May 2020 Hatch-A-Long

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Have you thought about getting into heritage breeds ? I have Barbizeaux and just got some Bresse those are excellent meat /layers . My first time with Bresse but I can get my Barbizeaux to weight in about 3- 4 month max I'm still farting around with feed ratio's since you can't really stuff them 24/7 but they certainly are tasty and worth the wait.

I haven’t heard of a Barbizeaux, I’ll have to look that up!

 

[Honora]

We have chicks!!! Most dramatic and late hatch I have ever experienced! View attachment 2118768View attachment 2118769View attachment 2118770

I had a look last night and only one had hatched.. this was the end of day 21 so I was worried to say the least!
I then saw the hen pecking at an egg that had pipped and she had taken 60% of the shell off and eating it and the chick was just inside the white membrane but seemed struggling to get out.. against what I had read, I just felt an urge to help.. so helped delicately pull some of the membrane away. This morning the chick was fluffed up and seemed great.. and a few more had hatched too. So I have 5 but one hatched this morning and seems to be a bit behind the others in terms of strength and keeping up with mum.

Now I wait for my first time broody who is sitting on another 4 from this batch of Swedish Flower Hen eggs.. day 20 today... fingers crossed!!

Those pics are amazing! She looks like a great mom. What breed is she?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I know they're dirty, but What are these chicks?

I got them from Tractor Supply for $0.50 a piece along with silkies for the same price. The manager is amazing!

He said that they sent them as white rocks or leghorns, but I know they are not either because they have feathered legs.

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Aw, poor little funky babies need a bath! The wing tips may give something away if there is any color coming through. As mentioned Light or Buff Brahmas are a possibility because they have feathered feet, White Marans and Cochins do as well. If you know which hatchery your local Tractor Supply sources their chicks from that may help to narrow it down by what breeds they offer.

 

[FortCluck]

Aw, poor little funky babies need a bath! The wing tips may give something away if there is any color coming through. As mentioned Light or Buff Brahmas are a possibility because they have feathered feet, White Marans and Cochins do as well. If you know which hatchery your local Tractor Supply sources their chicks from that may help to narrow it down by what breeds they offer.

They go through Hoover Hatchery. They arrived all dirty like that.

The manager didn't want to sell them to anyone but a regular customer that knows chickens because he doesn't want to tell someone that they might be pullets and have them take it the wrong way that they are definitely pullets. He knows that I will cull if I need to.

I know 4 are silkies.

They're pure white... But they're not Cornish Rocks like they were supposed to be.

 

[FortCluck]

Aw, poor little funky babies need a bath! The wing tips may give something away if there is any color coming through. As mentioned Light or Buff Brahmas are a possibility because they have feathered feet, White Marans and Cochins do as well. If you know which hatchery your local Tractor Supply sources their chicks from that may help to narrow it down by what breeds they offer.

I just looked at Hoover and didn't see many that are feather legged. Hmmm a mystery unless you can solve it

I absolutely love this Tractor Supply and I usually don't shop at Tractor Supplies in other towns.

The manager has showed me over and over again how great he truly is I appreciate him a lot

 

[Vantic]

I just looked at Hoover and didn't see many that are feather legged. Hmmm a mystery unless you can solve it

I absolutely love this Tractor Supply and I usually don't shop at Tractor Supplies in other towns.

The manager has showed me over and over again how great he truly is I appreciate him a lot

Now you have bought more chickens...lol Where us that meme.

 

[CindyinSD]

Do you have them under a lamp in the brooder? If so, what color light are you using? Have they pecked any spots bare on any of the chicks? I have had more luck with red lights than I have white light when it come to chicks pecking at each other. I still get some, but it is definitely more curiosity pecking than bullying.

I've never had this problem with chicks. I started my first ones with a brooder plate and have never used anything else with new babies. I have used lights with older chicks after putting them outside, but this was for a short time with broiler chicks and double-digit sub-zero temps. Since then I've gotten several black (no light) reptile bulbs for my heat lamps. I will use these for a few days for home-hatched chicks, for their "front yard" area just outside the brooder plate (or mhhp), with their food, grit & drink at the perimeter of the lamp.

I think the constant light stresses them out. My chicks are in the garage, so if they were to peep constantly as some have said here, I wouldn't necessarily hear them, but we are in the garage quite a lot, and all I hear from them are contented/excited little chirps when they've just gotten a new dish of food.

People pick at one another when under stress. (Anyone in quarantine?) Maybe birds do too? I can't say enough good things about brooder plates or mhhp's. (mama hen heating pads--basically a homemade brooder plate)

 

[FortCluck]

Now you have bought more chickens...lol Where us that meme.

 

[CindyinSD]

Lockdown day for my incubator! I did a candling and saw movement in all the eggs. So far so good.....
View attachment 2118661 Question for those of you w a Janoel 12...that rod that moved the egg rolling tray, so it's still sticking down there. Can't the chicks get poked running into it?

I broke an egg with the rolling rod probe thingie on my Incuvue. Very sad. It's held on by a cotter pin--very easy to remove. I take it out now for hatching or for hand-turning an unauthirized over-abundance of eggs. The problem is human error, not poultry running into it. Take it out if you can.

 

[FortCluck]

I broke an egg with the rolling rod probe thingie on my Incuvue. Very sad. It's held on by a cotter pin--very easy to remove. I take it out now for hatching or for hand-turning an unauthirized over-abundance of eggs. The problem is human error, not poultry running into it. Take it out if you can.

I broke a few eggs that weren't repairable. So sad.