Michigan Hatchers! What'cha got cookin?

[jlynnet]

I have 2 dz Tolbunt Polish hatching eggs available. I need a break from hatching! Make an offer! I'm in Oxford.

 

[gladahmae]

Well I either have a pip or another hen poked a hole in one if the eggs while trying to lay an egg for my broody to guard. Might have some hatchlings tomorrow since Tuesday is day 21.

I hear ya on the too many eggs to hatch! My Ameraucana and Marans are finally laying again since I moved the new rooster in. Gotta hatch those next! Just a few though. Right!?

 

[gladahmae]

Woke up to 3 chicks and 2 pips out of 8 eggs this morning!! Woohoo! Nice thing to see after my toddler had me up most of the night. Hopefully there's some good action going under my Broodies too!

 

[RTFchickens]

Hi Michigan hatchers!
I've been on BYC for a while, and read the MI thread, but I don't post much. That thread goes so fast!
I have a couple egg/incubating questions if someone can help me...
I have 19 chicks of different ages, and 2 adult hens. One went broody, and her 4 chicks are 4 weeks old today. My other hen was being bullied so I moved her in with broody since I thought she would be bullied to death on our farm. She has sores from the others, and very skinny. So now to my questions:
My broody is not laying (that I know of) and "Poor Baby" ( the Bullied hen is Poor baby) has been laying in the same place for about a moth now, and laid a normal egg in her normal spot yesterday. Then in the evening I think it was her, not broody laid a soft egg, and I watched her eat it, shell and all! This is not a first egg, she is over a year old. Any ideas?
Next question,
I have an egg hatching that has pipped 24 hours ago. Not making progress now... Any advise?
Thank you very much!
Also congratulations on chicks to those who recently hatched :-D
(Edited to fix Monday morning typos)

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Woke up to 3 chicks and 2 pips out of 8 eggs this morning!! Woohoo! Nice thing to see after my toddler had me up most of the night. Hopefully there's some good action going under my Broodies too!

So eggsited for you!! I'm on the same schedule as you. Tomorrow is day 21 for me too. But mama has stayed extra tight and I think there is some action going on. She just has this alert look and I caught her kind of standing up crouched over them, but sat down when she saw me. Last year, my broody hatched hers on day 20, and now that's happening to you. My mama is sitting on 6 marans and 2 OE. We started out with 13 eggs, so I really want this to be a good hatch!! I've wanted marans for awhile Happy for you!!!

 

[gladahmae]

Hi Michigan hatchers!
I've been on BYC for a while, and read the MI thread, but I don't post much. That thread goes so fast!
I have a couple egg/incubating questions if someone can help me...
I have 19 chicks of different ages, and 2 adult hens. One went broody, and her 4 chicks are 4 weeks old today. My other hen was being bullied so I moved her in with broody since I thought she would be bullied to death on our farm. She has sores from the others, and very skinny. So now to my questions:
My broody is not laying (that I know of) and "Poor Baby" ( the Bullied hen is Poor baby) has been laying in the same place for about a moth now, and laid a normal egg in her normal spot yesterday. Then in the evening I think it was her, not broody laid a soft egg, and I watched her eat it, shell and all! This is not a first egg, she is over a year old. Any ideas?
Next question,
I have an egg hatching that has pipped 24 hours ago. Not making progress now... Any advise?
Thank you very much!
Also congratulations on chicks to those who recently hatched :-D
(Edited to fix Monday morning typos)

First off, leave the pipped chick alone if it's in an incubator with other eggs. Sometimes they will rest for 24-36 hours after pipping while they finish absorbing the yolk and gear up to zip and hatch.....it's a LOT of work, and usually when people intervene in the hatching process it doesn't end well or the chick dies shortly there-after....like there was a REASON it was having trouble hatching. If it's in an incubator, you risk shrink-wrapping the other soon-to-hatch chicks by opening it and letting all of the humidity out.

Soft-shelled eggs just happen sometimes, but can point to a lack of calcium, so I would look into having oyster shell or other calcium source available "on the side" in that coop. I'm assuming that you have some kind of "grower" available for food in your broody coop since you have chicks in there?

 

[gladahmae]

One chick and a few pips under the broodies! 4 out in the incubator in the basement! My meanest broody (she BITES if you try to come near her) is the one that has a chick hatched under her, which is a relief since that means that the egg I thought may have been stepped on was actually pipped last night! Going to leave them all alone for the day and check for chicks/put the ones from the basement under a couple after dark.

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

I have 2 dz Tolbunt Polish hatching eggs available. I need a break from hatching! Make an offer! I'm in Oxford.

I just emptied my incubator and would be interested in 1 dozen if you are still trying to move them. I actually drive through Oxford on my way home from work!

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

We just hatched our four of the cutest lil' ducks ever! Teee-heeee

And now my bator is empty again. I have a broody sitting on 8 eggs to hatch in 2 weeks, another broody sitting on 4 to hatch out this week, 3 chicks being co-parented by turkeys, 10 chicks in the garage, 5 turkey poults in the garage and 4 more turkey poults with the ducklings in the house! I'm so overwhelmed but I love them.

 

[gladahmae]

Aaaaaaaah! I will never give that broody eggs or chicks again. Last year I let her sit for over a month and then tried to give her chicks. She immediately tried to kill them, so I kicked her off the nest and brought the chicks inside. Well she tried to kill the 1st chick that hatched under her today so it's off the nest and no eggs for her ever again.

I gave her remaining eggs to my Ameraucana that only had 4 to start with and put the chick under the broody that had 1 chick hatch this morning/last night. Hopefully it makes it. She had a 2nd chick under her when I was moving the pecked on chick. Sooo cute! Look like they might both be blue!