Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[SillyChicken]

What kind of rooster is that?

He is a Yokohama / Phoenix cross - and his tail is just starting. I have a beautiful white Yokohama hen to pair him with once his two years are up...according to some, you can only get the epic long tails if you prevent them from breeding for two yrs. we'll see..

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Having thermeter hydrogemeter issues; i think only one d'uccle egg may be hatching. None the less i am trying for it's sake. Sigh. As soon as this hatch is over i am going to start throwing my other hen's eggs in there. Desperate to preserve that line.

Anyway, it was lockdown last night and i added all kinds of water because the humitity would not bump- just realized now that the probe isn't reading; the meter is! Gaaaa! The meter itself sucks for temp, have to use probe. What to do? Plug in the probe and set the thing to read that and stick the whole unit in there. Phew. Now everything has to stabilize. I had to take a couple jars out for the time being. I have the sides taped and am popping out the window to reach. I have the metor itself posituoned at egg height.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Ok. Phew. Oh the grey hair this gives!!! Seems to be stabilizing and humidity seems to be close. My thermometer calibrated at 2 degrees under actual temp, and i did not calibrate the other. I know-sloppy. But i was depressed and had given up after finding my hen's last eggs were not developing.
So the method thus far is red plugs out, sides taped, towel filded several times in the side window over the 2 little mason jars of water. Other side is exposed for my anxious viewing.

 

[ladyrsanti]

So cute and so nice meeting you! Hope our eggs all hatch!

Nice to meet you too!

Ok. Phew. Oh the grey hair this gives!!! Seems to be stabilizing and humidity seems to be close. My thermometer calibrated at 2 degrees under actual temp, and i did not calibrate the other. I know-sloppy. But i was depressed and had given up after finding my hen's last eggs were not developing.

So the method thus far is red plugs out, sides taped, towel filded several times in the side window over the 2 little mason jars of water. Other side is exposed for my anxious viewing.

I had trouble getting my incubator's humidity to stabilize as well this last hatch. I went to bed one night after several hatched (and spiked the humidity so it looked alright) only to wake up in the morning to low humidity and no new hatches. Every hatch after that was struggling and all that did not hatch were shrink wrapped. AND I WAS GOOD ABOUT NOT OPENING! I have two plastic tubes on a syringe that feed into the incubator to fill the channels. This time (yes, I'm doing more!) I will throw in a sponge or something at lock down for extra insurance. I've never had the humidity be too high so it can't hurt. This is a new incubator and I'm still learning its finer points. When I borrowed one last year (very similar model) it was subtly different and never had a problem holding humidity near constant. I just wish I hadn't used the first hatch with the new one to try for FBCMs. I only got one out of 4 fertilized eggs that hatched. Watch it be a roo! I'm not paying for any more hatching eggs.

 

[tori8780]

One of the chicks I got today has no eyes. Is there any hope for him or is it kinder to cull him? Poor little guy

 

[jlynnet]

Are you he doesn't have eyes? I recently received a chick that had it's eyelids stuck. I gently pulled them apart and he can see.

 

[jlynnet]

I have 3 pairs of Bielefelders available. I recently got them and I have too many. They are auto sexing and are a great dual purpose bird.

 

[chickflick]

RaZ, I've got to say, my four kids never ate my plants or trees! One ate dirt, but after giving him some iron, he stopped.

Candy, that video was hysterical!!!! Thanks for the laugh!

Dreary day, but had fun with my son and his girls.

Oh yeah, Big Acre in Daviosn has their chicks in. Barred Rock, Isa Browns, EE's and Buff Orpingtons. Ducks too!!

 

[tori8780]

Are you he doesn't have eyes? I recently received a chick that had it's eyelids stuck. I gently pulled them apart and he can see.

Yes. I just checked. Definitely no eyes And he had a bad case of pasty butt. I soaked him and cleaned it, but I dont think he's eaten since he was hatched Tuesday. So sad to receive this little guy, especially from a breeder. I know I got the "rejects" from him, but I'm really surprised I got a no eyed chick. Not sure what to do with him. Never had to cull a chick before and I'm all teary thinking about it I also found a growth on his abdomen. Here is a picture. No idea what it is.

 

[Trefoil]

Did you dip his besk in water when you homed him? If he has no eyes you are going to have to make sure he finds the food & water, otherwise he'll starve.