Mother Clucker's Hatching thread ... first hatched - with pics

[shelleyd2008]

Yeah the baby can burn her eyes if she hits the heat element just right. I would probably take her out. But that is up to you.

As far as the sticky stuff on her, you can wash it off if you like, but as long as it's not covering her eyes or anything, I would just leave it. I sometimes take a hand towel or washcloth and kind of 'buff' the chicks that are really sticky. Eventually it comes off by itself. Chicks that are with mama hen use her feathers like a hairbrush, that's why they look so fluffy when they are brand new. I have actually thought of getting a baby hairbrush to 'poof' them up a bit, but the towel works just fine. I only do that cause that pink skin makes the older ones peck sometimes.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Mine always have a bit of dried up yolk that comes out with them. Not really dry when they come out, but not liquid either. It is usually stuck to the inside of the egg. Not sure if that is normal, but that's what mine do!

Try plugging one of your vent holes to see if you can bring the humidity up. Maybe fold some paper towels (if you can find them

) and wet them and stick them through the vent holes. Also the windows will come out of the bator. Might be better to open one of those so you don't lose as much humidity, if you need to open it.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
I got the humidity up to 61% now, sprayed some water on the sponges and paper towel to wet them a little better.

Baby seems to be fluffing slightly, we'll just wait and see how she looks tomorrow morning. Her eyes don't seem to be covered, but I can check closer.

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Ok, so I took her out and tried to wash some of the gunk off her face. She did have a little stuck to her beak and one eye. I put her into the brooder box under a 150 watt floodlight bulb

the 250 watt red bulb was too much. She's currently snuggled up to a little yellow bunny and is fast asleep.

She still needs the gunk washed off the rest of her, but I'm gonna wait until tomorrow to do that.


Two of the other pips are acting like they want out. They are slower going than she was - so far no new pips.

Correction - two new pips just now. That makes 5 pipped and waiting to zip and hatch.

meri

 

[Mahonri]

Go to bed already!

They'll be there in the morning...


And with that... off goes the laptop!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:

can't go to bed, gonna stay up all night.

this is my first hatch - how can I sleep?

meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

The two other chicks I have here brooding (a barred rock and a bantam black tailed buff jap) are in a cage, and not in the box - Baby kept peeping for the longest time, so they came over to snuggle through the cage with baby

isn't it cute

One of the pipped eggs is trying to zip - baby ought to have some company soon.

meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

So now you're gonna sleep all day? Get up and update already!!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
I need to take more pics. I'll update later on - I have to take Jon to work, and hit Walmart to get salad stuff (we're having Stella Steaks) and visit with my company - Oh, I have four more babies and another pip - still no cochin pips

I got maybe two hours sleep in the office chair this morning,

, I am ready for bed now - but I can't go.

btw - all four of the newest babies I had to help out - the membrane is so dang thick on those eggs it dries out before they get out, so I have to help them - they were all ready to come out, just exhausted - I lost one to the membrane drying onto it's beak and smothering it before I noticed they were having that much trouble. I even tried wetting it down a bit with water on my finger, it is hard even for me to tear the membrane off.

Anyone know what causes that?

I have another couple of slw (I think) a rir, and a black chick - no idea where the black chick came from

he is out of your dad's eggs, Shelley, and your dad doesn't have any black chickens.

All of them I have hatched are Shelley's eggs - none of mine have hatched (the oen that died was my egg) and no cochins yet have pipped.

But, I just bought some buff orp eggs

they'll ship out to me Monday, guess I'd better get these guys hatched and disinfect that bator --- I have such an addictive personality

.

be back later today to update. (with pics)

meri