July Hatch-a-long

[CGinJCMO]

Yeah...Temp coming up, AND the two chippers peeping. Maybe the hatch will be salvaged after all. I added water back to the wells and shut the door so no kittens allowed.

I guess tomorrow I'll need to finish getting the brooder set up. I just need to decide if I'm going to open a new bag of wood shavings or one of the three black lawn bags of shredded newspaper. (I couldn't see that newspaper going to waste so I was planning on using some in the coop (esp. under the roost where the majority of the poop accumulates) and run but thought if chicks are often confused about the difference between litter and food when pine flakes are used, then newspaper should be ok because it isn't small cross-cut confetti bits. Everything else is ready for them (well except for putting water in the brooder - no need in it getting stale, plus I want to mix up a gallon of sav-a-chick for them) - just got to turn on the brooder lamp. I'll do that tomorrow morning so it'll be up to temp by the time the chicks finish hatching and drying off in the incubator.

CG

 

[PugBug]

Thanks, PubBug. I did finally get the temp up to 99 and holding so I'm not going to mess with it again even though it's a little on the low side (was at 102 at 2am and I thought it was acceptable. Except I'll have to add more water. I bought new sponges a couple of weeks ago but couldn't find them yesterday so I guess I'll buy some more when we're out today. I put papertowels over the wire floor to absorbe and release some of the water (and it makes the wire less threatening to tiny wet chicks to me) but it makes it hard to see where the wells are (hit the wrong spot and it goes out the holes and soaks the table/floor under it. I'm thinking of coloring the wells so I can "see" them easier.

CG

What I do is the day of lockdown I put a piece of that rubber shelf/drawer liner over the mesh if I'm using my styro bator. If I'm using my brinsea I have a piece of it cut to fit the bottom of it too. Makes it easier for the new hatchlings to get a grip when they are ready to stand without their little feet slipping. It also seems to keep the unhatched eggs from getting too bumped around when hatched chicks are scooting around the bator. I had a few nightmares with chicks slipping tendons & getting splayed legs until I started using this rubber matting. It's washes easy too.

 

[PugBug]

Oooooh that sounds so cool!
I got this one from a backyard breeder, she's suppose to be blue/black maran x what would you call this one?

pretty color!

 

[PugBug]

Yeah...Temp coming up, AND the two chippers peeping. Maybe the hatch will be salvaged after all. I added water back to the wells and shut the door so no kittens allowed.

I guess tomorrow I'll need to finish getting the brooder set up. I just need to decide if I'm going to open a new bag of wood shavings or one of the three black lawn bags of shredded newspaper. (I couldn't see that newspaper going to waste so I was planning on using some in the coop (esp. under the roost where the majority of the poop accumulates) and run but thought if chicks are often confused about the difference between litter and food when pine flakes are used, then newspaper should be ok because it isn't small cross-cut confetti bits. Everything else is ready for them (well except for putting water in the brooder - no need in it getting stale, plus I want to mix up a gallon of sav-a-chick for them) - just got to turn on the brooder lamp. I'll do that tomorrow morning so it'll be up to temp by the time the chicks finish hatching and drying off in the incubator.

CG

I keep all my babies on rubber matting until a week old to make sure they 'have their legs' before putting in pine shavings.

 

[PugBug]

Hi to the new people

Day 14 & I just candled. Out of the 8, I did have to remove 2 that were quitters. 1 other is questionable, but I'm leaving it a few more days. The other 5 are STRONG! They look really great- perfect air cells, chicks moving like crazy & nice veins. The chicks are so clearly visible, that's the good thing with silkie eggs

So it's looking good for hatch day next Tues!

 

[TheCrazyChick]

Today is Day 20 and woke up to 3 pips already. Compared to other recent hatches, this is a good sign. I have not had much luck with Marans eggs before, and one of the pips is a Marans! Doing the happy dance.

 

[bigT88]

Today is Day 20 and woke up to 3 pips already. Compared to other recent hatches, this is a good sign. I have not had much luck with Marans eggs before, and one of the pips is a Marans! Doing the happy dance.

 

[Shellz]

Good stuff! I'm waiting for broody #1 to get off the nest so I can have a peek. It's day 8 today.

 

[Sonia]

Hmmm, lots of reports of early hatches. Guess I ought to go check on my broody mama since this is day 20

 

[Sonia]

Looked under Scarlet and found a fuzzy! One fuzzy one external pip and at least one chirping egg I love broodies, so much less anxiety lol