Hey Patty, Gator, Mike and other mille cochin enthusiasts

[hippichick]

Quote:
Hey, Erin. So happy for you. You had a great hatch! I've got 6 out so far, and 2 more pipped. This is out of 10 that I moved to the hatcher. Not too shabby, huh?

Paula

 

[Msbear]

What I've learned from shipped eggs is to interveine two days after first pip. some folks say no.. that this enourages otherwise unheathy chicks to exist when they maybe shouldn't but I believe with all the stress that is involved with shipping, that wacky air cells, improper humidity levels and other stuff affect your hatch rate. ... I would candle the ones who haven't pipped and poke a hole in there where their beaks would be... if you can see. and open them up a bit. I had to do this with a couple of my eggs this time and Im pretty sure they wouldn't have made it if I hadn't.

If the membrane is dried, they are ready to go. Just break away the shell and just before the chick "hatches" cut the little cord with a pair of scissors. Then place the chick on a damp paper towel and stick back in bator... they will be fluffy and happy tomorrow.

eta: still not too shabby

You seem to have a knack for hatching.

 

[hippichick]

My first pip was last night, Erin. Should I wait till tomorrow morning to do this?

Paula

 

[DANNY]

I have had better luck spraying them with warm water to keep the membrane soft and allow the chick to zip. It shouldn't take 2 days for them to hatch after pipping.

 

[hippichick]

My eggs that pipped last night have already hatched. I've only got 2 eggs that haven't pipped yet. I think Erin was saying that if those haven't pipped 2 days after the very first egg did, then maybe I could intervene. Right, Erin??

Paula

 

[DANNY]

Normally if a chick stays in the egg 2 more days if you do get it out alive it will have defects and or die.

 

[onthespot]

MsBear, thanks for lending me your crystal ball and giving me a peek into the future of my dark chick. Culling is very easy for me, especially as baby chicks. A friend buys every one I don't want or need for $1/chick. Even so I get over-chicked sometimes. Right now I think I have five of the "right kind" of mille fleur cochin chicks hatched out this past week. Plus one that looks for all the world like the color of a porcelaine mille fleur chick... I ordinarily would give that one the $1 solution, but actually the lady told me to hang on to it as it appears to her that it is a lavender based bird...

We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?

 

[amazondoc]

I don't wait as long as a lot of people. If a chick has pipped but hasn't hatched by at most 12 hours after the last previous chick, I help it out. If it hasn't pipped 12 hours after the last previous chick, I candle it very carefully and am likely to go ahead and open it up. I haven't had one bleed to death during hatching -- well, I did, but the chick that bled to death I hadn't even touched!

If you do start opening a chick up, you are likely to have to get it most of the way out. Keep moistening the membranes as you go, give the chick an hour or so between short bouts of peeling back membrane, and go slowly.

I do NOT separate the chick's umbilicus from the egg membranes. I leave the chick's rear inside the bottom part of the egg, and let him kick his way out.

So far, I've had good success with this. I HATE finding a dead pipped chick!

 

[JOSHSBANTAMS]

Hey Patty and Erin, one of my first Millie Roosters had a lot of dark in his neck and background like these darker birds. I haven’t had one chick out of him that has colored out that way and I’ve raised at least 60 chicks form him. Things like that make me want to keep all of them but who has the room….. I’ve got a Cockerel and a pullet from Lynne that are just like the ones in the picture but I’m going to keep them around and see what will happen against a more buff/red bird later in the fall.

On the other subject, with shipped eggs I open everything the end of the 21st day that still shows life. They get too messed up with shipping sometimes, so they dry way out or have funky air cells so I do everything I can to get them out. I too can’t stand to find a fully develop chick that didn’t make it.
With my own eggs… I never really have a problem with them getting stuck or dying in the middle of hatching other than the occasional silkie needing a little help.

 

[wwmicasa1]

Quote:
Oh Tina, what can I say???

Do you have your bator empty?? If so, I will ship you a doz. F3's on Monday. ....my treat. I want you to have something to look forward to.

You need new babies to love

Let me know if Monday works.....

Lynne, you have to be the most kind-hearted person I know. You are just awesome!

Tina, I'm so sorry to hear this. I know it is just devastating especially when the culprit is your own pet. Take Lynne up on her offer. Hopefully you can get some more babies.

Good luck,
Paula

Paula,

Thank you so much for the kind thoughts.

I feel that we only get out of this World what we put into it. Let's spread the Chicken Joy

& be happy that there are people out there that understand our obsession & the love we feel for our babies.

Tina & I have talked. Her eggs

will be on the way Monday. Her girls are broody & just waiting to be Mother's.

God truely works in mysterious ways.