Hatch-Along - Setting eggs this weekend (Jan5/6) WHOS WITH ME!

[SusanRenee]

Phew, was I behind! Congrats or condolences to those that need them... we lost another one that I had assisted the other day, and I still have one I am worried about, he's just not growing, he's been named Tiny, because he just is. Other than that,everyone else is doing well, and I'm beginning to collect to set again on Friday or Saturday. I am going to go trade eggs with my neighbors, one had a roo and the other has my White Leghorn roo Foghorn that jumped ship a few months back and into her coop! Cheeky roo!

 

[Outrun Acres]

So its been about 3 hours since our first pip and this little chick is going crazy trying to get out! He/she is making so much noise and wobbling like crazy he/she really wants pout!! Our second one is resting after pipping an hour ago

Wow sounds like a vigorous little guy!

 

[SilkieSensation]

So cute! I do love the 'chipmunk' pattern when they are little!

The 2 "chipmunks" in the front are quail

Thanks for the feather info - I know I've seen it in one of the other forums, but couldn't remember where. How do you know if you have an LF breed? All of my hens are easter eggers, one EE Rooster, one Leghorn Rooster, and I think the other rooster was either a Rhode Island Red or a Red Star- these two were mystery eggs from someone who had no clue who was pairing up with who in the run so I really don't know. I guess I've got a lot of roos and only one or two hens - time to post chicks for sale! I have two very noisy chicks that hatched earlier this evening in the bator, with two more that have pipped in there, hopefully I've got hens in this bunch!

Today certainly has been a crazy chicken day, started off with only the occasional peep out of the bator and all 9 from last week were still okay, took my mean rooster Penny to the farmer around 10:20, stopped at McD's for my son- he loves their pancakes & hates mine

then into town for some errands & visit mom for a little while, home by 2:30 and held my 9th (and only assisted hatch) from last weekend as Miracle struggled to hold on and after 30 minutes died in my hands, then around 5:30 the first of the next chicks hatched! I think I will never do another staggered hatch again - this is just too crazy for me!

Mixed breed chicks can NOT be feather sexed especially when you do not know the exact mix.

Woke up this morning to 4 chicks running around the incubator- all dried off pretty well and moved them into the brooder with the ones that hatched last week. I'm not sure if it was too soon for me to move them, but they seem to be holding their own with the older chicks. That being said, I wanted to clean up the smelly bator and get it out of my kitchen (at least my dwarf orange tree is in bloom to cover it up

. I unplugged it, started to candle to check before I accidental tossed a viable chick and heard something peep- another pullet egg! I'm still sad about Miracle dying yesterday so I'm not sure if I want to go through that again or not. I'm just going to wait and see what I find in the morning before I go to work, and then again when I get home.

Speaking of cleaning up the bator- what do any of you recommend for cleaning/disinfecting it? I wasn't sure how the styrofoam would hold up to bleach, and wouldn't want to store it as a bacteria farm until the next time.

I put a squirt of dishsoap & a dab of bleach in mine & fill it with hot water, let it soak several hours or over night & rinse. Set out to dry (NOT where the chickens can get to it because CHICKENS EAT STYROFOAM!!!) & return to service.

Sorry to hear about your chick that is very sad.

Today I noticed one of my newly hatched EE chicks she is one week today, she is developing a cross beak Ive never had a cross beak so Im unsure what to do. I dont know if I want to raise her and tend to her special through the rest of her life and I dont want her to struggle or starve to death. My Daughters are sad and very concerned for her. For now I will watch her and see how she continues to develope and hope it doesnt get to too bad. Id love it if she was able to hold her own and eat and drink as normal as possible, but out look does not look good

Crossbeaks can pick up wet food easiest (I've had a couple). If you are feeding fermented feed they should do fine unless the beak gets too bad. If you aren't feeding fermented feed then use crumbles or mash & add yogurt to make a paste that sticks together in clumps to allow them to pick up bites easier. You may have to feed them alone just to make sure they have plenty of access to adequate feed but otherwise should be fine unless the beak gets too severe.

Question: Hs anyone mixed chicks from different hatches? I have 2 from the New Year's Day hatch and 14 from Jan 27th that I would like to put in the same pen, 4 foot by 5 foot in size with a couple of feed and heat sources.

I toss different ages in my brooders & coops together all the time. I'm adding new babies about once every week here & they do fine. The only babies I hold out until they are about a week old are Serama & Quail. I make sure they have their feet well under them & are running around well before putting them in with bigger birds. As for newly hatched babies, I just make sure they are walking well & keeping their balance so they can regain their feet quickly if knocked over.

When I put them in the coop outside I put them out in groups of at least 6 to ensure they have company for warmth & a large enough group to spread the pecking order establishment around instead of it all falling on 1 or 2 chicks from the older birds.

