This summer we went to Maine for 4 weeks and left my 19 year old son in charge of our hens (and one rooster). They hadn't started laying as of when we left so I gave him instructions on how to look for the eggs and teach them to lay in the coop. Needless to say, the kid is 19. When we returned from Maine he said they still hadn't started laying - which seemed odd because they all had their waddles, were at least 30 weeks old etc.
One day I decided to follow around my Rhode Island Red (Red) who was squawking and looking suspicious. She went into the woods and then I lost her. I looked under the bush and they she was - sitting on 17 eggs! 17!!!! She had been laying there for over 2 weeks! It had been at least 90 degrees here in PA for the last week so I wasn't going to eat them. I know it's not the right season but we decided to put them in the incubator to see what would happen.
I candled them around 5 days and half were fertilized. At 15 days most were empty and only 5 had clear chicks. At 21 days- nothing. At 23 days a little chirp and piping happened. We gave the chick about 36 hours to get out on her own but she never zipped. I thought maybe I should let nature take it's course but she was so loud and so strong. I decided to help her out- at 25 days. I gave her little bits of help here and there to not stress her out. When she finally flopped out I thought there was NO WAY this chick would live. She was no bigger than 2 thumbs and was breathing rapidly. I thought I would wake up in the morning she would be gone.
The next morning I find her in the incubator WALKING (hobbling on crunked feet) on her own chirping up a storm. The other eggs never hatched so she was alone. I moved her to the brooder - a tiny box- where I have been hand feeding her raw eggs, electrolytes, and crushed up grain with antibiotics for the last 2 days.
Here she is at day one:
I had to literally roll almost her entire body free of membrane. Her right wing was stuck to her head, her eyes were sealed shut. She was a mess. You can see how crusty she is. That was after I freed her wing. It took Rice Bran Oil and warm water for an hour. That stuff is like super glue.
This is today:
She's drinking on her own (I'm still hand feeding her because I don't feel like she's getting enough). She's pecking around. Her vent is clear but she's not popping much.
She's been through such a rough ride, she'll (he'll?) be the house chicken for sure. I carry her around in my bra when she's lonely.
I hope she makes it, we are all attached already - unless she stops taking food or she has some abnormality I can't see than she should... because they way she was that first day- she never should have lived. Seriously against every single odd... 1 out of 17.
Thanks for reading
One day I decided to follow around my Rhode Island Red (Red) who was squawking and looking suspicious. She went into the woods and then I lost her. I looked under the bush and they she was - sitting on 17 eggs! 17!!!! She had been laying there for over 2 weeks! It had been at least 90 degrees here in PA for the last week so I wasn't going to eat them. I know it's not the right season but we decided to put them in the incubator to see what would happen.
I candled them around 5 days and half were fertilized. At 15 days most were empty and only 5 had clear chicks. At 21 days- nothing. At 23 days a little chirp and piping happened. We gave the chick about 36 hours to get out on her own but she never zipped. I thought maybe I should let nature take it's course but she was so loud and so strong. I decided to help her out- at 25 days. I gave her little bits of help here and there to not stress her out. When she finally flopped out I thought there was NO WAY this chick would live. She was no bigger than 2 thumbs and was breathing rapidly. I thought I would wake up in the morning she would be gone.
The next morning I find her in the incubator WALKING (hobbling on crunked feet) on her own chirping up a storm. The other eggs never hatched so she was alone. I moved her to the brooder - a tiny box- where I have been hand feeding her raw eggs, electrolytes, and crushed up grain with antibiotics for the last 2 days.
Here she is at day one:
I had to literally roll almost her entire body free of membrane. Her right wing was stuck to her head, her eyes were sealed shut. She was a mess. You can see how crusty she is. That was after I freed her wing. It took Rice Bran Oil and warm water for an hour. That stuff is like super glue.
This is today:
She's drinking on her own (I'm still hand feeding her because I don't feel like she's getting enough). She's pecking around. Her vent is clear but she's not popping much.
She's been through such a rough ride, she'll (he'll?) be the house chicken for sure. I carry her around in my bra when she's lonely.
I hope she makes it, we are all attached already - unless she stops taking food or she has some abnormality I can't see than she should... because they way she was that first day- she never should have lived. Seriously against every single odd... 1 out of 17.
Thanks for reading
I can also hear her heart beat outside her body - like a slight popping sound. Any suggestions?
