Faverolle chicky.... not doing so well?

[mthrclckr]

Quote:
Oh, no

!!! I'm so sorry... This sort of thing happens all too often, and there's really nothing that you or anybody could have done. Some chicks are just born weak.

Have you hatched any more?

Sorry if you've already answered these questions, but did you initially put a little sugar in chickie's water? And do you know for sure that the temperature in the brooder was between 95 and 100F? Considering the difficulty that your chick had in hatching, plus the problem with her feet, I'm thinking that she simply wasn't meant to be...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your remaining eggs!

Again, so sorry that little chickie didn't make it.

-Naomi

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

The brooder was set up before she even hatched ..just waiting... and yes, she had supplements. She was even picking at the starter I had on the paper towel ..and going to the waterer on her own.

Besides her feet, though ...she came out of the egg with "pasty butt" and I was washing her up, or just Q-tip'ing it off, all throughout the day. There was even a good bit of poo in the piece of egg I had to peel off of her.

When I checked on her late last night and really early this morning, she wasn't doing so well ..but she was already feeling cool to the touch (even under the lamp), so there wasn't much I could do.

The other 8 are not pipped or zipped, so it may or may not happen. It's only Day 22 ..and there's time still.

 

[mthrclckr]

Aw, man...

I don't know what the deal is, but I think this has been a particularly tough year for hatching for a lot of people. I've heard (vaguely) some speculate that it has something to do with the feed that the breeder birds are being fed. Not enough animal protein or too much soy protein... I really can't say.

I know that what I'm going to suggest will be difficult to carry out with Faverolles bantams due to their rarity... You would probably have better luck getting started birds and then incubating the eggs that your own birds lay. I know you have one cockerel (he should be fertile by now). Maybe you can ask the same person you got him from if she has any pullets or hens that she could part with. Granted, she's probably going to charge you a lot more for a girl. If I weren't having my own problems getting a breeding group of Favs started, I'd offer you one of my little 3-m.o. pullets, but right now, I need to hoard every Fav I've got

.

None of the big hatcheries have Faverolles in bantams, but I think Catalpa Grove Farms (Gayle Pontious) ships chicks (salmons and blue salmons), and maybe started birds, too. It's very expensive to have started birds shipped, but at least you know you're getting something for your money. With hatching eggs, you can pay an exorbitant price for a dozen eggs and very possibly get a zero hatch. You can go to Eggbid and see if anybody sells bantam Faverolles chicks or started birds. They probably wouldn't be selling anything now, but if you do a search to include past auctions, you may find a few sellers.

Gosh, I'm so sorry about the difficulties you've been having. I just know that if you incubated eggs from your own birds, you'd have excellent hatches because I know what kind of foods you're feeding them... Unfortunately, there's really no way to know what breeders are feeding their birds (unless you ask, of course) and if the hens are not getting everything they need, then the nutrient reserve in the egg (yolk, of course) is poor and often won't sustain the embryo for the full 21 days. OR you hatch a weakling that won't survive...

One lady I know had chicks hatch after Day 30! That's really a miracle, though. She thought these eggs quit at the very end but she wanted to give them an extra day or two. Then she forgot about the incubator completely (leaving it on) until she heard some frantic peeping coming from the room with the incubator like a week later. There, in the bator, were three perfectly healthy, fluffy little peeps *desperately* wanting out... Anyway, before you toss them, if you're not comfortable candling them, at least do the "float test" in a glass of 100 deg F water. If something's alive, you'll get ripples on the surface of the water. If not, then nothing and you can toss it.

-Naomi

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Thank you soooo much, Naomi! All this info means a great deal to me right now ..not just cuz I lost Diva baby, but just the timing all together. It's been a rough day ..and a rougher week ..month!

I was seriously thinking of re-homing Ben since I can't seem to get any eggs to hatch, but now I definitely won't! I'll ask his "mom" if she would part with just one hen ..maybe for just a "loan" ..so I could have the oppurtunity to feed her my own way, get some eggs ..and then try again.

I'll look into the name/nursery that you gave, as well. It can't hurt!

 

[mthrclckr]

Aw, don't mention it! I've learned to be happy with my miserable two-chick hatches, but I can only imagine how incredibly disheartening it must be to start off with a zero hatch and then have this happen

.

Definitely keep Ben! It sounds like he's a wonderful rooster for you, and besides, he's getting along with your other two, which is GREAT.

I've been thinking about the whole fertility thing, and something hit me. I remember this little news segment from some years ago, where they claimed to have found a link between women suffering from infertility and the formula they were given as infants. They said that a higher percentage of these women were raised on soy formula. Those who were breast-fed or given a formula based on milk were less prone to fertility problems as adults. I know it's a HUGE leap to say that the same could be happening to other animals that are being fed too much soy, but anything is possible... If I had access to King's Feed, I'd totally switch to it, regardless of the higher price tag. I even tried to get my birds to eat oats, but they'd sooner starve to death. I wouldn't know the first thing to making my own feed, so I'm stuck using the soy-based junk that's available here

.

Well, I really shouldn't jump the gun and say that this was a nutrition issue. It may be nothing more than really bad luck... It's impossible to know.

BTW, I did find this:
http://www.eggbid.com/listings/details/index.cfm?itemnum=1210749195
It's an auction that's *long* over, but you can try to contact the seller and find out if they plan to put more birds up for auction and ask whatever questions you want to get answers to. Appears to have good feedback, too.

You can Google "Catalpa Grove Farm" and find the other place. I went and checked and it says you can order day-old chicks, but there's no information about started birds.

Anyway, keep searching - Craig's List, California Chickens, here in the B/S/T/G forums, just wherever... I'm sure you'll find something. But try not to get too discouraged. I think a lot of other people have had miserable first, second, even third attempts at hatching. But with each hatch, you're sure to learn something new so that your next attempt has a better chance of being successful.

Chin up!

-Naomi

 

[mylilchix]

Oh Naomi, I'm so sorry to hear about Diva!! I was hoping she'd make it. Big hugs!!!

Sonja

 

[Acre of Blessings]

POOR LITTL THING

 

[mthrclckr]

Quote:
No, no - she wasn't MY chickie. It was Aneesasmuse's.

-Naomi

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Thanks, Naomi!

 

[rachel]

I ordered a couple of faverolle chicks from mypetchicken.com, They won't be here until mid-september, but I think if you order far enough in advance, you can get some.

Faverolles seem to be less than hardy as chicks than other breeds, does anyone know why that is? Just genetics?