March 2017! Hatch with us!

[orrpeople]

Its the fault of the feed stores.  They mislabel them, and people will swear they know what they bought without knowing the difference.

The Ameraucana thread here is full of people who post EE pics.  All politely told that they are EE's.  Some will argue, some admit they didn't know the difference.  Some get downright mean!  LOL

Araucanas are ridiculously tough to maintain as a breed because of the tuft genetics. There was a gentleman in Nor Cal that was trying to sell his flock. His disclaimers were a mile long about how difficult they were to hatch and maintain as a breed. I think the rumpless attribute also causes them issues. Anyway, I learned a ton from him and gracefully chose to not add them to my projects!

 

[orrpeople]

Well, sadly, the last chick to hatch--the dark grey one--died in the night.
When I saw the 3 of them all soaking wet and sticky from the electrolyte water, I tried to simply think positive which is the only productive thing I could've done.
After raising the dishes to prevent that from happening again, Mima happily sat on all of them.
This morning going to take pics I couldn't find the 3rd one. Exhaustive search later, it was in the nest just way under clumps of dirt.

I get it. It happens. In fact I've read about it happening to a few people on this thread.
I have no doubt the other 2 are fine. They're eating and peeping nicely. Mima is an excellent mom.
I'd like to know (wouldn't we All like to know what chickens are thinking) why the heck they ended up in the water dish in the first place...in Mima's previous 3 hatches that has never happened with that placement of dishes.
Learning takes change and change takes many forms.
I'm still really content with the 2 peeps that are with us and doing so well!
The pullets (one of the pullets at least) laid an egg this morning. On the ground, next to a nest box. That's ok. She'll get  the hang of it. With the other birds boogying around (7 others, including dad roo and 6 siblings) I'm happily surprised no one stepped on it.
I gathered it and put it into my in-case-of-broody stash in the cupboard.

I have sticky pics of the 2 yellow peeps which I'll post today too.

Oh dear... I am so sorry! I know in the chicken world we 'stiff upper lip' everything, but loss is loss is loss, and dang it, it still is not very fun. I sometimes wonder if I'm cut out for the farming lifestyle, and then I go out and spend a day in the sun, cleaning coops, working on building, expanding, replacing stuff and think, "Okay, this is still good."

 

[yeye5]

Oh, you're talking the orange stuff (I remember Tang, I'm almost 52! lol). I'll go back and edit my previous post, I was thinking the white powder (clear in the water). The orange stuff is 1/8 teaspoon to 10 ounces of water, but when I do about 3/4 full on the quart bottle, I toss 3 x 1/8 teaspoons in of both the white powder and the orange powder. One is electrolytes/vitamins, the other is probiotics. I can never remember which is which, I just remember by color! LOL

I measured the powders by weight, then weighed a 1/8 teaspoon full and divided the total to come up with these numbers. At least it hasn't killed my birds yet.


Thank you!! I'm a little more anxious this time, for some reason.


Nope, those aren't tufted either. I think of tufts like the big handlebar mustaches. Beards and muffs are more like just chubby cheeks. I'm sure there are some other tufted breeds, besides Araucanas, but they are the main one.
Polish and Silkies have other issues with the vaulted skulls though. Along with crested ducks, etc.
Then there is the lethal short-legged gene in Japanese bantams, and Seramas.... we could go all day on that subject! hahaha

1/8th teaspoon of powder to one cup of water.
a quart of water would be fairly diluted, but it would probably still be beneficial.

This is great information. I appreciate it very much.
I just went out to dilute the "Tang" electrolyte mix. I'd rather it be weak than too strong. I've never given it to chicks before. I bought it when--months ago--I was trying to save the lives of 3 peafowl I got when they were at deat'hs door (due to a friend's neglect). The peafowl died, having zero to do with the electro-mix.
I gave it to this batch bcs they looked like they needed a boost. The 2 (that Ive spontaneously started calling Itsy and Bitsy...oh no!) are super active now. The 3rd died-reasons unknown. I'll try to avoid the guilt trip which may be a total invention on my part--that the over-mixed electromix killed the chick. Regardless, it is diluted now. The 3rd chick is already dead so there's no changing that, whatever caused it.
Mima (mama) is drinking the mix also. I showed the liquid to the peeps, touched their little beaks to it and one of them (Itsy who is the 3-1 hatcher and most yellow) started drinking right away. Bitsy is the younger one that hatched the morning of 3-4...at this stage in days it makes a Huge (no pun intended) difference in their sizes and behaviors. Very cool to watch.
Itsy is now almost 10 big days old. Bitsy is catching up (?what?) at nearly 6 days old.

