Hatching with 2 broodies

[ShelbyCoral]

Another reason I prefer the incubator. I can help anyone that needs help. So far haven't had it go wrong. Sometimes I just open the top half and let them come out when they are ready, but that way I know they are fine and can breathe. Anyway glad your chick is doing well. Helping a hatching chick isn't the devil.

well what I meant was if a chick pips, but doesn't seem to be doing too well then I will very carefully make the hole a little larger then I will chip away the shell basically all around the air cell, then I just remove that part so the chick is sort of sitting there in half the egg. I'll wrap the remainder of the egg in a damp paper towel then set it back with the other eggs. And eventually that chick will emerge and grow up to do just as fine as the others. There's a thread on here about assisted hatching that helped my first time. After the first time is pretty easy. If possible don't remove a chick from the egg because 9 times out of 10 they just aren't ready yet. But my here's your way out tactic seems to cause no harm and allows the chick to come on out when it's yolk is fully absorbed. I just do it so i know they cab breathe if they are taking awhile. So far have only lost one chick during hatching. It didn't pip at all external or internal. It was positioned all wrong. I wasn't brave enough to pen up an egg with no pip. Should have. Could have probably saved that one as well. Or there may have been something wrong with it that caused it not to get into position in the first place. I'll never know. Either way chick's usually pip, zip, And exit through the big end of the egg, so I just make a window when one is getting really weak. That way I know they are OK. Hasn't caused any issues with the rescued chick's or the chick's getting ready to hatch. I don't see what the big deal is. Wrapping it in the moist paper towel prevents the humidity from dropping and like I've said, I've gotten all prefect hatches save the one chick that didn't make it, and 0 brooded deaths. So just because a chick needs a little help hatching doesn't mean it's sick or weak, or anything else.

I do what she does, If the chick isn't making any progress in 8 hour I start to help it a little. By 12 hour if it's still the same, I get a little worried and help it. I be only ever hatched 3 eggs In my life. I've read up allot and I do know what to do but I'm still new and I go on by for help! But with the 3rd chick she didn't pip her egg and she was chirping for almost 12 hours. Started hearing clicking sounds and less and less chirping. I candle the egg, found the air sack and poked a hole. Take the top off ( or whereever the air sack is) and let it get out and push itself out the egg and it can break its own cord.

 

[ShelbyCoral]

The 3rd chick was positioned wrong to. I got her head out and let her rest and layed her head down. She had the yolk obsorbed, but I still want her to have a chance to get the rest of herself out of the shell. I'm new at hatching but if you research or ask for help from people on byc, you can have really great hatches.

 

[ShelbyCoral]

Shrink wrapped is common for mine because my mother just can't keep her hands out of the incubator! I hatch chickeblns, she hatches geese. We use the same incubator at the same times! XD drives me nutty

 

[tommysgirl]

OMGOSH! Same here! But silkie mom and mille d'uccle dad!
The chick =

Mind the broody poop.... xD!

Funny It is marked so differently than my babies. Does it have black skin? That would mean it was a little boy I think since the mama would pass on her skin color to him...only going by what others have told me. Keep us posted on its gender please.

 

[ShelbyCoral]

Funny It is marked so differently than my babies.  Does it have black skin?   That would mean it was a little boy I think since the mama would pass on her skin color to him...only going by what others have told me.  Keep us posted on its gender please.

It's like a blue skin... not black not white. In between. It one toes just formed to the rest of the bones. Waiting on the other foot now. I'll get another picture of it. It has a silkie comb btw

 

[tommysgirl]

It's like a blue skin... not black not white. In between. It one toes just formed to the rest of the bones. Waiting on the other foot now. I'll get another picture of it. It has a silkie comb btw

It is very cute! I don't understand what you mean about the toes.

MM I am so sorry about your FIL's horse. That is just a sad sad thing. Your poor horse must be terribly lonesome. I had horses growing up and pastured one of them with my ram when it wasn't mating season. Those two were the best friends and whenever he left the pasture she mourned him. Whenever I took her out he would pace the fence calling for her. She would chew the wool on his head and he always had a green afro from the alfalfa.

