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

[shelleyd2008]

I don't think it really matters if you have a seperate hatcher, since you are only doing one batch at a time. Unless you plan on having staggered hatches. The LG you have would probably hold the humidity better than a homemade one does. idk, my hatcher holds heat and humidity pretty good, as long as I keep the vent in that room closed.
I know that you have been taking the chicks out of the bator, and this time of year especially that is not a good thing. It is so dry right now that opening it the least little bit will dry them out quick. Especially with the ones that already have tough membranes. If you do have to open it for some reason, make sure you have some really warm water lined up to bring the humidity back up quick.

Keep us updated.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Ok, still have to get pics, but... I have another cochin

I was cleaning the room, and moving stuff around, and when I looked in the bator, there was a chick in there. Took me by surprize, I didn't even see a pip before that. It happened in a matter of about a half hour.

I now have the triple cage in there on the table, with the two older chicks in it. They like being up off the floor better, when i go in Bigfoot (the barred rock) goes to the cage door and looks at me like she's expecting something

No idea what her name is gonna be, but I'm calling her bigfoot for now, because she towers over the little buff jap she is with.

I got a plastic bin for the brooder babies - it is so much nicer, I can see through the side, now. Will be easy to clean, too, and I won't have big boxes taking up space to throw out.

I did get a humidifier/vaporizer, but I haven't hooked it up yet. The room humidity is running about 45%, and the cochin eggs are easier to hatch than Shelley's eggs, so I think I can get by without it for now. I did buy another temp guage so I can check room temp and humidity outside the bator, too.

So, total so far is 8 chicks - 5 of Shelley's and 3 cochins. 3 died trying to hatch, and one died after hatch - from the guts hanging out. So technically 12 made it to hatch out of 32 viable eggs (so far). I don't think that is too bad for a first attempt and not knowing for sure what I could expect. I'd rather have more hatch, but I'll know more next time.

I'm still not done, either, I may have more hatch out tonight or tomorrow morning. The cochins seem to be hatching later than Shelley's eggs.

Hubby got worried when I hauled in that long cage

he said he didn't want a lot of chickens in the house. Well, it's too late, Honey, you're the one who bought me the incubator.

I promise to get pics tonight.

meri

 

[cthrash1]

I would leave them through Tuesday at least...Then candle the ones left before you throw them out to make sure there isn't movement.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Yeah, I can do that. Those Buff Orp eggs don't even ship until Monday, so I'll have plenty of time to clean the bator out before putting them in.

meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yeah it won't hurt the orps to sit for a day or so anyway. They will be fresh and they can go up to 7 days at least. I would also wait until Tuesday or so to toss the ones that haven't hatched. Even if you do candle them ,you want to be careful if you open them. They don't have much room to move around in there, and you may not see movement. Just make a teeny hole on the air cell end, and go from there. I have only ever opened one egg that had a live chick in it after waiting so long, but you never know.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Ok, first - this is what that silly barred rock girl likes to do to the pad in her cage ---

and here's babies

one of the "deer" colored cochins

meri

 

[cthrash1]

Maybe the BR likes the feel of metal under her feet...Or MAYBE it is doing it on purpose, see that look she's giving you?

I LOVE your cage by the way!!!!!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Yeah, I think she's doing it on purpose. She acts like she's looking for bugs to scratch up. I know Miss Celie is always thinking about her stomach - are all barred rocks that way?

Miss Celie is always first in line for treats - when I had them in the maincoop, she would be the first one to the caging and would shove everyone else out of the way to get to the treats.

Yeah, I like that cage, this is the first time I've used it. I got it at the auction when I bought the oegb. It is a triple cage. I figure it'll be good for brooding, I can have dif ages in dif cages, yet have em all on one table and one area. I think it might be a rabbit cage or a breeding cage. The guy said he had three more at home - I thought about having him go get another one, but I just bought the one.

What's nice about it, too, is it is built so I can hang it or attatch it to a wall up off the floor if I wanted to. I have it on that long library table I had in the sewing room - it fits perfectly on there.

meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

So you have 8 now, any more hatching? (and it looks like you did get one of those ugly SLW's!

)

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
No more since that last cochin baby yesterday afternoon - no activity either. I'm leaving the eggs in until either tonight or tomorrow morning, though.

Now.... I was reading and I think the prob with the two rir chicks was squishy chick - caused by too high humidity - BUT - how is it they had too much and the others had too little????

Maybe was a dif in shell quality?

They are both ok, btw - the one is still a little floppy, but it is up and walking on it's legs, now. The other rir chick is running around with the first chick and teasing everyone else, so it is totally fine

it seems odd that it was the two rir and the others weren't rir. All I can figure is dif egg shells from dif hens.

hmmm....

meri