Jan./Feb. 2014 hatch a long

[philyaw539]

That would be a cool little song, ha ha.

 

[chickydee64]

but do you think fully feathered 12 week olds are ok in the snow / 19F?

I just need someone to tell me not to worry about them

I am a worrier..........

HI,
If they are pig piled on each other..probably to cold, otherwise I am sure they will be fine............
Not sure of your set up but extra bedding can help.............
We are getting the Gorge winds here. Man it is cold............Worked myself to exsaustion (sp)
this morning preparing for a possible loss of lights..............worried, 18 in lock down and my Am's I put in the
24th are looking real good......... Oh, Don't worry, I think they will be fine..............

 

[SilkieSensation]

I have a quick question is it possible to sex 2 n half week old chicks by comb size if so looks like I have 11 roos and 9 hens

It can be a pretty good indicator as long as chicks are ame age & breed.

 

[Farmer Viola]

HI,
If they are pig piled on each other..probably to cold, otherwise I am sure they will be fine............
Not sure of your set up but extra bedding can help.............
We are getting the Gorge winds here. Man it is cold............Worked myself to exsaustion (sp)
this morning preparing for a possible loss of lights..............worried, 18 in lock down and my Am's I put in the
24th are looking real good......... Oh, Don't worry, I think they will be fine..............

oh thank you so much

they have sand flooring and they sleep on the roost.... no nesting boxes yet since none are laying and I didnt want them to learn to sleep in the boxes
but I should go take them some nice straw bedding.. great idea thank you!
I hope you do not lose power... I was just thinking about the same thing... cant wait to see your Am's hatch!

 

[Timba]

are there any pips right now?
if there are no pips, you could open the incubator to candle them quickly. you can look for internal pips this way. make sure the room is completely dark!

I hope your husband recovers quickly


it started snowing here in Oregon today... about 5 inches outside and it's still coming down!
I went outside with the "big chicks" (what do you call them? teenagers? lol they are 12 weeks) to check on them in the snow. They came out of the house for treats but they went right back in. I took new waterers down to them because they were frozen solid! Usually I can chip the ice out and it isn't solid like that.
I want to take a space heater down there for them but I question whether they need it or not. It feels really cold to me, I hope they are okay! I have never had chicks this age in snow before (19F here)

I have one with an external pip. The other incubator is status quo, no changes.

 

[Farmer Viola]

I have one with an external pip. The other incubator is status quo, no changes.

okay, just wait longer! If you have 1 external pip, I would bet money that the rest are internally pipped and you will have more external pips soon

 

[Timba]

okay, just wait longer! If you have 1 external pip, I would bet money that the rest are internally pipped and you will have more external pips soon

Is it normal for them to have an external pip for about 5 hours with no other sign of activity? I don't even hear it chirping.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Is it normal for them to have an external pip for about 5 hours with no other sign of activity? I don't even hear it chirping.

yes perfectly normal
usually after the external pip, they will take a long rest. it can be 2-12-24 hours. after their rest, they begin zipping and that can take anywhere from 20 mins to 2hrs.
if they stop zipping halfway around and stay there, or never progress past the external pip beyond 24 hours, then they could be stuck

make sure not to open the incubator during this time, a sudden humidity loss can cause chicks to get stuck/glued inside the shell where it is exposed to air (pip).

 

[Timba]

yes perfectly normal
usually after the external pip, they will take a long rest. it can be 2-12-24 hours. after their rest, they begin zipping and that can take anywhere from 20 mins to 2hrs.
if they stop zipping halfway around and stay there, or never progress past the external pip beyond 24 hours, then they could be stuck

make sure not to open the incubator during this time, a sudden humidity loss can cause chicks to get stuck/glued inside the shell where it is exposed to air (pip).

Thanks Farmer Vi. I'll monitor the progress through the looking glass!!! I was going to give it till Sunday night anyways before declaring a majority loss.

 

[gimmie birdies]

don't worry everyone asks that.