March 2017! Hatch with us!

[orrpeople]

Everyone's hatches are so exciting!!! (Especially now that I think I can stop worrying about my endless crazy hatch). My total is 3. I'm happy with that.
I did notice yesterday that the chicks look thinner, dare I say more "frail" than others have in the past. I mean new chicks are delicate but these need to get fatter.
I opened the nests yesterday but it got cool overnight so it looks like Mima has kept the hicks covered and stayed in the nest. 
Today I plan to completely change the nest box to one that I know the chicks can begin to get out of it they choose. Keeping the 2nd "nursery"  half story separated from the ground floor. 
Ideally 2 nest boxes fit easily up there with room for others to roost in front of the boxes or not. I hope to create (then "suggest" to the 2 pullets that they start laying in one of the upper boxes instead of their preference for "wherever" on the ground. They are very silly.

I have some dried meal worms. I'd like to give some to Mima and maybe she can teach the chicks to eat them? Is this too young to be trying that? They're under a week old. 
Thanks for responses. You all ROCK!
And now, I believe I get to sit back for the remainder of this lovely spring turning month and cheer all of your eggs on to become tiny little peeps!

I LOVE tiny little PeePs!


(in lieu of photos until later)

I think the prevailing consensus with treats (mealworms, scrambled egg, etc) is to wait until they're 4 weeks old. Good access to chick starter is probably best for now. Maybe try crushing it up a bit to make it easier to eat?
I'm really looking forward to seeing your pics!!

 

[WVduckchick]

I think the prevailing consensus with treats (mealworms, scrambled egg, etc) is to wait until they're 4 weeks old. Good access to chick starter is probably best for now. Maybe try crushing it up a bit to make it easier to eat?
I'm really looking forward to seeing your pics!!

While I agree with that when brooding indoors, I also think about the chicks that broodies raise. They eat whatever they come across outside. Of course, they are getting the dirt grit also, but if I'm feeling froggy, I'll toss the babies a rare treat, just to see what they do with it.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

So, on my first candling attempt, I see a lot of eggs with all the solids on one side of the egg. About 6 of them have what looks like a blood ring, but it doesn't go around the circumference of the egg, just a circle on the side of the egg. Is this an indication that my turner is not working? Are the eggs with the side rings no good?

I've definitely had what I thought were blood rings early on, that turned out to be blood vessels or other normal development. Now I always leave blood rings in the bator until it's really obvious they're no longer developing with the other eggs, even when I'm positive that's what they are, just to be safe.

My hatch is in day 20 now. The humidity is running kind of low. A couple of years ago, I made the mistake of loaning my Brinsea to a friend. When I got it back, I noticed the screws on the bottom had been replaced. And whatever they used to replace them with were too long, so her husband must have sawed off the ends. My best guess is that they submerged it while cleaning, got water trapped in the base, took it apart to clean, and then lost the original screws. Ever since then, the water evaporates really quickly. But then after she gave it back I had the most successful year of hatches I've ever had, so who knows? Maybe she did me a favor.

I don't fool with the humidity at all during regular incubation. I just add some once a week when I candle, and ignore the #. During lockdown I open it once a day and add 1/2 cup. That seems to work well at my house.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

Well most of you know I had a terrible loss in January lost all my Roos so I'm asking if anyone can identify the breed of my new Roos all three are brothers so I'll just post one pic

 

[orrpeople]

While I agree with that when brooding indoors, I also think about the chicks that broodies raise.  They eat whatever they come across outside.  Of course, they are getting the dirt grit also, but if I'm feeling froggy, I'll toss the babies a rare treat, just to see what they do with it. 
   

Hah, yes! My friend who raised chickens in Africa gives hers grubbs from almost day one. I was going on 'consensus' - but you are absolutely right - we worry and worry about temperature, humidity, air sacks, nutrition, and the list goes on and on. And, there sits a broody with no internet, just doing what God intended! Go figure!

 

[lilwildrabbit]

Hah, yes! My friend who raised chickens in Africa gives hers grubbs from almost day one. I was going on 'consensus' - but you are absolutely right - we worry and worry about temperature, humidity, air sacks, nutrition, and the list goes on and on. And, there sits a broody with no internet, just doing what God intended! Go figure!

And she does it better than we can

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Hah, yes!

My friend who raised chickens in Africa gives hers grubbs from almost day one. I was going on 'consensus' - but you are absolutely right - we worry and worry about temperature, humidity, air sacks, nutrition, and the list goes on and on. And, there sits a broody with no internet, just doing what God intended! Go figure!

Yes! I remind myself of this all the time! I'll think, what would my broody hen do?? She'll let them eat whatever they can dig up, and she'll walk off and leave the eggs in the cold air. She doesn't have a thermometer or humidity gauge, and she always has better hatch rates than I do!

 

[WVduckchick]

Hah, yes!

My friend who raised chickens in Africa gives hers grubbs from almost day one. I was going on 'consensus' - but you are absolutely right - we worry and worry about temperature, humidity, air sacks, nutrition, and the list goes on and on. And, there sits a broody with no internet, just doing what God intended! Go figure!

Oh, I know exactly what you mean. I try not to advise people to do things when someone else is going to come along and say "don't do that!".... but I do a lot of things that others don't do, and somehow get away with it.

Example -- my ducks live on my pond. No house, they aren't locked up every night, they have a shelter with a feeder. That's it. They sleep where they want to. I'm a baaaad duck mommy.

I know they are open to predators. I take that risk for happy ducks. Someday something will get them. I know that. But so far, they must be pretty dang good at survival! I don't advise others to do this, but it works for me and my ducks.


Quote:

Yes! I remind myself of this all the time! I'll think, what would my broody hen do?? She'll let them eat whatever they can dig up, and she'll walk off and leave the eggs in the cold air. She doesn't have a thermometer or humidity gauge, and she always has better hatch rates than I do!

Oh, I fretted over my first broody hatch so much! I was scared she was going to do something wrong. But alas, they teach us how silly we are.

I do think observing so many broodies last summer has made me much better at incubation.

(p.s... I love "BroosterSpringsteen" as a member ID!)

 

[WVduckchick]

Well most of you know I had a terrible loss in January lost all my Roos so I'm asking if anyone can identify the breed of my new Roos all three are brothers so I'll just post one pic

I'm not good with breed identification if its a breed that I don't raise, but he's a beauty! Have you asked on the breed/gender forum?

 

[dannyelle123]

I have 2 Octagon 20s for incubating, but have been using an FI styro for hatching. Same here, it takes a good day to get it stable humidity wise, but I like it once I get it set.

I'm excited for your CLs too, cause I really want some of them myself!!
2000? Wow, that's gonna light them up for sure!
If they are laying down, I hear that's normal. I have done every set upright, until these call duck eggs. Supposedly they do better on their sides, and hand turned, so that's what I'm doing. Never saw the development on one side like this, and was shocked when I saw it. But I was told that was normal! I did notice last night they are starting to go all the way around, I'm almost half way with them.

And blood rings don't have to go all the way around. If it's a blood ring, all the veins will disappear and be obvious. Leave anything until you are positive!

Agreed about the blood rings, my last hatch I thought I had a blood ring, eggtopsied, and it had been developing normally! If you're not 100% positive - wait! It was an OE and pretty hard to see through...