Hands on hatching and help

[RubyNala97]

Ugh so the little chick with the bum leg and poop problems doesn't seen to be improving even though I've seen it poop. I don't think it's moving enough and the hard spot seems to be getting bigger. It runs around and it doesn't seem to chirp alot but I just don't think it's going to get better. I called my girlfriend and she is going to come get it Thursday and put it down for me. She is able to decapitate it which I think is quicker. I really wanted it to pull through...

I'm so sorry to hear that! I'm happy you've got a friend hear you that will help, that is awesome!

I have done a little research, and anything that crosses the border must spend 30 days in quarantine. For a live chicken of course that is not an issue as they are housed and fed but hatching eggs would be worthless. That's why people who are hard core breeders bring in adult birds. ETA: I have even considered bringing hatching eggs back and pretending they are just eating eggs, but it's one of the things Agriculture Canada won't allow across the border, along with fresh produce.

Interesting. Thank you!!

Actually, you can send eggs across the border... and not have to sit through 30 day quarantine... a friend was going to send Ancona eggs to another friend across the border so they checked it all out... there's a form, I think it's a USDA one but not sure, that has to be filled out and a state licensed vet has to run tests on your flock and sign off on the paperwork for clearance across the border... has to be done right before shipping the eggs out within X number if days, can't remember how many though...

Definitely to much for me but I could see where serious breeders would go that route. Here's a question and I'm not thinking of doing anything like this just curious....how do they know it's hatching eggs? I mean if someone just mailed them in a plain box that said fragile?

This is day 19 or 20 and this chick is malpositioned in the egg. I know it's not clear in the pic or video but in person, you can definitely tell it's a foot in the air cell. And it looks like it was breathing heavy in the shell but there is no pip yet. Is that what it is doing? Is there anything I can do to help this chick? And it's peeping a lot in the shell.

Are you sure it's not the beak in the air cell? I had one once that I thought was the beak in the air cell and I heard peeping but it was actually the foot in the air cell and the chick had made a tiny, tiny crack in the pointy end underneath. If you're sure it's a malposition then check the whole egg really good for cracks. If it is a foot and you don't get a pip somewhere else in the egg for 24 hours you can make a tiny safety hole for oxygen.

That was the conclusion I drew from once I found out the parent's. He just said they were black sex links from his barred and his reds, but when I questioned something it wasn't making sense, so after talking to my sister and finding out that these were from birds that he bought as hatchery "sex links" I figured out what was going on. I told her to tell him if he wants real sex linked chicks he needs to get pure barred and reds and not have mixed roos in there and then he'd have sex linked chicks from them. I don't think they understand that sex linked chicks aren't from sex linked birds. I think they are thinking "auto sexed" breeds. I still have a couple silkies I am not sure of yet. I am sure that 3 maybe 4 are boys. Only one is actually crowing. My big black boy. And he is a pisser. Everytime I walk into the run he goes after my feet. (Usually I have sandles on and it hurts!) He doesn't attack/flog me, he just goes after what he can see moving on the ground. I have to walk in and put my hand out and tell him no, don't do it.....lol The other day after he grabbed my ankle I picked him up and pushed his "hair" out of his eye and we had a heart to heart. I told him every time I he does it I'm going to pick him up an cuddle him so unless he wants to be cuddled he'd better stop...lol There's him, (who I started calling Shadow,) Blooie, a paint and possible one or two other paints that may be boys. But the Big black one is showing male dominance and flock "protector" so far. Geeze, they didn't hatch, what a surprise. Don't you want to slap her?? According to my sister my nephew plans on coming and getting the chicks Friday and bringing the guinea eggs.

