Hello, just a Yankee from Alabama!

[Airyaman]

Moved four more chicks to separate brooder, again 2&2.

I had 5 Bielefelders in lockdown (started with 9, three failed, one never developed). 3 hatched but two expired during the hatching process. 1 was at the wrong end of the egg and I did not get to it soon enough and the other made it about 1/3 through zipping before it died. I was not even aware it was zipping because it was happening at the bottom side where I couldn't see it.

I just assisted a Cream Legbar in hatching. It too was pipping at the wrong end. We'll see if this one makes it, pretty weak but does a big move every once in awhile.

Incubated these in the Maticoopx 30, so have to careful how I place them in the future. Thinking that was the reason these two chicks ended up pipping at the wrong end. Need to rig up a way to let them sit vertically with pointed end down in the egg holders rather than on their side.

 

[Debbie292d]

Moved four more chicks to separate brooder, again 2&2.

I had 5 Bielefelders in lockdown (started with 9, three failed, one never developed). 3 hatched but two expired during the hatching process. 1 was at the wrong end of the egg and I did not get to it soon enough and the other made it about 1/3 through zipping before it died. I was not even aware it was zipping because it was happening at the bottom side where I couldn't see it.

I just assisted a Cream Legbar in hatching. It too was pipping at the wrong end. We'll see if this one makes it, pretty weak but does a big move every once in awhile.

Incubated these in the Maticoopx 30, so have to careful how I place them in the future. Thinking that was the reason these two chicks ended up pipping at the wrong end. Need to rig up a way to let them sit vertically with pointed end down in the egg holders rather than on their side.

I would leave that one you assisted in the incubator, turned down to 95F (provided there's no other eggs in there) for another day or so. It will do way better in there. They don't need food/water for up to 72 hours as they're still absorbing their yolk inside of them so that nourishes them.

Many incubators, the NR360 is another example, incubates eggs on their sides.

This hatching from the side or "wrong end," is typical from shipped eggs. I assume you'd let them set the 24-hour pointy end down in an egg carton first. Even doing that, I'll have a couple out of a dozen who have air cells on the sides, not the big end where it should be. Those are about 50/50 whether they can get out themselves. Assisting those that don't even pip is about 50/50 for me. Don't feel badly as this is just the risk we take purchasing shipped hatching eggs.

 

[Airyaman]

I would leave that one you assisted in the incubator, turned down to 95F (provided there's no other eggs in there) for another day or so. It will do way better in there. They don't need food/water for up to 72 hours as they're still absorbing their yolk inside of them so that nourishes them.

Many incubators, the NR360 is another example, incubates eggs on their sides.

This hatching from the side or "wrong end," is typical from shipped eggs. I assume you'd let them set the 24-hour pointy end down in an egg carton first. Even doing that, I'll have a couple out of a dozen who have air cells on the sides, not the big end where it should be. Those are about 50/50 whether they can get out themselves. Assisting those that don't even pip is about 50/50 for me. Don't feel badly as this is just the risk we take purchasing shipped hatching eggs.

Thanks. When the chick had enough energy to push itself out of the eggshell I had snipped, I noticed he had not fully absorbed the yolk and it was protruding from his backside. He never really found any strength so I had to do my first chick euthanasia. Been a sad few hours.

 

[Airyaman]

I would leave that one you assisted in the incubator, turned down to 95F (provided there's no other eggs in there) for another day or so. It will do way better in there. They don't need food/water for up to 72 hours as they're still absorbing their yolk inside of them so that nourishes them.

Many incubators, the NR360 is another example, incubates eggs on their sides.

This hatching from the side or "wrong end," is typical from shipped eggs. I assume you'd let them set the 24-hour pointy end down in an egg carton first. Even doing that, I'll have a couple out of a dozen who have air cells on the sides, not the big end where it should be. Those are about 50/50 whether they can get out themselves. Assisting those that don't even pip is about 50/50 for me. Don't feel badly as this is just the risk we take purchasing shipped hatching eggs.

Oh, and that is what I have been doing with the shipped eggs: at least 24 hours with the pointed end down, then 3 days in the same position in an incubator without turning. On the 4th day I put them in the egg turners.

 

[Airyaman]

So this hatch is complete. Had one last chick that zipped but took took long. When I looked to see if I might help this one alone, I noticed what appeared to be dried yolk along the backside of the zip. When the chick finally emerged (with just a little aid and then time), it's neck never straightened out and it's yolk sack appears to have burst, which was the cause of dried yolk. I gave him a bit more time to see if he would recover, while giving him homemade electrolytes, but he didn't. So two had to be euthanized. Ugh.

Started with 9 Bielefelders and 12 Cream Legbars. Of the Bielefelders, 1 failed to develop, 3 stalled, 2 died during the hatch, and 3 hatched. So live ratio of just ~33%. Of the CL, 5 stalled, 2 died after hatching due to euthanasia, and 5 hatched. CL live ratio of ~42%.

So my fledgling flock is now 1 unknown sex Speckled Sussex, 3 Bielefelders (2F, 1M), and 5 Cream Legbars (3F, 2M).

 

[Raisin_The_Chicken]

hello ad welcome to byc!!

 

[Airyaman]

My next lesson: don't allow the feed in the feeder to get above a certain level or the chicks will drag it out.

 

[Debbie292d]

My next lesson: don't allow the feed in the feeder to get above a certain level or the chicks will drag it out.

We have one huge feeder in the main coop where if it's filled to the top, they used to jump on top and eat out of it from there. We started hanging it a few years ago with a small chain a couple inches off the floor. That was enough that they (silkies) couldn't make it up there anymore.

In the other coops/growout pens, we use 5-gallon buckets with PVC ports. They still will pull a little feed out of those but hardly enough to care.

 

[Airyaman]

Just put some chicks in a large collapsible 45" pet pen. I had them in a smaller space with puppy pads covered with paper towels and the youngest is 7 days, the oldest 10. Decided to put aspen shavings down since they've been eating for 7-10 days, and darned if at least one chick didn't seem to start eating alot of the smaller shavings. So I went ahead and gave them some grit in case they were indeed eating some of the shavings (I know that one male chick would peck some and it would not drop back out).

 

[Airyaman]

The 2nd Bielefelder has hatched. It appears both are female.

Lol. Newbie that I am, I assumed that the two chicks were female at the time, judging by online descriptions and some photos. However, with a little time I kept thinking, I don't think these are Bielefelders at all! And one chick is bigger than all the rest by some noticeable difference.

So I check out the Ebay seller's other breeds, and while I know they are not Polishes, the one that matches to a "T" is Jersey Giant. I now seem to have 2 Jersey Giants, 1 Bielefelder (male!), 1 Sparkled Sussex, and 4 Cream Legbars. What a flock!