June Hatch A Long

[jolenesdad]

I have 6 fully hatched chicks out... one has her daddy’s feathered feet even! Five are quite yellow, but one is darker. I had a panic when I saw a yellow goopy but on the leg of one, but it was just shell goop none are quite as vocal as that first one was... shelf liner 100% awesome over paper towels. 6 more solid pips. One of my Columbia Rock eggs has pipped. I’m still waiting on any signs from my Marans. View attachment 1803382View attachment 1803383

YASSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! Did your little helper get to see??

 

[jolenesdad]

Two of the shells that haven’t pipped have had hatching goo smeared on them from the freshly hatched chicks, should I remove it the next time I pull a pair of chicks

I’d leave them be.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I have 6 fully hatched chicks out... one has her daddy’s feathered feet even! Five are quite yellow, but one is darker. I had a panic when I saw a yellow goopy but on the leg of one, but it was just shell goop none are quite as vocal as that first one was... shelf liner 100% awesome over paper towels. 6 more solid pips. One of my Columbia Rock eggs has pipped. I’m still waiting on any signs from my Marans. View attachment 1803382View attachment 1803383

Aww, little cutie is just peeking out! I read somewhere that for every day the egg is stored it will take an additional hour before hatching, approximately. So if you set fresh eggs from your hens that were only a few days old and received eggs from elsewhere that were a week old, they will be slightly delayed from the others. Also, I find Marans always take a bit longer in general. Their shells seem extra thick to me.

View attachment 1803390 Two of the shells that haven’t pipped have had hatching goo smeared on them from the freshly hatched chicks, should I remove it the next time I pull a pair of chicks

You can gently wipe it off with a paper towel but it shouldn't cause any issues unless it's covering a pip hole.

 

[Kris5902]

I’d leave them be.

Thanks, I went back and added a picture... the chicks seem to like sleeping on the other eggs! The rolling around isn’t as bad as last time... too many eggs in there for them to get much momentum ATM (last hatch one chick kicked an egg hard enough to crack it, that was one of the ones that didn’t make it, hence my paranoia) I’m being as hands off as I can

And yes, when I got down she was at the incubator, she had opened it up and taken out some shells, but left the chicks in! It’s a toss up which of us is most excited

 

[Tatuana]

I'm a little worried about Tiniest Baby. He's the one I had to help out. He was born 13 hours after Gerblin was, so I would expect them to be close-ish in development. Tiniest Baby was hatched exactly 24 hours ago. He's still super sluggish. I'm thinking that's due to him being so young compared to the others? He's still really unsteady on his feet and won't come out of the warming cave. Gerblin, while shy, is out and about all the time. Tiniest Baby is also half the size of Gerblin.

I'm thinking it's because chicks change SO MUCH at that age that even hours can make a difference. Right?

He also has a foot deformation. Non of my other chicks have it, and he only has it on the one foot. Is that a common thing to happen in chicks?

I found his webbed toe that's growing halfway down his hind to while I was cleaning the mud off his foot. Venus knocked over the water dish into their dirt pile. *Sigh*

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I'm a little worried about Tiniest Baby. He's the one I had to help out. He was born 13 hours after Gerblin was, so I would expect them to be close-ish in development. Tiniest Baby was hatched exactly 24 hours ago. He's still super sluggish. I'm thinking that's due to him being so young compared to the others? He's still really unsteady on his feet and won't come out of the warming cave. Gerblin, while shy, is out and about all the time. Tiniest Baby is also half the size of Gerblin.

I'm thinking it's because chicks change SO MUCH at that age that even hours can make a difference. Right?

He also has a foot deformation. Non of my other chicks have it, and he only has it on the one foot. Is that a common thing to happen in chicks?

View attachment 1803406

I found his webbed toe that's growing halfway down his hind to while I was cleaning the mud off his foot. Venus knocked over the water dish into their dirt pile. *Sigh*

Just a few months ago was the first time I had EVER encountered a chick with webbed feet. My friend bought one at Tractor Supply and asked me what to do about it and I was like..."Are you sure that's not a duck?!", lol. It can be fixed but your chick doesn't appear to have a very bad case and will likely not have any issues from it as it grows.
If you have any Nutridrench for poultry that's my go-to vitamin supplement and may be helpful to add to their water to give the little one a bit of a boost. If you don't have access to Nutridrench, Polyvisol WITHOUT iron is a baby vitamin that can be purchased at most drug stores or grocery stores that also works well.

 

[jolenesdad]

What’s the breed again? I hatched out marans and hatched out a really bad case earlier this year and it’s fairly common in the breed. Some people cut it, but I probably would leave that one as is.

I helped a chick in the eastern hatxh along who was behind and STILL is, 6 weeks later. I mean still has a small strip of down on her back and just got tail feathers. If you have to help them, they were in that shell a long time. It’s a gamble if they’ll be strong enough to survive which is why serious breeders don’t often assist. I had electrolytes and probiotics in the water and I spread food all over so wherever she was she could peck at the food. If you can get them to eat and they’re eating.... it’s looking good.

Have you tried scrambled egg yolk?

Thanks @CluckNDoodle for the polyvisol advice

 

[Tatuana]

I'm actually not sure the breed. I bought them from a backyard breeder who has a mixed flock of about 30. She just buys whatever was cute. All I know for sure is they're golden yellow, and some have black in a stripe on their head/back.

I haven't tried anything but chick feed yet. I don't think he's coming out to eat/drink. He just likes hanging out in the heating cave as far in as he can go. The egg yolk, do I need to cook it? I literally have 2 cents in my wallet right now due to a VERY expensive cat ultrasound (We don't think it's cancer though!). I have tons of eggs on hand I can poke down the critter at least.

Should he still be wobbly at this age? Or is he a little behind? He's for sure the runt of the batch. I've named him The Claw.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I'm actually not sure the breed. I bought them from a backyard breeder who has a mixed flock of about 30. She just buys whatever was cute. All I know for sure is they're golden yellow, and some have black in a stripe on their head/back.

I haven't tried anything but chick feed yet. I don't think he's coming out to eat/drink. He just likes hanging out in the heating cave as far in as he can go. The egg yolk, do I need to cook it? I literally have 2 cents in my wallet right now due to a VERY expensive cat ultrasound (We don't think it's cancer though!). I have tons of eggs on hand I can poke down the critter at least.

Should he still be wobbly at this age? Or is he a little behind? He's for sure the runt of the batch. I've named him The Claw.

Yes, if you give them some scrambled eggs you want to cook it and I personally mash it really fine with the back of a fork for easier consumption.
They can be slow and wobbly for a couple of days without me worrying because they can survive off of the yolk they absorbed before hatching for up to 3 days.

 

[Tatuana]

I gave the chicks a scrambled egg that I mashed to bits. They're not sure about it. The one I'm worried about gave it a peck or two before going back to bed. His eye seems to bother him a lot (The one that I had to peel the membrane off of. I think it might be sore because a feather came off). He tends to scratch at it or keep it shut. The other eye is mostly fine, I think. He often closes one eye and leaves the other opened.

I offered him a small syringe full of water while he walked around. He poked down half of it and perked right up. Maybe he was dehydrated? He's certainly a troublemaker.