Very cool on the Guinea eggs! Silkies are so hard to sex! I thought that all my paint grow outs were female. Yesterday I was out there and there was a paint cockerel. I'm with them everyday, he must have seriously matured overnight. He's really handsome too but I keep looking at him like "where the heck did you come from". And I've gone through exactly what you're going through with your black boy. I had to start wearing clogs out with one because if I had sandels on he would go right for my feet. I was going to say to try the banana too. I've always had so many boys to pick from that the ones that need training go and the ones that are easy going around me and the kids stay. But it sounds like you are doing 100% the right training with him.

I was a bit more cautious at first and some I helped too late, some too soon. Then I followed the hourly guidelines and some it was too late. I have become comfortable with putting viewing holes in eggs that I suspect are having problems and utilizing that to assist them in whatever way is needed. With these two eggs I am having issues with way too much liquid being in the eggs. I lost the third last night because apparently it pipped and then drowned. Fingers crossed that my success with this technique continues. One of the chicks I opened today had internally pipped but was malpositioned and also in a lot of liquid. I didn't know it had internally pipped when I opened it. I was able to position the egg to lower the risk of drowning and I will keep checking back to see when it looks like it is ready to come out. Really, I suppose it comes down to knowing your own capabilities and remembering that this is another living beings life in your hand, and being overly cautious is probably more fair to the chick than recklessness, whether you intend to be or not.

I agree with your post. You gotta find your comfort level and as long as the outcomes are good for the chicks then that's what counts. I wish I was more comfortable then I am (I can be hands on but I'm nervous while I'm am). Sounds like you've really found what works good for you!

 

[Ravynscroft]

I'm so sorry to hear that! I'm happy you've got a friend hear you that will help, that is awesome!
Interesting. Thank you!!
Definitely to much for me but I could see where serious breeders would go that route. Here's a question and I'm not thinking of doing anything like this just curious....how do they know it's hatching eggs? I mean if someone just mailed them in a plain box that said fragile?
Are you sure it's not the beak in the air cell? I had one once that I thought was the beak in the air cell and I heard peeping but it was actually the foot in the air cell and the chick had made a tiny, tiny crack in the pointy end underneath. If you're sure it's a malposition then check the whole egg really good for cracks. If it is a foot and you don't get a pip somewhere else in the egg for 24 hours you can make a tiny safety hole for oxygen.
Very cool on the Guinea eggs! Silkies are so hard to sex! I thought that all my paint grow outs were female. Yesterday I was out there and there was a paint cockerel. I'm with them everyday, he must have seriously matured overnight. He's really handsome too but I keep looking at him like "where the heck did you come from". And I've gone through exactly what you're going through with your black boy. I had to start wearing clogs out with one because if I had sandels on he would go right for my feet. I was going to say to try the banana too. I've always had so many boys to pick from that the ones that need training go and the ones that are easy going around me and the kids stay. But it sounds like you are doing 100% the right training with him.
I agree with your post. You gotta find your comfort level and as long as the outcomes are good for the chicks then that's what counts. I wish I was more comfortable then I am (I can be hands on but I'm nervous while I'm am). Sounds like you've really found what works good for you!

Xray and they will open the boxes to look... someone sent a care package to another friend in Canada last year and it took over a month to get to them and they had opened it all up and gone through it... customs is no joke...

 

[RubyNala97]

Xray and they will open the boxes to look... someone sent a care package to another friend in Canada last year and it took over a month to get to them and they had opened it all up and gone through it... customs is no joke...

Gotcha. I really was just curious...lol. Not trying to break any laws here. Hey guess what? I'm scheduled for my NPIP on sept 8th!! I was on the fence for so long and now I'm excited so I had to tell you!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Gotcha. I really was just curious...lol. Not trying to break any laws here. Hey guess what? I'm scheduled for my NPIP on sept 8th!! I was on the fence for so long and now I'm excited so I had to tell you!

Congrats!!!

 

[ShanandGem]

Xray and they will open the boxes to look... someone sent a care package to another friend in Canada last year and it took over a month to get to them and they had opened it all up and gone through it... customs is no joke...

x2

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Gotcha. I really was just curious...lol. Not trying to break any laws here. Hey guess what? I'm scheduled for my NPIP on sept 8th!! I was on the fence for so long and now I'm excited so I had to tell you!

