Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[preciouskitty]

I'm going completely newbie here. The hatched chick never made a peep. A small pip window and then BAM, was out of the shell.The first egg to pip is over 24 hours of trying to get out. Eggling one is still moving but not out of the shell. Eggling #2 is out but still has bottom stuck to the shell.

Nobody is following the rules.

I swear, I think I am as nervous as you...
Your comments have me cracking up...
No WAY, I will ever incubate eggs...

Guess I am up the rest of the night with ya

 

[jlynnet]

I've only hatched once. I had some that were like the hulk and exploded out of the shell, while others took there time. I did leave them alone most of the time. My boys couldn't help but stare in amazement, even my anti chicken one. They'll do fine. Leave them be until everyone has hatched. We had wild ones that rolled the unmatched around too much.

 

[RaZ]

I swear, I think I am as nervous as you...
Your comments have me cracking up...
No WAY, I will ever incubate eggs...

Guess I am up the rest of the night with ya

I have never been this nervous...
Or ever this stressed....

 

[jlynnet]

Have a drink!

 

[preciouskitty]

I have never been this nervous...
Or ever this stressed....

It would take every ounce of self control for me to not help...

 

[Opa]

to

Viewing windows on incubators are wonderful things, allowing us to observe the the truly wondrous miracle of birth. They are also instruments of torture; trying our patience and taxing our self control. Window is the important word to remember and it's purpose is viewing. If the incubator was to be opened repeatedly they would just call it a door.

Helping what you feel is a struggling chick rarely is successful and jeopardizes the entire hatch. The only time the incubator should be opened is when you have decided that no more chicks will be hatching. That is the only reason you just open it. Hatched chicks can and do survive for several days solely on their stored energy. Waiting 23 days or even 24 does not put the hatched chickens at risk.

On a lighter note. A Northerner was traveling in the deep south. Since Christmas was only a few weeks away he was not surprised to see an elaborate nativity scene prominently displayed behind the counter. However one thing did confuse him so he asked the counter man why what seemed to be the three wise men were wearing fire helmets.

The reply was because in the bible it says the wise men came from afar. Sounds logical to me.

 

[unprofessional]

Are you looking for anothet duck or is a drake okay? I have 6 (possibly 7 - I have one very unusual color that I can't decide whether or not to keep) 3 month old drakes that are getting too big for their britches here. They are friendly and always come running when I call them. Their sire has great caruncling (if that's even a word, lol) so these boys should be quite handsome! I have chocolate pied, black pied, and one that will probably fade to grey pied. One is mostly white with faint silver patterns - he's a bit younger than the others.

A drake would be great. My girl is a white. I have an acre pond for them to play on (though I find the muscovies enjoy roaming with the chickens a lot more than the other ducks). Only thing would be finding a day to get up to you. You're a good two hours from here...

 

[1muttsfan]

I have come to detest incubators - although I usually hatch shipped eggs, which come with a huge set of issues to start with. Broody hens usually do a much better job, and take care of the chicks as well.

I left Bad Broody on her eggs since several had candled good, and lo and behold one hatched late yesterday - 2 days late! I went out last night and snatched it, not trusting her to treat the little guy right. It it's now in with the 14 others (what was I thinking?)

 

[Stacykins]

I like using an incubator for the incubating part, but then sneaking eggs under a broody the night after they hatch. I have had some broodies accidentally crush eggs in the process of hatching, killing the chick. It was like once the eggs were weakened by a pip, they collapsed. And it didn't happen just once, it happened to several broodies. Some were pure marans eggs, ultra thick and strong, and even they got squashed. Maybe I had stupid broodies who smooshed themselves tightly against he eggs...

But they do make fantastic mothers and always accept the chicks I offer them.

Raz, when it comes to hatch time, at lockdown, I lay all eggs on their sides and don't confine them with rails. I find chicks seem to have an easier time hatching on their sides, rather than big end up. The first to hatch will play soccer with the other eggs, but it just seems to stimulate the others to hatch faster! I also have learned not to interfere, as hard as it is. The last critter I helped hatch, a duckling, died a few days later. It would have died during hatch, so I guess it just wasn't a strong duckling.

 

[gladahmae]

I have found that on "hatch day" it is best for me to find something to do away from the house. It's just too tempting to "help" and is definitely too nerve wracking to watch. I will say that anything that zipped that far (3/4 around the egg) has always hatched for me......except for one that I let sit like that for 2 days, and I *did* help that one and it had severe cross-beak and a mis-formed skull.


Looks like we may get a decent amount of rain today, assuming the system doesn't break up over lake michigan.

DH and I have been working at getting the rest of the firewood for the year in the past few weekends. Once we get the pile of big pieces spilt and stacked it appears that we'll need somewhere around another 6-8 face-cord. I had been hoping that we could finish it up next weekend, but of course I'm scheduled to work all weekend, along with 3 hours of kids' soccer on Saturday morning.