Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Peep-Chicken]

Hello,

Pleased to meet you. I am new here from NC. Now live in N. Michigan. So there are no misunderstandings - I don't run a hatchery. I did hatch chicks this winter though and they are all still alive. We did this in the coop in Wexford County with hens only. All the chicks but one are still alive. One chick on its second day fell asleep under a feed tray and did not wake up - frozen solid.

The 21 day science did not apply. They hatched at varying times. Some are bantam Cochin mixed with Barnevelder and some are OEs. Just a bunch of hybrid birds. We were wondering if it would work. Were x'd 5 to 6 eggs under each of the bantam hens and they went to work. They are all in the other shed now under some lights because its going down to 28 tonight and its May 14. I can't believe this weather - yuck. Good luck!

Later!

Welcome!

 

[HokeHatchery]

Thank you!

 

[HokeHatchery]

Hi, thanks, but no regarding the other hen concept. As stated in the post we marked the eggs. We collect fertile eggs daily and bring them into the house where they are kept at room temperature. We had the ever reliable bantam Cochins go broody. Once it was for certain that they were in a broody state we marked the selected eggs inside. After that we moved them out to our hens so they all started on the same date. After that we removed all unmarked eggs daily that other hens laid on top of them so we did not run into that problem you mentioned, which I agree is most likely had we not taken the mentioned precautions or didn't understand the gestation timeline ourselves. Anyhow, Its taking well over 21 days, and we are wondering why. My hasty assumption is the temperature. We had one hatch yesterday. It had not been under the hen for a couple of days after the 21 period so we thought it was dead. The hen has been tending to the chicks that did hatch. She has on egg at one side of the cage and this one at the other. Well I picked them up because I was going to candle them and dispose of them and low and behold this one had a small hole in it. I exposed the bill and everything was dead white. Well I opened up the egg slightly more and pushed gently down on the eye ball and it moved ever so slowly. Well I rushed the bird and other eggs for disposal inside. I peeled about 1/5 of the shell away exposing its head. I don't own an incubator so I held it close and my wife turned the light on in the oven. We through some wood chips a tuperware bowl and laid the four eggs in the bowl and sat the bowl in the oven. She draped warm rung out paper towels over the bowl. The stove didn't get over 100 (thermostat), but was normally are 95. Well anyhow, the bird was out at midnight and tweeting around. We brought in another hen because the hen the egg was originally with is a real spazmatic and we don't want her raising chicks if we can avoid it. Anyhow, the other hen (Angie (bantam Cochich) adopted the chick (OE / midnight). They are all currently hunky dory.

The other three eggs are still in the oven…TBC

 

[JackieandChicks]

At four weeks, healing powers are great and bodyweight is still relatively light, so here's hoping that she comes around.

She's already much better this am. She got the vetwrap off (I only put a little 1/2" wide strip around her ribs to hold the wing up) but the wing is now almost in the right position and she is eating/keeping up with the flock, so I think she'll be fine.

 

[zndzant]

Great news everyone on your chick's in peril. Here's hoping my little runt has the same good outcome as everyone else. She's still fighting, might even be a little stronger since I put the probiotic in their water.

 

[iamfivewire]

the duckie babies are growing soooo fast, very messy with the water, & eat like little piggies - still little cuties tho.
also the lone chick i posted about a couple days ago has found a new home.

 

[RaZ]

I don't know what they did to me during the heart catheterization. I am purple from knee to belly button. I can hardly wait for the big surgery. At least the hematoma is disapating.

 

[1muttsfan]

:/ hope you feel better than you look

 

[bigmrg74]

I don't know what they did to me during the heart catheterization. I am purple from knee to belly button. I can hardly wait for the big surgery. At least the hematoma is disapating.

Was is Snu Snu??

 

[zndzant]

I lost my little GLW this evening. She just couldn't hold on any longer.