How many birds do you have and how big are your facilities? I'd like to start breeding Marans, d'Uccles, and sweet grass turkeys and of course NPIP certification would be good to have but i feel like they'd think it was a joke when they see how small I am (setup wise) - just two shed coops, a brooder coop, and about 400 sq ft of run right now. I just built the second coop and am already thinking of expanding more lol

 

[Blooie]

That was the conclusion I drew from once I found out the parent's. He just said they were black sex links from his barred and his reds, but when I questioned something it wasn't making sense, so after talking to my sister and finding out that these were from birds that he bought as hatchery "sex links" I figured out what was going on. I told her to tell him if he wants real sex linked chicks he needs to get pure barred and reds and not have mixed roos in there and then he'd have sex linked chicks from them. I don't think they understand that sex linked chicks aren't from sex linked birds. I think they are thinking "auto sexed" breeds.

I still have a couple silkies I am not sure of yet. I am sure that 3 maybe 4 are boys. Only one is actually crowing. My big black boy. And he is a pisser. Everytime I walk into the run he goes after my feet. (Usually I have sandles on and it hurts!) He doesn't attack/flog me, he just goes after what he can see moving on the ground. I have to walk in and put my hand out and tell him no, don't do it.....lol The other day after he grabbed my ankle I picked him up and pushed his "hair" out of his eye and we had a heart to heart. I told him every time I he does it I'm going to pick him up an cuddle him so unless he wants to be cuddled he'd better stop...lol

There's him, (who I started calling Shadow,) Blooie, a paint and possible one or two other paints that may be boys. But the Big black one is showing male dominance and flock "protector" so far.

Geeze, they didn't hatch, what a surprise. Don't you want to slap her??

According to my sister my nephew plans on coming and getting the chicks Friday and bringing the guinea eggs.

Fun update! I have been remiss in not doing the same! Hope to post a few photos of the gang later today so I can show them off to @RubyNala97

Like you, I don't know yet what I have out there. The little chick we thought would be a Red Splash because he/she had the reddish smudges on her has grown in pure white, doggone it. We named him/her Q-tip. Smudge, black and white, is still the largest of the bunch. The last light splash one is still just called "Huh" because every time we go out there to do something, there's that "Duh, huh? Wuz you calling ME?" look. <sigh> I have 4 dark ones....four degrees of gray, as it were.....and they are pistols! I had to trim the fuzz from all of their faces because being in with larger chickens they were starting to get picked on a bit and just crouching there and taking it. Couldn't see where else to go! Boy, what a difference THAT made - suddenly they picked right back and the bigger girls have given up on hassling them completely. Stupid question - does that hair trim last until molt when everything re-grows, or is it something I'll have do frequently? They don't seem to mind it one bit - Katie can even help, but I'm wondering........

We're debating whether to make the 7 of them a smaller, Silkies only coop. Wondering how they'll fare during winter here, and a little worried about them being in close confinement with the Bigs during the long times they'll be stuck in the coop. Inquiring minds................

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Fun update! I have been remiss in not doing the same! Hope to post a few photos of the gang later today so I can show them off to @RubyNala97 Like you, I don't know yet what I have out there. The little chick we thought would be a Red Splash because he/she had the reddish smudges on her has grown in pure white, doggone it. We named him/her Q-tip. Smudge, black and white, is still the largest of the bunch. The last light splash one is still just called "Huh" because every time we go out there to do something, there's that "Duh, huh? Wuz you calling ME?" look. I have 4 dark ones....four degrees of gray, as it were.....and they are pistols! I had to trim the fuzz from all of their faces because being in with larger chickens they were starting to get picked on a bit and just crouching there and taking it. Couldn't see where else to go! Boy, what a difference THAT made - suddenly they picked right back and the bigger girls have given up on hassling them completely. Stupid question - does that hair trim last until molt when everything re-grows, or is it something I'll have do frequently? They don't seem to mind it one bit - Katie can even help, but I'm wondering........ We're debating whether to make the 7 of them a smaller, Silkies only coop. Wondering how they'll fare during winter here, and a little worried about them being in close confinement with the Bigs during the long times they'll be stuck in the coop. Inquiring minds................

