Incubation Due Oct 17-29 Ducks and Chickens

[Tavia Rose]

How are your eggs doing?

All gone. One Duck egg was viable til the last week. I tried the dry hatch method and I finally had gotten my humidity up to 65 and when I was at work (again) on Monday it dropped. I had lost two of the chicken eggs the day before. They just died in the shell. So, I had 5 left ...found one was empty, another 2 stopped moving(breech position), 2 more were shrink wrapped..tried saving them but they died shortly after(one had a third leg), and #5 he lived. I had to pull him out. His yolk was absorbed all the way..none of the other ones had absorbed yolks. It was still a bit loose but, I left the shell on the bottom portion until he started pushing hard and I was afraid he would pull his intestines back out with it..so I removed the shell and left the "stuff" hanging off him a bit til it dried up...I gave him electrolytes..he was so week..couldn't stand for the first 48 hours for too long but he still tried ..he is a fighter..he is still alive. I watch him on webcam while i'm gone. He is still in the incubator because i have some 2 week old chicks that may hurt him. He's tiny. He started drinking on his own this a.m. He's pecking at everything lol...I love him/her.... I think my chickens are not good breeders..it may be my roosters fault..who knows...but all the chicks look too tiny....Thank you for asking. I think i'm done with hatching chickens until next spring and I can afford a Brinsea or something automatic. I am going to set the other duck eggs so they dont go to waste and try harder I guess...no dry method..just not opening the incubator until the last week again and leaving them for an extra week if need be.

 

[Tavia Rose]

And that's awesome about your babies. Can't wait to see.

 

[Farmgirl47]

He's downright adorable! So sorry about the other eggs.

 

[Tavia Rose]

He's downright adorable! So sorry about the other eggs.

aww thank you. I'm sorry too but, they are all buried together and I know they didn't suffer long. I think that would have hurt me more. But, little Prime is in beast mode. I think in another week he will be a full fledged chickadee.

 

[Farmgirl47]

Here are the pictures as promised. I also forgot to mention that we lost two other chicks. One of them started hatching earlier than I expected so I hadn't taken the egg turner out. It died while still in the egg and before I could get to it. The second one that died (in first picture) was just too weak I think. It only lived for a day.

The last three pictures are of the chicks that are alive and well so far. The last one is of the chick that hatched this morning, still wet.

The super fluffy yellow chick and the tiny itty bitty blue one hatched a couple days ago. They are having a hard time keeping up with their older siblings!

 

[Farmgirl47]

Are you going to get a friend/companion for your chick? I once had just one of 12 eggs hatch, and despite the fact that I spent a lot of time with it, the chick (and it had been strong and healthy and eating food) died 4 days later because of loneliness.

 

[Tavia Rose]

Here are the pictures as promised. I also forgot to mention that we lost two other chicks. One of them started hatching earlier than I expected so I hadn't taken the egg turner out. It died while still in the egg and before I could get to it. The second one that died (in first picture) was just too weak I think. It only lived for a day.

The last three pictures are of the chicks that are alive and well so far. The last one is of the chick that hatched this morning, still wet.

The super fluffy yellow chick and the tiny itty bitty blue one hatched a couple days ago. They are having a hard time keeping up with their older siblings!

Lol oh wow they are so cute and healthy looking! I like the blue one. I have 4 2 week old ones in the same area, he would be able to hear them. But, I am supposed to get like 4 Jersey Giants and two goslings either today or tomorrow. So, he will have some more his age. I do have a stuffed bunny in there with him now that he crawls all over.

 

[Tavia Rose]

Are you going to get a friend/companion for your chick? I once had just one of 12 eggs hatch, and despite the fact that I spent a lot of time with it, the chick (and it had been strong and healthy and eating food) died 4 days later because of loneliness.

I also have left music, like kid music playing on the laptop that i'm watching him from so he doesn't feel alone. He seems like a real trooper and anytime I try to pick him up he fights lol.

 

[Farmgirl47]

That's good! I hope he does well for you.

They are healthy! I have found that chicks raised by our broody hens (with little feed, eating basically just what the broody finds for them) grow very well and fill out quicker than chicks that I raise myself from the brooder. They are always more muscular too.
The hen (Sofia) is doing a great job with them so far. Every evening I check each one's crop and it is full to bursting, LOL.

 

[Tavia Rose]

That's good! I hope he does well for you.

They are healthy! I have found that chicks raised by our broody hens (with little feed, eating basically just what the broody finds for them) grow very well and fill out quicker than chicks that I raise myself from the brooder. They are always more muscular too.
The hen (Sofia) is doing a great job with them so far. Every evening I check each one's crop and it is full to bursting, LOL.

I bet that would be the case. I'm hoping my hens become broody next spring. We will be moving all the roosters away after that. I've been picking up all the new eggs and giving them away. They've just about destroyed all the bad ones that were left outside.