Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[Sally Sunshine]

ok, today started out as a crappy day. then i really stepped in it and fell in up to my neck. then it ended well.

i fell asleep last night with my computer on my lap... trying to find out what is wrong with a chicken's legs for someone else. i never thought i would say this, and it kind of ticks me off at myself.

i was woken up by my brother, his help had called in sick and he needed me to run his route (at 6 am).

my truck is loaded with feed, so i asked my DW to take me to his house.... she does not wake up well, if you have ever seen the movie "throw momma from the train", well she is a lot like momma at 6 am.

i put water in the truck, checked the toilet paper and smell good levels, and took off for a day of cleaning porta potties. talk about a crappy day. 4 hose jams, 230 miles with no one to talk to and no radio. on the stop before the furthest stop away the truck started leaking diesel fuel, it was dripping down the motor and the fumes were coming into the cab. i found a parts store and bought a hose clamp a pair of pliers and a screw driver and fixed the leak, after i had a huge headache from the fumes.

on the way back i had a stop and an amish friend's house, this spring i had given him my golden sebrites because i wasn't having any luck with them. i had a $75 in just the pair, and i really hated to see them go. when i pulled in he asked me if i wanted to see them, so i went back to look at them. walking back he told me he hadn't had much luck with them either. he had tried putting her eggs under a broody hen and they kept quitting near hatch time - same problem i was having with the incubator. finally she sat on 3 eggs and hatched all 3. about 6 weeks later he put her and the chicks back with the rooster, she was starting to lay again. well the rooster killed 2 of the chicks. he said he was working on another project, and if i wanted them back to take them; he was just planning on putting them in a mixed run. so i took them back, their feathers are a little ruffled from the trip ill try to get pics tomorrow of the little one, i am pretty sure its a pullet. they are hen feathered though so im not sure just yet. anyways, here is an old pic of the rooster, the hen is hiding in the back.:

he is so tiny, the wire behind him is spaced weird, about 1 1/2 inches so it makes him look taller.

WOW I am glad you got them back! what is the issue that your not having luck? hatching chicks out? meaning eggs not fert well? I would give them the chicken booster probotics I posted a while back, I tested it and I am amazed! let me see if DH has images of the babies outside. I will post then and link you up with the product and its decent priced too

 

[Sally Sunshine]

you can see the difference, same hatch in the incubator, same size brooders, same size grow out pens.







And know I don't have stock in it lol

I give it to my chicks grow gel for two days and then add this to water for a month while in the brooder...

a little goes a long way too!
Vets Plus Poultry ProVita



Specifically formulated for backyard poultry. Provides a source of vitamins, direct-fed microbials (probiotics) and prebiotics (inulin) that selectively help the good (beneficial) bacteria only. Use daily or during times of stress. Mix 1 g Poultry ProVita per gallon of drinking water. Replace with fresh solution every 12 hours.
http://www.jefferspet.com/vets-plus-poultry-provita/camid/LIV/cp/0040957/cn/3507/

 

[Sally Sunshine]

sorry about those images, not sure why they are orange besides "is it fall now or what?" all my leaves are falling already!

 

[cochins1088]

Sally, do you ever use it with your adult flock?

I think I'm going to buy it. I'm sure that my birds are under plenty of stress with the lice/mites and insecticides.

The difference between those chicks is amazing! and as always, you have some gorgeous birds!
.

 

[chicksooner]

wow. Bookmarked so I can order before I hatch again.

Went and took the rest of the eggs from the last broody. Not sure what went wrong except that it has been extremely hot but they were all stink bombs. I had left her in a kennel in the coop and the other girl got the kennel and her personal fan in the garage. The only difference was location. Lesson learned...when it is 90 plus degrees outside put broodies in garage with fan.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Sally, do you ever use it with your adult flock?

I think I'm going to buy it. I'm sure that my birds are under plenty of stress with the lice/mites and insecticides.

The difference between those chicks is amazing! and as always, you have some gorgeous birds!
.

Actually I add it for a day to gallon waterers after I worm but only a day and that lasts two days if its cool out, if its hot I only do half full waterers, it depends on chickens ya have

 

[Sally Sunshine]

wow. Bookmarked so I can order before I hatch again.

