March 2023 hatch-a-long

[3KillerBs]

11 chicks,

2 Dominant White -- Australorp X California White

2 blues
3 blacks
3 splash
and Saran, who is definitely Australorp x OE and *probably* blue but I'm not 100% sure.

there are 2 more xOEs and an Australorp x FCM -- but I can't tell them apart yet.

All chicks are clean-legged. There *might* be one with a pea comb and I *might* have seen a beard or two. I'll know more in a week.

 

[kcotton7]

My fluffy butts! So far 23 have hatched! Today is day 21, 11 left in the incubator, but no pips in them

 

[MiddleAmerican]

So it begins…

 

[abpatchy]

I got 2 chicks trying to hatch already. Tomorrow night would be day 21...

 

[Cochinlover92]

Lockdown day!! Getting so close!! Cant wait!!

 

[kurby22]

Well the baby listened! She hatched an hour later hehe!

The other two have pipped, but seem to be taking their sweet time!

 

[kurby22]

They’re so cute!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Welp folks, I'm done with the March hatch!

Of 38 fertilized eggs, I ended up with 30 beautiful baby chicks.
Only one died late, during zip. The other seven were quitters.
That's 79% hatch rate. Not as worthy as my most recent 100% hatch, but I'll take it!
Average time from pip to hatch was 14.2 hours.
Fastest was 5 hours, longest was 27-1/2 hours (assisted).
2 hatched Friday 3/3
21 hatched Saturday 3/4
7 hatched Sunday 3/5

Problems encountered:
* one died mid-zip
* one tangled in the umbilical cord, around legs and body
* one starting to shrink-wrap, membrane glued to face and head
* two had unabsorbed yolk
* two needed full assist
* seven quitters (one in first week, two in second week, four in third week)

They all spent a day or so in the tote brooder with heat lamp, learning to walk, eat and drink. I've moved 26 very lively chicks to the big wire brooder with chick heat plate, and four who had difficult hatches today are still resting up in the tote until tomorrow. Here's the best pic I could get, lifting up their heat plate and surprising them:

 

[Iluveggers]

Tomorrow is LOCKDOWN!

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Today is day 17 and I went ahead and put them into lockdown.
1 Ameraucana
6 Marans
19 Buckeyes

Finished with this batch:
19 Buckeyes
4 Marans
1 Ameraucana