Has anyone here noticed how absurdly cute baby chickens can be???

 

[dannyelle123]

Oh crap! I forgot to add water! My humidity has been around 20-26%

I think you're not to give electrolytes for more than 3 days at a time...

Added Question:
Can I use your 1/8 spoon measure with any electrolyte powder? And 1/8 goes into how much water?
Thank you.

Will my chicks be ok if I can only get the humidity to 30% when it should be 45-50% ?

 

[orrpeople]

I just got done moving 2,000 lbs of moss rock and a yard each of veggie dirt and gravel! OMG!!! I am so tired and my back is killing me! I'll post before and after pics if anyone is interested... LOL! Just before my chickens tear everything up! LOLOLOL Time to wash this disgusting layer of dirt and sweat off!

For me, this is the best kind of day!! I don't love the back ache but I sure love getting things accomplished! Well done!

 

[yeye5]

Here is Itsy, hatched 3-1-17


and here is Itsy's baby photo album.

Here is Bitsy, hatched 3-4-17 (brought to you by orange Tang)



And...just in case anyone is having a recognition problem, here is today's egg, caption:
"Son, one day you're going to grow up and really BE somebody!"

 

[lilwildrabbit]

Here is Itsy, hatched 3-1-17 and here is Itsy's baby photo album. Here is Bitsy, hatched 3-4-17 (brought to you by orange Tang) And...just in case anyone is having a recognition problem, here is today's egg, caption: "Son, one day you're going to grow up and really BE somebody!"

Lol they are cute !! Congrats

 

[dannyelle123]

For me, this is the best kind of day!! I don't love the back ache but I sure love getting things accomplished! Well done!

Exactly! My back is killing me! Ignore that my fence is falling down! That's getting fixed tomorrow!

Before:

I'm also getting bees early April, here's one of the boxes I painted:

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I want to get back into bees I had at one time 20 hives and loved it but because of my late wife's illness I had to let them go and take care of her but the ABC & XYZ of beekeeping book recomends bees and chickens because of the care times for each is different enough that they work in harmony

 

[yeye5]

Oh, you're talking the orange stuff (I remember Tang, I'm almost 52! lol). I'll go back and edit my previous post, I was thinking the white powder (clear in the water). The orange stuff is 1/8 teaspoon to 10 ounces of water, but when I do about 3/4 full on the quart bottle, I toss 3 x 1/8 teaspoons in of both the white powder and the orange powder. One is electrolytes/vitamins, the other is probiotics. I can never remember which is which, I just remember by color! LOL

I measured the powders by weight, then weighed a 1/8 teaspoon full and divided the total to come up with these numbers. At least it hasn't killed my birds yet.


Thank you!! I'm a little more anxious this time, for some reason.


Nope, those aren't tufted either. I think of tufts like the big handlebar mustaches. Beards and muffs are more like just chubby cheeks. I'm sure there are some other tufted breeds, besides Araucanas, but they are the main one.
Polish and Silkies have other issues with the vaulted skulls though. Along with crested ducks, etc.
Then there is the lethal short-legged gene in Japanese bantams, and Seramas.... we could go all day on that subject! hahaha

1/8th teaspoon of powder to one cup of water


a quart of water would be fairly diluted, but it would probably still be beneficial.

@WVDuckchick, the orange is the electrolytes. I only now this bcs I still have it in the original packet and that says electrolyte mix (AgriLabs: Vitamin and Electrolyte "Plus" mix). I also know I don't have any probiotics in the house, and I should get some next time I'm at the feed store. I intentionally drove right past it yesterday. It's a good thing the feed store is on the opposite side of theroad the way I was going and due to a series of goofy splits in the road and No U turns, I would have had to make a big circle through the parking lot of a funeral home. All in all the potential inconvenience saved me a wad of money (they got in chicks) and yet more critters to feed.