JUNE - JULY HATCH-ALONG!!!!!!!

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Down to just one egg left!

The rupture blood vessel chick did not make it. It stopped breathing while still having veins not receded, I think it lost too much blood. :-( It was that hugely large saddle cell, and I think that gigantic air cell didn't let it position exactly right and it popped that blood vessel trying to move around to pip.

The one left is the other largest saddled egg that I had, but it's looking really good. It internally pipped on its own, but it has a very tough membrane, so I will just continue to watch the veins.

I’m sorry Jolenesdad!!! With my malpositioned guinea with beak between legs, I felt like it was damned if I do, damned if I don’t! I was bursting blood vessels trying to find the beak, but it couldn’t breathe either... I guess sometimes there is just not much that you can do to help...

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hatched on July 29! View attachment 1865106

Wow! Was this a non-traumatic hatch of so many ducklings!?? Congratulations! Are they calls or...???

 

[jolenesdad]

I’m sorry Jolenesdad!!! With my malpositioned guinea with beak between legs, I felt like it was damned if I do, damned if I don’t! I was bursting blood vessels trying to find the beak, but it couldn’t breathe either... I guess sometimes there is just not much that you can do to help...

I know. I’m pretty certain there isn’t a thing that could have been done for this chick. So many ups and downs, is that part of the addiction for all of us, I don’t know.

What a very sad experience since I popped the top off, I was watching it fail to hatch with nothing to do. But I’m feeling good ultimately, rather than upset because of the knowledge I’ve gained. I bet you feel a little of that too after the Guineas, how much more prepared for things you’ll be in the future, even if that just means knowing you can handle trauma, and that’s a satisfying feeling.

There are always things you can’t control, especially in animals. I’m so thankful for this forum and you all for all the help and advice to learn and grow.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Wow! Was this a non-traumatic hatch of so many ducklings!?? Congratulations! Are they calls or...???

Yes they are Call Ducks. They came early and I put safety holes in them but ultimately ended up assisting hatching on all but one.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Yes they are Call Ducks. They came early and I put safety holes in them but ultimately ended up assisting hatching on all but one.

Call ducks are just the cutest!!! What a lovely little ducky flock you have!

 

[jolenesdad]

Still waiting on the last one. Since I’ve got to brood a separate batch anyway for the one eyed wonder, ive decided to just keep them all.

I’m going to take the healthiest looking that don’t need more cleaning to mama early tomorrow.

I’ll take photos tomorrow of the one eyed chick. Im going to keep it and monitor and hope it adjusts. I’m fairly certain it’s a fused eyelid but you can’t even see it, there’s just a small third of the eyelid and it has an eye underneath. It gets around just fine, doesn’t seem frightened or disoriented, and is eating and drinking.

@john_wrightson2003 how did your leghorns do today??

 

[jolenesdad]

And he is OUT!

Final Hatch Numbers

18 Total Hatched
English Orpingtons - 9
Laced (silver, chocolate/gold, or gold) - 4; Chocolate mottled - 2; Partridge - 2; Mauve - 1
Marans - 4
Black Copper - 1, Blue Copper - 2, Wheaten - 1
Silverudds - 1 - SPLASH! YAY! I love splash
Brahma - 4

Set 61. 23 Made Lockdown. 18 Hatched. 4 stopped development after lockdown, 1 pipped into a blood vessel and lost too much blood. 4 partial assists, and 4 complete assists. A gigantic handful of sticky chicks.

That puts the hatch at 30%. I didn't track clears I just pulled out clears or blood rings as they happened. And I tossed about 5 eggs that were touching the seeping egg. There were definitely more blood rings than clears.

All in all, pretty abysmal.

Just kidding. I think 30% for a dead of summer hatch with shipped eggs is pretty good, and close to what I was expecting. I remember saying earlier on I told my husband I needed to set 60 eggs to get about 6 or 7 layers. I'll be referencing this hatch as justification for how many eggs I set for a VERY LONG time.

 

[jolenesdad]

6 chicks underneath broody!!! I put a baby monitor camera in there and am dying waiting for sun up!!!

 

[john_wrightson2003]

@john_wrightson2003 how did your leghorns do today??

Welp, hatch day was Wednesday, and they didn't start hatching till in the middle of the night Wednesday night, and we have 8 leghorns out of 12 (shipped) eggs, and one BCM out of 4 (shipped) eggs.

6 chicks underneath broody!!! I put a baby monitor camera in there and am dying waiting for sun up!!!

Oh, youre gonna love it, i have a broody raising some marans that she hatched, and i could just sit out there all day and watch them!

 

[jolenesdad]

She jumped off and is searching for her eggs. Poor confused mama. I ran out and got the babies which were all huddled together watching her. Glad I did early morning instead of late night so they were only by themselves for a bit.

Hmmmmmm. I may see if I can find some eggs that have been incubating a week, or I’ll break her. It’s so hot and I have so many chicks coming soon, it may be best to try next time she goes broody. I don’t want to stress her out with tons of chicks close in age to whatever she would raise, and sometimes the timing just isn’t right.