HALLOWEEN HATCH!!! Anyone

[Suechick]

Luvmybob - I'm so sorry

 

[neferset]

Sometimes it just isn't meant to be, but you did everything you could and you didn't do a thing wrong.

 

[k2chickens]

sry about your loss bob.


As promised tho...the 4 new additions to my bedroom.

Of the 10 viable eggs by day 15...these 4 came out. Not happy with the 40% hatch rate...but i will call it a win since i went 2 for 2 on my first ever pullet eggs.
Came up with 1 Mille Fleur D'uccle, 1 WBS Silkie, and 2 of my top secret cross breed project. The stripe'ing down their backs was no wear near what i was expecting. They almost remind me of Sicilian buttercups lol.

 

[Luvmybob]

Thank you ladies!! I really needed to hear that....especially that I didn't do anything wrong....thank you for the video too, I used tweezers though, that knife was scary..lol..

Yes, mama is taking really good care of the chicks and she allows me to be with her and the chicks-- she shows alot of trust with me but if a kitten, dog or another chick gets too close to the coop she flies out and attacks them.

Again--thank you sooo much! I really don't want to hatch anymore for awhile now---

 

[neferset]

Asylum, those are adorable.

Luvmybob, you need the story of my first hatch in the incubator. I got the incubator in the first place because I tried to order eggs for my broody Australorp x EE, who was sitting on ping pong balls. The eggs I chose couldn't ship because the hens stopped laying. There were all sort of problems. Finally, BD got turkey eggs for her and I bought an incubator on the off chance that the other eggs ever arrived. The day the seller (a very nice lady I still correspond with) told me the eggs were shipping, I ordered a second dozen from another lady, to help fill the incubator.

It took a week (this was a hot July, also) for the first eggs to arrive. The second eggs arrived within a day or two. I put them into the incubator about 5 days apart. I bought a second incubator. I candled throughout, but I had no idea what I was looking for and I just kept the eggs in the whole time. Day 23 passed on the 2nd eggs and it was time to lock down the first eggs. As I was carrying the carton across the kitchen our puppy jumped up and caused me to drop an egg.

It splatted on the floor. No candle wax would have helped, but it was no great tragedy. I had white and yolk on my floor. My only worry was keeping the excited puppy from eating the obviously infertile/quitter egg. I managed to get it cleaned up and decided that instead of locking down the eggs, I would take them and candle them. They all looked clear to me except for one. I put that one in the incubator and went outside with the carton and a small stone.

I think my intention was to see what the candling actually meant. I was reasonably sure the eggs were empty. They were. Then I went back for my day 23 eggs. Out of the 12, I had one small embryo, one DIS, and a lot of empty eggs. Talk about discouraging! I never wanted to incubator again.

There is a little more to the story. I didn't mention Scraps. Scraps was a little orange chick who was never born. He was a bantam from our own barn. I put his egg in while it was still warm from being laid and he was on day 21 that same day I was cracking open eggs. I decided I would save his life. I couldn't. It was too late already. I haven't really changed my incubating practices. Scraps and the one DIS just weren't meant to be.

If I'd stopped there, with my 0 hatch rate, 33 chicks may not have hatched at all this year.

 

[evonne]

halloween chicks anyone... the party continues!!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3129493#p3129493

i went ahead and started a thread in the raising chicks area... if ya'll want to pick up the jelloshots and chips and move to the other room... lol...

these chicks are gonna make me crazy.... going downstairs to do dishes where they can see me and will shut up...

 

[Luvmybob]

Quote:
WOW! What a story! Thank you for sharing it...I know what you mean about the candling as well...all the ones we lost had babies in them that I candled and just knew they had died and one that I thought was dead came out jerking....in front of my kids, who were pointing out the fact that it was still alive...talk about guilt! I figured they were all dead that is why I broke his shell open( the one who just passed ) ...the mom decided not to set any longer so I figured they weren't going to make it anyway, she took her babies and I'm grateful she is a good mom, I just wish she had set 1 or 2 more days...

I hope you'll help me when I set my first set in an incubator...I'm planning on getting one someday and I could really use some coaching.

I really like the name Scraps--it's a sad story--I guess it's a learning experience.

I can't thank you enough!
Dana

evonne--- I'm already there = )

 

[eggsrcool]

I have a little baby!!

Hatched whilst I was out

 

[Luvmybob]

Quote:

Congrats!!!!!!

 

[PaintedGemsRanch]

I have a total of 6 out now!!! 4 more are pipped!!! Yippeee!!! My first set I had 6, one was infertile, which made 5. All 5 of those hatched!! Ended up with a light brown, yellow, 2 black and yellows and a black and silver! Now the second set is starting to hatch! These were 12 Ameraucana with 5 extra Orpingtons. All but one Ameraucana made it to lockdown, it gave up around day 12. First to hatch is a buff orpington! I figured I would share here since some are still chatting in this thread and though not a Halloween baby, still a baby.

Here she

is!!