Ground Hog's Day Hatch

[tazcat70]

Mahonri and all the gang;

I am beginning to think I have some sort of strain of super chicken. These things are proving to be indestructible, and super active. In 1 week 24 chicks have eaten 12-1/2 lbs of chick starter. If I open the brooder and the feeder is near empty they attack my hand, when placing the feeder back in the brooder I'll have a half dozen chickes riding on it by the time it is set down. Yet no cannibalism. I am brooding these in the same fashion I have always brooder my chicks. Wooden wall hanging booder 3'X6' with 3 heat lamps evenly spaced out across the top. First week I use the center 2'X3' area and open the additional areas as the chicks grow. At 10 days these chicks have the run of the whole brooder. Wire floored, I cover the wire with news paper and then add more shredded paper as bedding. These things shred their own paper. 28* here Saturday night I figured to have some problems with the cold, I don't believe they noticed it was cold. I checked on them twice, both times they were well spaced and quiet.

My wife says they are wild. My experience with these chicks have me nearly convinced to raise this bloodline of Rhode Island Reds. What I figure is the guy I bought the eggs from doesn't spend a whole lot of time and energy taking care of his birds. So for generation after generation it has been survival of the fittest. So through this natural selection process he has created a bloodline of strong birds.

Wow! They sounds pretty amazing.

 

[kefiren]

hey, is there going to be a 2013 ground hog day hatch?

 

[kefiren]

i've got eggs set for groundhog day, 2013, is anyone else hatching?

 

[chookchik]

My chicks are due on Feb 2nd too! They are 6 chochin silkie mixed parents so this will be second generation cochin silkie - if they make it. I've made my own styro incubator and the temps and humidity are holding steady. BUT I just candled them today (day 6)and I don't see veins. I'll wait a few more days and candle again. I'm going to buy an actual candler this weekend. I don't trust my flashlight.


Did you candle today?

cheers!

 

[scottyboy1975]

I have 16 eggs in the Bator that are due on the 2nd also. They are a mixed breed of the family pets. Showing the kids the joy of hatching. We candles last night and all looks good. I am sure I will have a bedroom full of observers when they start pipping!!!!

 

[chookchik]

None of my eggs dues to hatch today made it, they just didn't take.

I've set a new batch two out of 6 are viable but due in 11 days.

 

[WillowChick]

None of my eggs dues to hatch today made it, they just didn't take.

I've set a new batch two out of 6 are viable but due in 11 days.

Same due date, same thing! I'm just so upset. All my eggs looked like this:


Tiny red ring, nothing else. So weird!

 

[WillowChick]

Well I figured out what went wrong!!!! I asked hubby to pick up a hygrometer for this next batch because I was worried it might have been the humidity that was messed up. The hygrometer also has a thermometer on it. I couldn't figure out why the hygrometer said 82 degrees and my glass bulb thermometer attached to a plastic backing said 99.5 until I realized THE STUPID THING SLIPPED OUT OF THE BACKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So the eggs were "incubating" at 82 degrees for 18 days... Not very productive.

I am so mad that our flock of 4 will have no babies because of this stupid thing!
(we got rid of our rooster 2 1/2 weeks ago, so I still threw 6 of our own eggs in the bator with my friend's yesterday, but not much hope)

 

[chookchik]

it was my silkie/cochin eggs that didn't make it. I now have 2 production reds/silkiecochins in the bator and I think I put them in lock down tomorrow or maybe Friday. Both are forming well and I see movement in the egg for both, so we'll see.