Raises hand* I'm hatching again as well and they are due to hatch this coming sat!! I even have a broody hen due to start hatching this sat as well.

I have a problem though...the eggs I have in the incubator are all shipped eggs, and all but one out of 7 have "U" shaped air cells or some type of funky air cell. I read about them and now am somewhat disappointed because it doesn't sound good.

. Has anyone hatched shipped eggs with this air cell problem and if so, what did you do and how did the hatch turn out?

I'm heading out in a bit to check the broody's eggs, cause she is sitting on mostly shipped eggs as well. Fingers crossed!!

Wonky air cells are very common in shipped eggs & can even occur if eggs are handled just a bit too rough even if they aren't shipped. I hatch eggs with weird shaped air cells all the time & they do fine.

Omg I just want to cry!! All but one egg under the broody hen have crazy air cells!! A couple have so much aircell that I don't have any clue how there is even a chick...if there is still a viable one. So disappointing!!

They will be fine. Relax!

Is it ok if I slightly staggered my hatch?

I set 9 eggs yesterday morn
2 eggs yesterday late afternoon
and 2 eggs this morn

Those are all pretty close that it should be a problem at lockdown right?

Not a problem at all. Just remember your hatch will likely take longer to complete that normal due to the staggered set times.

Phew, was I behind! Congrats or condolences to those that need them... we lost another one that I had assisted the other day, and I still have one I am worried about, he's just not growing, he's been named Tiny, because he just is. Other than that,everyone else is doing well, and I'm beginning to collect to set again on Friday or Saturday. I am going to go trade eggs with my neighbors, one had a roo and the other has my White Leghorn roo Foghorn that jumped ship a few months back and into her coop! Cheeky roo!

Hmmmm...sounds like you need more girls to keep your amorous roo happy.

 

[dblea202]

WE HAVE A CHICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dblea202]

two chicks now!!!!

 

[CamiLynn]

Is it ok if I slightly staggered my hatch?

I set 9 eggs yesterday morn
2 eggs yesterday late afternoon
and 2 eggs this morn

Those are all pretty close that it should be a problem at lockdown right?

I did that my last hatch all three days I was suppose to. Good luck

 

[CamiLynn]

The 2 "chipmunks" in the front are quail

Mixed breed chicks can NOT be feather sexed especially when you do not know the exact mix. I put a squirt of dishsoap & a dab of bleach in mine & fill it with hot water, let it soak several hours or over night & rinse. Set out to dry (NOT where the chickens can get to it because CHICKENS EAT STYROFOAM!!!) & return to service. Crossbeaks can pick up wet food easiest (I've had a couple). If you are feeding fermented feed they should do fine unless the beak gets too bad. If you aren't feeding fermented feed then use crumbles or mash & add yogurt to make a paste that sticks together in clumps to allow them to pick up bites easier. You may have to feed them alone just to make sure they have plenty of access to adequate feed but otherwise should be fine unless the beak gets too severe. I toss different ages in my brooders & coops together all the time. I'm adding new babies about once every week here & they do fine. The only babies I hold out until they are about a week old are Serama & Quail. I make sure they have their feet well under them & are running around well before putting them in with bigger birds. As for newly hatched babies, I just make sure they are walking well & keeping their balance so they can regain their feet quickly if knocked over. When I put them in the coop outside I put them out in groups of at least 6 to ensure they have company for warmth & a large enough group to spread the pecking order establishment around instead of it all falling on 1 or 2 chicks from the older birds. Wonky air cells are very common in shipped eggs & can even occur if eggs are handled just a bit too rough even if they aren't shipped. I hatch eggs with weird shaped air cells all the time & they do fine. They will be fine. Relax! Not a problem at all. Just remember your hatch will likely take longer to complete that normal due to the staggered set times. Hmmmm...sounds like you need more girls to keep your amorous roo happy.

Thanks!! Just got a little overwhelmed with wonky air cells lol. I go on lockdown tomorrow, so here goes nothing. I'll candle one last time this evening and see what I'm working with. Thanks again for reassuring me.

 

[nothingbutbirds]

I bred my exchequer cockerel with a black pullet. You have to have an actual pied bird to get the true exchequer pattern (entire feathers black or white, rather than mottled). The best crosses to get started might be a really *loud* black/white patterned bird crossed on a similar one or on black. Good luck with your project  

I was actaully trying to get a pied kinda looking like the guinea pied, but i was told that in chickens it was impossible to get pied.if you ever think about sellimg som of those eggs please do tell me i love pied and exchequer birds.

 

[dblea202]

we will post pictures of the new chicks in a little once they get a little bit more fluffy!!

 

[SilkieSensation]

we will post pictures of the new chicks in a little once they get a little bit more fluffy!!

Congrats! You are now Chick-ma & Chick-pa