Not sure if it's accurate yet but I took my older jubilee cockerel out to the bantam pen last night and introduced him to my chicks. One silkie and one cemani instantly tried to fight him and he picked them out right away. I didn't let anyone get hurt but I think I now know who my roosters are lol. I figured I may not recognize a cockerel but I was right that my rooster would lol..

 

[WVduckchick]

Fun update! I have been remiss in not doing the same! Hope to post a few photos of the gang later today so I can show them off to @RubyNala97

Like you, I don't know yet what I have out there. The little chick we thought would be a Red Splash because he/she had the reddish smudges on her has grown in pure white, doggone it. We named him/her Q-tip. Smudge, black and white, is still the largest of the bunch. The last light splash one is still just called "Huh" because every time we go out there to do something, there's that "Duh, huh? Wuz you calling ME?" look. <sigh> I have 4 dark ones....four degrees of gray, as it were.....and they are pistols! I had to trim the fuzz from all of their faces because being in with larger chickens they were starting to get picked on a bit and just crouching there and taking it. Couldn't see where else to go! Boy, what a difference THAT made - suddenly they picked right back and the bigger girls have given up on hassling them completely. Stupid question - does that hair trim last until molt when everything re-grows, or is it something I'll have do frequently? They don't seem to mind it one bit - Katie can even help, but I'm wondering........

We're debating whether to make the 7 of them a smaller, Silkies only coop. Wondering how they'll fare during winter here, and a little worried about them being in close confinement with the Bigs during the long times they'll be stuck in the coop. Inquiring minds................

Sweet! I'm anxious to see pics of them too! Glad the haircut helped.

I know that "duh huh" look.... That's why my pug is named Dudley. Duhhhh-dley

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Fun update! I have been remiss in not doing the same! Hope to post a few photos of the gang later today so I can show them off to @RubyNala97 Like you, I don't know yet what I have out there. The little chick we thought would be a Red Splash because he/she had the reddish smudges on her has grown in pure white, doggone it. We named him/her Q-tip. Smudge, black and white, is still the largest of the bunch. The last light splash one is still just called "Huh" because every time we go out there to do something, there's that "Duh, huh? Wuz you calling ME?" look. I have 4 dark ones....four degrees of gray, as it were.....and they are pistols! I had to trim the fuzz from all of their faces because being in with larger chickens they were starting to get picked on a bit and just crouching there and taking it. Couldn't see where else to go! Boy, what a difference THAT made - suddenly they picked right back and the bigger girls have given up on hassling them completely. Stupid question - does that hair trim last until molt when everything re-grows, or is it something I'll have do frequently? They don't seem to mind it one bit - Katie can even help, but I'm wondering........ We're debating whether to make the 7 of them a smaller, Silkies only coop. Wondering how they'll fare during winter here, and a little worried about them being in close confinement with the Bigs during the long times they'll be stuck in the coop. Inquiring minds................

These guys have their own coop. I would like to move my nns to that coop before winter and see how it goes because I really want to hatch out sg eggs first thing come spring. I have one gen one sg, so I'd especially like to get her in with the silkie Roos for the winter and I have three other nns I'd like to use to see what turns out with them. I'm just scared to after what happened with my splash this spring. None of my nns are aggressive, it just worries me w/ how much silkies are more prone to head injuries. I had 4 pet quality silkies in with my standards in that coop last winter and they did great. But they were bigger, bossier and witchier than these sweet cotton balls. But I'm not too worried, I think they'll be fine. I do want to add more venting to that coop before winter though. I need to get more pics too.