 

[ShelbyCoral]

 

[missnu01]

The 3rd chick was positioned wrong to. I got her head out and let her rest and layed her head down. She had the yolk obsorbed, but I still want her to have a chance to get the rest of herself out of the shell. I'm new at hatching but if you research or ask for help from people on byc, you can have really great hatches.

Very true. You can have perfect hatches. No reason a perfectly healthy chick should die simply because it can't get out of its egg. Nature doesn't help, but nature also doesn't plug in the broody and set timers for egg turning and all the rest. Nature doesn't measure the temp with a thermometer and the moisture with a hygrometer, and nature doesn't help but we can be better than nature. Me and my brinsea are way better at hatching out chick's than my hens are. Lol

I also am not sure what you mean about the toes. Looks like normal 5 toed chicken feet.

 

[16 paws]

Hello team broody!

Two things to report....

I went down last night to try and candle the rest of the co-broodies eggs. The first two looked clear and then I picked up one of the bantie eggs. I about jumped a mile when that little egg started shaking with a force of something much bigger!

I put it back lickity split !!!!

I had to work today and when I got home I raced down to the coop to see if it had hatched. All I could find was the shell. I thought well, it must not of made it. Sadly I started looking for a little body.....

Well I looked everywhere, no chick to be found. I was scratching my head trying to figure this one out and I happened to look over in the main coop area...lo and behold there was a tiny little black baby in with the 13 Lf!

OMG!

None of them were bothering the baby but I rushed over there and scooped it up as fast as I could. It is just fine and is acting much older than 1 day I must say. I think the older hens were teaching it a few things! LOL
So two were hatched last Thursday and now one more today. I am really lucky this didnt turn into a disaster. I added eggs up to a week after the first ones. I will try and not do that again.

The second funny thing is my first ff attempt....
I did what I thought I was susposed to do.
I took the organic feed and put it in a mason jar with water and put the lid on it. The next day I did another jar, the third day I did the same. Today would be day 4. I went to open the first jar and almost took out all my chickens!
That stuff exploded everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What did I do wrong? I kept it in the shade in the coop. It hasnt been that hot here

Anyone have any idea what went wrong?
I let them eat what shot out and they seemed to like it.
Hope that was ok....OMG
Marie

 

[MistyMountain]

Hello team broody!

Two things to report....

I went down last night to try and candle the rest of the co-broodies eggs. The first two looked clear and then I picked up one of the bantie eggs. I about jumped a mile when that little egg started shaking with a force of something much bigger!

I put it back lickity split !!!!

I had to work today and when I got home I raced down to the coop to see if it had hatched. All I could find was the shell. I thought well, it must not of made it. Sadly I started looking for a little body.....

Well I looked everywhere, no chick to be found. I was scratching my head trying to figure this one out and I happened to look over in the main coop area...lo and behold there was a tiny little black baby in with the 13 Lf!

OMG!

None of them were bothering the baby but I rushed over there and scooped it up as fast as I could. It is just fine and is acting much older than 1 day I must say. I think the older hens were teaching it a few things! LOL
So two were hatched last Thursday and now one more today. I am really lucky this didnt turn into a disaster. I added eggs up to a week after the first ones. I will try and not do that again.

The second funny thing is my first ff attempt....
I did what I thought I was susposed to do.
I took the organic feed and put it in a mason jar with water and put the lid on it. The next day I did another jar, the third day I did the same. Today would be day 4. I went to open the first jar and almost took out all my chickens!
That stuff exploded everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What did I do wrong? I kept it in the shade in the coop. It hasnt been that hot here

Anyone have any idea what went wrong?
I let them eat what shot out and they seemed to like it.
Hope that was ok....OMG
Marie

Marie,

I would loosen your lids on the remaining jars asap. I don't even click my lid down on my FF, it bubbles and lets carbon dioxide, so basically sounds like it pressurized the jar. I *think* (new to FF, too) that the jar method works but is subject to everything being perfect-- first being that you only let it go to day three. Second, if the temps are warmer the ferment works faster. I have read where glass jars have actually exploded!! I am still perfecting this method, but if you visit the ff thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds you can ask the pro's. It's not just for meat birds, layers too. I have been reading it here and there as well and doing some google searches.