March 21 or so hatching

[chickensnbees]

I'm sure hoping that it's normal, because I've been chirping to mine all morning. Trying to encourage them. 4 pips. No one seems to be in any big hurry to get out.

I'm going with it being normal and kids not knowing a darn thing! 4 pips is awesome! If mine would pip or chirp at me, I'd never leave the room!

 

[sepaditty1]

Have you guys ever had to use a boot to help curled toes.

I have 1 that was born like that from my last hatch. There are some good pictures on BYC about how to wrap them up. I'm on my cell, so I can't point you toward the link, but search the threads. I used medical tape and made a little sandal.

You should also get vitamins in the water if you haven't already. I learned that the most common cause is a vitamin B deficiency in the mom. Sometimes amping up the vitamins in baby can help.

As for mine, 1 foot is now 100% fixed. The other is still curled. About 80% fixed. But she can scratch in the dirt & perch on the roost, so I don't mind.

This is her when she was just hatched.

 

[BridgetBarger]

Quote:
Her feet already look a little better than this picture she can walk arounf just fine but I will be putting her in a boot when I get home from work tonight.

 

[xxxgeorgiexxx]

Thank you! I've only checked the incubator about 25 times in the last 3 hours. If these chicks are late, my kids will probably have me committed. They don't think it's necessary for me to chirp at and talk to eggs. What do kids know, right?

I talk to the eggs all the time and my brother who is 6 year younger than me thinks I'm well weird, I even started playing music out loud to try and encourage them to hatch earlier which I think might of worked because 2 hatched when I was listening to guns n roses. .

 

[chickensnbees]

I talk to the eggs all the time and my brother who is 6 year younger than me thinks I'm well weird, I even started playing music out loud to try and encourage them to hatch earlier which I think might of worked because 2 hatched when I was listening to guns n roses. .

I don't have any GNR - think Metallica will work? I'm willing to try anything!

 

[Math]

Congratulations to everyone with chicks hatched and everyone with chicks on the way.


. You and your chicks are awesome.

 

[BridgetBarger]

I must sayb it was rather fun to hatch out my own chicks. Congrats to everyone

 

[CGinJCMO]

Quote: Final update: Saturday, March 22, '14 I just had my most successful hatch ever- 72%. 27 chicks from a full incubator of eggs (auto turner so that should have been 41 eggs). 2 had to have help hatch at the end. 2 ended up infertile. 2 quit early. Those 4 didn't even make it to lock down. Eggtopsy revealed 1 that didn't absorb yolk, 2 were "juicy" and the rest made it to the end and looked normal yet didn't make it out for some reason (2 externally pipped but didn't continue and I don't know why - 1 was wrong end but he still made an opening so he was able to breath then but that was as far as he went). 2 of the last 4 to hatch may have been in the egg so long that they are having some foot troubles - curled toes (have bandaid on one, the other bandaid fell off) and one turned in ankle (I'm hoping it'll strengthen on its own while in the incubator - I figure it can stay a little longer to see). I'll have to get photos of all my fluffy babies. I've got chicks of many colors, some with extra fluffy cheeks, some with colored legs and some with orange/yellow legs. Hard to tell about combs on heads that are so little but they should be EEs (their fathers are and some of the mothers are) so good chance of green eggs for someone in the future. I may keep a few chicks but I'm going to try selling most of these because I wasn't originally wanting more chickens.

Think I'll try again. First I got to clean out the incubator and fix the screw holding the heating element in one corner that came loose (don't know how but at least the parts are still inside the 'bator). Going to pick up some BLRW from someone in town next week. I've got a co-worker that wants chickens and these are pretty so I thought I'd hatch some for her and for me as well. Between the two of us, and assuming half end up being girls, we'll both get just a couple new pullets.

CG

 

[Jayzandra]

What ways to you guys use to try and sex your chicks? Or do you just wait and see when they are adults. I have tried using the wing feathers, with that is seems in have mostly pullets but that is probably wishful thinking.

I did the wing thing and it seems we got almost all roos,so I hope I'm wrong. Haha

 

[CooperDooper]

I did the wing thing and it seems we got almost all roos,so I hope I'm wrong. Haha

I did it too and got 5 girls and 1 roo
I'm hoping its right