First Day :)

[MagsC]

Another baby hatched, almost a twin to the one that hatched this afternoon. Now I am REALLY going to have to get off my butt and take pictures!
One sad thing and I am not sure what to do. One of the silkie eggs started pipping and then bleeding really badly, I am not opening the incubator to touch it because I feel that might compromise the rest of the hatch. But its such a HELPLESS feeling! I also think messing with it might make things worse.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Aw, poor thing

.If it is bleeding real bad, you probably wouldn't help it anyway...So sorry!

 

[MagsC]

Thank you. I am torn between leaving it until the hatch is done and putting it out of its misery. Neither is an easy choice.
I figure I better just sit on my hands right now and NOT OPEN THE BATOR.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Not to be morbid, but since they are so small anyway, if it was bleeding badly, it probably died very quickly. Not much blood in those tiny bodies...

 

[MagsC]

No, you are not being morbid, just honest!
For them not having much blood it sure seems like a lot.

I hope with all my heart it didnt suffer too much. I also wonder what causes something like THAT to happen???

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I have only had 2 hatches so far, and haven't had anything like that happen. The only bleeder I had was because the poor guy was stuck to the membrane. My dad decided to help it, and more or less ripped it off the poor thing! It is fine now, but was so weak that it was 'spraddle legged'. Had to walk around for a week with it's legs taped together, but at least it can walk!!

 

[MagsC]

These are my first hatches as well, I have them staggered, then a week without hatches then eggs to the hatcher again!

 

[shelleyd2008]

yeah that's how mine go too. I leave the eggs in the nests for a week actually, and then scoop them all up and pop them in! I usually have hens hatching the same time, but they laid so many eggs, that I had to do something with them! I had 3 pullets that laid for a month straight before they ever started setting!! Now one has 11 chicks, and one is due next week, Tuesday I believe. Hopefully, she will do better than the first. The first had 15 eggs, and only hatched 6. She 'adopted' 5 more from the bator that hatched the same day. But 6 of her eggs were bad, and 3 are in the bator...hopefully they will hatch. I have one hatch in the bator, that out of 6 eggs, only 1 was fertile. It's supposed to hatch next week also, so I guess my araucana is gonna adopt one too!! But it's good that most hens don't mind adopting. I have another hen that has 18...5 of her own, and 13 of everyone else's!!

I am just overrun with banty babies right now! Last count was 57, i believe, but not all of them have mama's!

 

[MagsC]

You are lucky. Right now all of my hatching eggs are shipped. Eventually when I get moved out to the farm place I would like to incubate from my own eggs. I have some Welsummers in the next round of staggered hatches and I sure hope those do okay! I guess I have not had much luck with silkies and thats sad because THEY are what my daughter really wants. Now there are still five in the hatcher.(Excluding the one mentioned) I hope something comes of them.Sigh.

 

[sis]

Chick update,
the sticky chick is still with us, its getting fluffy, his head feathers are stuck , as we didn't wet his head durring his bath yesterday. Eating and drinking, I put a stuffed animal, a pink flamingo beenie baby. to keep him company. today, I observed the little chick sleeping on it. I tucked it under its fabric wings last night.
We had 5 chicks in the other side of the brooder, one died this afternoon. Don't know why. it looked good, ate, drank, couldn't tell it from the other ones.
The other 24 eggs in bator, no activity, so today the neighbor said they have to go.
still have the 8 silver sebrights in bator, I thougt I might candle them tonight and see how they are doing. also have to check calander, are they due to hatch tomorrow or next Friday? Can't remember. I remember they arrived in the mail on a Friday.