Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[kathyinmo]

Cutest Chick contest.....
Do we just post them here, or do we PM the picture to someone?

 

[featherz]

My cutest chick entry:



Of course it's a turken, but it's hard to tell there.

ALL my cutest chicks are turkens. I'll be taking pics soon! I think I have 10 from this hatch, eight I think are from you. =)

 

[1muttsfan]

[COLOR=0000CD]I think this is my last one that will hatch. I just pulled it out of the incubator.[/COLOR]

Now that is a very soft-boiled egg.

 

[Cynthia12]

Happy Easter!!!

BACK AT YA!!

 

[Cynthia12]

Where have you been for the last 20 minutes?

Just kidding, it's not that fast.

This made me smile!

 

[ronott1]

In the good news columns, more chicks hatched overnight!

I have a feeling I am done, but I will leave the remainder in the incubator just to see. So far, I have:

• 1 Orpington mix from swap
• 1 Rose Comb Brown Leghorn
• 2 Marans mixes from swap
• 2 Blue Birchen Marans (1 black, 1 blue)
• 6 Speckled Sussex and Speckled Sussex / EE and Ameraucana mixes from my flock
• 8 Euskal Oiloa / Marraduna Basque Hens - of which I might lose two.

All in all, that's 20 chicks from 45 or so eggs. This hatch and the resulting ICU chicks have left me feeling a bit bruised, but I am learning and experiencing things I never have before. Life is about learning and growing. I'm a theory/book learning type of person, that part comes easy, but 90% of knowing something is the practice; only 10% is theory in my experience. Growing pains are part of the process, and I'm thankful to have the opportunity to learn and grow.

Happy Easter & belated equinox celebrations everyone.

So Sorry for your sick chicks. As I read about a sick chick here and there I can't help thinking about the good outcomes. For this hatchalong 267 people set thousands of eggs. Thousands hatched. Even with bad outcomes, I like doing hatching better than getting shipped chicks. I had a shipment with more than half of them dead. The replacement shipment had even more dead. Today when I opened up the last egg and saw the dead chick I was sad but realized that it did not even pip internally. It died late, but at least it did not freeze for days in a box sitting in a distribution center. It did not make it to me as one of the live ones, to then die two days later because it's organs were damaged.

Guys that was a lot of work trying to get them to live.

Sorry

for the rant. I am not against shipping chicks in general. I just think some Hatcheries(or one it particular) don't ship properly.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Also those of you with weak chicks mix 1 tablespoon of regular white sugar in their quart of water. It gives them some extra calories the first few days that are easily burned for energy. I usually do that for the first 24 to 48 hours then go to 1 teaspoon for a day, then a half then none.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Countrygirl: I believe Sticky Chick Syndrome (ya like that? i just made it up.) is caused by a humidity problem. I believe it is a lack of humidity? but could be wrong.

I am no expert by any means but my first two times hatching I had this problem. This time was my third time and I had the humidity a bit higher and did not have any sticky chicks.

 

[BBAcres]

Help?? What should I do for the leg??

 

[ronott1]

I have to get me two of those ecoglow I am always afraid some thing will bump the light at night. Those chicks look so content under it.
My hatch is just about over. Chicks are beginning to get glue in the shells. Haven't counted yet I think there is about 50 chicks .. Have some drying off the humidity spited bad during the night. Boy chicks are ugly when all sticky. wish I could put these chicks in the barn... too many feral cats here they would make nervous wreck out of them.
Heard chicks peeping 2 more have hatched look weak at this point of hatch. I have marans eggs that feel heavy but haven't pipped I leave them in there for the day. I fine with them they usually quit me. Time will tell
Got to go feed the horses and see if the mare I have in to be bred will say NO THANK YOU this morning so I can send her home....
his has sure been a experience hatching with other hatchahalics mispelled I have egg shells every where to try to figure out who hatched and who didn't.. b back later

LOL

If you hatch 50 chicks, get the ecoglow 50. It looks like the height adjustment is much better. One tip with the 20, if you hatch small chicks, leave on side off and make a tilt for the little ones to go under and still touch the top.

Yes, the ecoglow acts like the hen. One thing I like is the ability to turn the lights off at night. The ones I have kept under the ecoglow aren't afraid of the dark when I put them outside. The chicks also don't seem as flighty. I think the light over stimulates them.