Just in the 'bator 17 Delaware, 4 Barred Rock, 4 BBS Orpingtons...more

[Laney]

So DH is in with his Dad working off his Mad at me. I was outside working on Brooder coop #2. The one that will be fore the younger chickies??? I was using the air powered staple gun to put up plastic around the outside of the coop with strapping on top to keep the plastic secure. To do this I had to keep switching staple sizes. Little staples for plastic, big staples for strapping.

Now I wasn't aware that the gun could and or would fire if the staple chamber wasn't closed all the way.....but it will....... and the results aren't pretty....

So, we have 16 out, one who has passed away leaving 15 live chicks. 8 eggs still in the bator, one of which is and has been pipped for hours. I did cheat and move all the eggs to a more visible and upright position. Two of them, including the pipped one chirped when I moved them.

My daughter of course wants to help the pipped one. I told her we needed to wait. It has been pipped since at least 8 this morning...but we'll still give it more time.

Left we have:
Helen #2
Ellie 1,2,3
Del 2
Java 2 which is pipped
Kira 1, 2

Not sure when to stop waiting. These were due to hatch on both the 3rd and 4th, starting the 3rd at Noon, and 4th at about 6pm. So as of now they are all one day overdue...some 2 days as of noon.

Laney

 

[joletabey]

Laney- I hope you didn't hurt yourself with the staple gun- those things can be nasty! What happened with the last babies?

 

[kathyinmo]

How's it going Laney? Is the hatch completed?

 

[Laney]

I had one more Java hatch. None of the others have so I candled them all, no movement in any of them. I decided to go ahead and carefully begin eggtopsy, if any were viable (I didn't think they were) then I would be able to put them back in the incubator to continue the hatch on their own.

Here are the results. I think that eggtopsy is always a help in figuring out where things might have gone right or wrong. If you are super sensitive, do not read below my signature.

Final results 17 chicks from 32 eggs, 5 of which were clear. That leaves me with 27 eggs, 24 of which went into lockdown. I hatched 17 out of the 27 for a 63% hatch rate on the total hatch. Not too shabby. Considering the time of year and fertility rates at this time of year, most of the eggs were shipped, the cold snap that hit right after they left Cyn's hands at the post office etc.

I ended up with:
4 Barred Rocks
1 BBS Orpington - very light color, almost yellow with grey tips to the fluff
1 White Java
1 Black Java
9 Delaware's

This only adds up to 16 because we did have one early fatality. It still had it's umbilicle cord attached, and had some intestinal protrusion, combined with it's siblings sitting on it in the incubator, I'm thinking this is for the best.

OH, and I wasn't hurt by the staple gun explosion, except my pride....it was a unidirectional explosion.... my husbands explosion was onmidirectional. (Just kidding he took it very well and is looking to see if fixing it or replacing it is the way to go)

Laney




Del #2 Brain on outside, yolk not absorbed
Kira #1 Fully formed, yolk not absorbed, did not poke thru membrane no obvious defects
Kira #2 Suspect it died recently, still blood in veins. Large protrusion in belly, upside down in egg.
Ellie #3 Intestines on outside
Ellie #2 Did not break egg open, membrane was black. Did not need that smell in my house.....
Ellie #1 Same as 2, upon chipping egg, membrane was dark brown to black...no breaking open.
Helen #3 Slight stink, afraid to open

 

[kathyinmo]

Congratulations on your new chicks!

So, it sounds like you got a Splash Orp .... just like Cetawin's Thor !

Looking forward to seeing your pictures!

 

[Laney]

Ok...here are some promised pics. The last Java not included.....

Here is a pic of the white Java on the Left and the Splash (I think) Orpington on the Right near the water.

Another one with the Java and BBS Orp, with some Barred Rocks and Dellies in the pic too!

Bunch of Chicks!

Fern Baby!

They call me Mr. Stink Eye!

Comense SDWD

Secret Kisses in the background, SDWD in the forground....

Laney

 

[joletabey]

Laney, those are the best pics! What a bunch of cuties. I am really jealous you have a splash baby- I hope it's a girl. I don't know anything about hatching chicks, but it sounds like a very good hatch-

 

[kathyinmo]

Great pictures, Laney. Congrats on all the new babies! Hope you got that new brooder ready!

Have fun!

 

[speckledhen]

Aw, you got a splash Orp! That's so cool! Congrats on the babies, Laney.

 

[Laney]

Even better than getting a splash orp, if feather sexing holds true, I got a Female Spash Orp!

According to Feather Sexing:

6 Delaware Pullets and 3 Cockerels
2 Barred Rock Pullets and 2 Cockerels
1 Java Pullet and 1 too young
1 Splash Orpington Pullet

I am so excited. These are the most people oriented chicks I have ever had. They do not scatter at movement, they track you when you walk into the room, when a hand reaches into the cage they all jump around, me! me! pick me!!! and when you put them back in they try to jump back out to get to you. I could spend hours just hanging around the cage.

Laney