May 2023 Hatch-a-long

[junior67]

Hopefully that works! Wish I had some with eggs advanced enough or chicks young enough that I could foist some of these off on, lol!

Lol. She has been broody about 2 weeks. So I gave her 2 eggs at lockdown to see how it went. She did lose one but the other is doing great so I am giving her my 5 to raise since the 3 and 6 week olds still use the coop brooder.

Then I have a broody on 9 eggs I got on Sat. And the one I am giving the chicks to is babysitting 6 eggs that were in the incubator. Lol. They will go back to the incubator.

So I have 14 eggs developing unless the 1 that looked clear starts..... Not sure my other broody can hatch that many.... But I will give her the chicks that hatch.

 

[Honora]

Candled again today, all 16 remaining eggs are developing well. 2 more weeks to go…

 

[junior67]

Ok.... So my broody, Ditzy, is not going to be raising the chicks. I will copy the story I sent to someone else. I think she would do fine IF the chicks could get into the other nest boxes with her, but there is a decent lip on it that is too big for them to get in and I won't be able to make steps for a couple days. So may just leave her with half of the other eggs. It will mean she is broody for about 4.5 weeks before those hatch


Long story..... But Ditzy went out and left baby but came back pretty quick. Then did it again. Then she went in a reg nest box where baby couldn't get to. Baby ran around coop. Then I lost it on the cameras. I figured she had it since she was back in the plastic box. Brought out other chicks and a bigger box. Got it all set up and she was talking to them. Well then I couldn't find the other baby. Then Ditzy went into a reg nest box again and was calling but they can't get up there. So brought them in. Went back out to look for the first baby..........Amazingly it must have followed the other chicks in the chick door and was under their heating pad with them!!!!! So it is now in the inside brooder

 

[junior67]

My last 2 eggs are having a race. Lol both zipping at the same time. Lol. Let's see who makes it out first. It will be the start of day 21 for one egg in about 5 hrs. The 2nd egg just started day 20 since I added it a day later.

 

[junior67]

so my early May hatch is done. started with 22. Had 4 clears so 18 developing. one was a cracked egg that I put wax on so didn't have much hope for it. 2 quit (one was the cracked one). and 16 hatched. So 88% hatch rate if I count the cracked one 94% hatch rate if I don't.

Now have 15 under the broodies for now. think 1 is clear. Hatch date of 5/20 so guess we see what I do with those. LOL

 

[Kwoka]

Ok.... So my broody, Ditzy, is not going to be raising the chicks. I will copy the story I sent to someone else. I think she would do fine IF the chicks could get into the other nest boxes with her, but there is a decent lip on it that is too big for them to get in and I won't be able to make steps for a couple days. So may just leave her with half of the other eggs. It will mean she is broody for about 4.5 weeks before those hatch


Long story..... But Ditzy went out and left baby but came back pretty quick. Then did it again. Then she went in a reg nest box where baby couldn't get to. Baby ran around coop. Then I lost it on the cameras. I figured she had it since she was back in the plastic box. Brought out other chicks and a bigger box. Got it all set up and she was talking to them. Well then I couldn't find the other baby. Then Ditzy went into a reg nest box again and was calling but they can't get up there. So brought them in. Went back out to look for the first baby..........Amazingly it must have followed the other chicks in the chick door and was under their heating pad with them!!!!! So it is now in the inside brooder

wow! I’m glad the baby was safe after all of that!!

Mozzarella killed the second SLW chick, darn it pecked out its umbilical spot. I’m sure she sensed its weakness. Two more chances to be a mom…hopefully nothing happens to them too.

 

[junior67]

wow! I’m glad the baby was safe after all of that!!

Mozzarella killed the second SLW chick, darn it pecked out its umbilical spot. I’m sure she sensed its weakness. Two more chances to be a mom…hopefully nothing happens to them too.

Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it helped having the 3&6 weeks old brooding in there for the past 5 weeks (for the older ones) helped and then having the chick doors opened for the past 5-6 days since the other chickens were used to having little ones running around already so didn't pay much attention to the new one! I don't know HOW it found its way to the chick doors though to find heat but glad it did since it is cool and rainy today!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Three hatches, and one more pip! Woohoo! Plus more to go that aren't due until tomorrow (but since they're banties, they might hatch earlier).

 

[lilwanderer]

35 slides on this thread as of right now and I just set 35 eggs in the incubator a second ago... didn't know this had 35 I swear. (Will probably change once I post this)
Now, why did i set 35? Don't really know, just upset about the last eggs and figured I'll get more chicks if there's more eggs? . 12 of the eggs are from a private breeder. 23 (if i did the math right) are from my hens.
The 12 eggs include 4 splash cochin, 1 cream legbar, 2 olive egger/cream legbar, 2 ee, 1 speckled ameraucana/ee mix, and 2 bcm.
The 23 are all bym, but I know incude 4 buff brahma hen eggs, 9 creme penedesenca hen eggs, 2 light brahma hen eggs, and either 8 of some ameraucana, legbar, or ee hen eggs.

 

[Canadian Wind]

4 babies so far! 3 OEGB and one Cochin banty!

This is equal to my whole hatch for April!