining yolk that has been drawn into the body at the internal temperature of the chick...one of the facts of hatching chicks.
I will post more tomorrow for hopefully a final tally...and hopefully a photo...didn't want to take pictures today as that would have disturbed mom too much during this delicate stage. She was mad enough at my quick look.
But hey...2 BCM thus far!
Lady of McCamley
