Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[NovaAman]

I have had chicks hatch out in January under a broody... SO, think you will be ok.

 

[1muttsfan]

Yeah, they look fine when their heads are pulled in..

 

[ChicwannaB]

anytime, you need some help huh?? I can't stand clutter, hubby's pole barn is a mess but my work area isn't. Couldn't get anything done if it wasn't somewhat organized.

 

[SillyChicken]

Yeah, they look fine when their heads are pulled in..

 

[tdhenson86]

I have had chicks hatch out in January under a broody... SO, think you will be ok.

NovaAman,

Thanks for the encouragement! I have hatched chicks out late before, but never in the dead of winter... You've got one brave broody.

Hopefully, mine will be laying by next spring if I can get them in the incubator soon!

 

[ChicwannaB]

Quote: oh I know, you was just laffin in fun. no harm done. It's just that once you break an egg, there is no fixin it. Just still baffles me that I could not see those big black eyeballs, they were as big as peas, tho the chick was only about 1" long.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

don't know about some of those uggo "hens",......... combs look a little big? at the auction i was told that with the silkies, who have those type combs, The bigger combs were the boys and the little ones the girls. (they were adults, presumably)

Is this incorrect? anyone? I'd like to be able to know, in case i ever want some.......... silkies, not uggos!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Chick,

have you seen the charts for what you are supposed to be seeing when you candle?
If it's clear/light it's a dud. If it's speckled, it's a dud. (even if it develops it has a good liklihood of dying, i went through this) If the egg is developing, after a week there is a large portion of the egg that is unmistakably dark. If you have a good light, you can see veins on the edges of the dark spot. If you gently tilt the egg a little to the side a TINY bit, the spot shouldn't move. DON'T tilt far, or on it's end.....If it moves freely it has gotten dis-attached, and will likely die, or is already dead and then you risk the egg exploding on the other ones......

Sorry if you already knew all this, i don't know what you do/don't know. I had to learn this recent, on my blue EE eggs on top if it!
I had to use a mag light and a dark room, and i never saw a chick until they popped out, just half of the egg being almost black and the air sac on the end changing size as the chicks grew. I only candled at 1 week, and later part of week 2 because i had one get broken and i had to make sure the survivors were still surviving..........

Though at the end of hatching, since 3 popped out the previous day, and i had 2 not out, i candled and one peeped! so she was still alive and hatched out in front of me shortly after i gave momma the egg back. The last egg was abandoned by momma on the end of that day, and though i tried to save him he was too frail and didn't make it. . Momma knew best, though he died with love and i am not sorry.

 

[SillyChicken]

'

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my porcelain pair

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this fella needs a girl friend!

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Black silkie... has some brown so I'm thinking he would fit under partridge? Any ideas?

Sumatra roo.. this one has lots of red - outside influence?

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What they should look like... the color is amazing!

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Tom getting feathers back after molting!


I was bored......

 

[NovaAman]

NovaAman,

Thanks for the encouragement! I have hatched chicks out late before, but never in the dead of winter... You've got one brave broody.

Hopefully, mine will be laying by next spring if I can get them in the incubator soon!

I had two broodies. I also picked up incubator babies in January and had them in their coop by February. I did however provide a 150 watt heat bulb for a few months...Didn't want to shock them by just shoving them outside after enjoying their stay in the sitting room downstairs. LOL. The first few weeks they were out there, I wouldn't let them out of the coop. I did however open their door, and they had a chicken wire door under that to keep them in during the day. I figured, this would be a good way to get them more acclimated to the outside temps. After a few weeks, I sectioned them off a little area outside, so they'd be able to go in and out of the coop. Took them about a week to learn the ramp, but, then was good. I put a layer of straw down since there was still snow. I took the heat lamp away near the end of April. By then they were goodly sized, and had been running around the yard freely during the day.

That is just what worked for me. The broodies kept their babies warm. And yes, I thought it was nuts too, but was assured by several people that they'd be fine as long as they had everything supplied that they needed. Moms did the hard work, I just kept their water thawed and their feeders full.