Went and took the rest of the eggs from the last broody. Not sure what went wrong except that it has been extremely hot but they were all stink bombs. I had left her in a kennel in the coop and the other girl got the kennel and her personal fan in the garage. The only difference was location. Lesson learned...when it is 90 plus degrees outside put broodies in garage with fan.

The last set of mine had just too much humidity wet nasty chicks

 

[rbaker0345]

In all fairness, I did take mercy on my older broodies. I let two girls sit on about nine eggs. I had to keep moving eggs around as the other girls wanted to lay their eggs in the boxes that the broodies were in. Finally, after losing three eggs to arguments over nestboxes, I put up wire so that nobody could bother the girls setting. One of them hatched out an egg super early so I put the rest of the eggs under the other girl and she hatched out five. I could have done as well with an incubator and I would only have had to put them in one pen instead of having to make two separate pens for the two separate broodies.

I did have a brahma bantam sit on four and hatch out four. She was in the zone. She didn't get off until they hatched and nobody came near her. Poor thing, I think this is her last hatch. I bought the pair of buff brahma bantams after being told that the roo was three and the hen was the previous spring's. Well, when I got them home, I realized that they were much much older than that. The roo is infertile, he barely has the will to try anymore. The hen had an overly curved beak which had cracked her bottom beak in half, lengthwise. This fault had apparently been strategically glued together for the purposes of sale. They came apart again this past winter, but she manages to eat just fine. I just noticed a loose, congested sound to her breathing and upon palpating her crop, I can feel a mass and its not an impaction, I think its a tumor. At least I only paid $20 for the pair and they have been enjoyable to own, such sweet birds.

 

[familypendragon]

OK, hit me with your best shot here.

My shipped eggs experience:

18 Welsummers - all dead by hatch time except one who hatched and then died. All badly malpositioned at eggtopsy.
14 Barred Rock - 3 hatched, all the rest died and the others that made it to lock down were badly malpositioned at eggtopsy
18 Breda - 9 made it to lockdown, one pipped and died in the shell day 19, all others were dead at eggtopsy with bad malpositions and could not even reach the air cell with the exception of one.
18 Quechua/Colloncas - 16 survived terrible shipping experience but none developed.

My personal mutts hatched fine (20 of 24 I think). I am dry hatching which leaves me with about 30% humidity in the bator for the first 18 days. Bator is forced air and 99-100 degrees. I move them to an LG still air for hatch with 65% - 70% humidity and temp of 101 at the top of eggs, 99 at the bottom.

I have let shipped eggs sit for a day before setting them. I have tried auto turners and now hand turning. I have hatched in cartons and I have hatched laying down.

Is this just what I should expect because they are shipped, its Texas and its summer. Or is there a common cause of malpositions that I don't know about?

I have 6 Bielefelder Eggs and 12 mor Quechua/Colloncas shipping to me on Monday. Is there even a point or am I just going to kill them all?

The Bredas that I just lost were perfect on day 19. All moving around and looking very much alive when I candled them. Day 21 they were all dead.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

In all fairness, I did take mercy on my older broodies. I let two girls sit on about nine eggs. I had to keep moving eggs around as the other girls wanted to lay their eggs in the boxes that the broodies were in. Finally, after losing three eggs to arguments over nestboxes, I put up wire so that nobody could bother the girls setting. One of them hatched out an egg super early so I put the rest of the eggs under the other girl and she hatched out five. I could have done as well with an incubator and I would only have had to put them in one pen instead of having to make two separate pens for the two separate broodies.

I did have a brahma bantam sit on four and hatch out four. She was in the zone. She didn't get off until they hatched and nobody came near her. Poor thing, I think this is her last hatch. I bought the pair of buff brahma bantams after being told that the roo was three and the hen was the previous spring's. Well, when I got them home, I realized that they were much much older than that. The roo is infertile, he barely has the will to try anymore. The hen had an overly curved beak which had cracked her bottom beak in half, lengthwise. This fault had apparently been strategically glued together for the purposes of sale. They came apart again this past winter, but she manages to eat just fine. I just noticed a loose, congested sound to her breathing and upon palpating her crop, I can feel a mass and its not an impaction, I think its a tumor. At least I only paid $20 for the pair and they have been enjoyable to own, such sweet birds.

omygoodness the poor birds! at least they have you to take care of them!