I have learned, through this board and through trial and error, that when you help a chick hatch, MOST of the time.. there is something wrong with it and it will die.
So I have learned to patiently sit on my hands. I had a little fellow pip, and nothing.. so I helped a teensy tiny bit. Then I sat on my hands. 3 days went by, and his membranes dried out. I put a towel on him, and still.. sat on my hands. On the evening of the third day, I went to toss him, figuring him for dead.. and then, a little peep that said "Help me, Please?". So against my better judgement, I hatched him. He was a mess! Spraddle leg, dried membranes all over him, and just.. not too cute. But he had a lot of fight in him. Even for a Bantam this fellow is TINY. Maybe a little larger than a quarter just hatched? So I couldn't put him in the brooder with the "normal" chicks. He became my little project and went everywhere with me. On a lark, I'd bought some button quail eggs on Ebay for 99 cents. I didn't figure any of them would hatch as I'd had no experience with buttons. But I gave it a go. On day 4 of little fellows life, my buttons hatched! I figured.. hey, they're small.. maybe they'd make a good roommate!
So I set up a third brooder for these guys, and my bantam went into full "broody" mode. These are HIS (her?) babies! Just TRY and seperate them! The peeping alone will drive you mad. Anyway, just thought I'd share a little picture story with you all.
This is a week later, and they're all doing fantastic.
First.. the characters:
Five day old "Peanut".
The "babies", 2 day old "Button" and "Thread".
"Hatching is hard, it required a lot of nap time."
"Alright guys, this is where the food is. And this is how you eat it!"
"Everyone needs a wingman."
"MY baby."
"I'm here for you, buddy."
So I have learned to patiently sit on my hands. I had a little fellow pip, and nothing.. so I helped a teensy tiny bit. Then I sat on my hands. 3 days went by, and his membranes dried out. I put a towel on him, and still.. sat on my hands. On the evening of the third day, I went to toss him, figuring him for dead.. and then, a little peep that said "Help me, Please?". So against my better judgement, I hatched him. He was a mess! Spraddle leg, dried membranes all over him, and just.. not too cute. But he had a lot of fight in him. Even for a Bantam this fellow is TINY. Maybe a little larger than a quarter just hatched? So I couldn't put him in the brooder with the "normal" chicks. He became my little project and went everywhere with me. On a lark, I'd bought some button quail eggs on Ebay for 99 cents. I didn't figure any of them would hatch as I'd had no experience with buttons. But I gave it a go. On day 4 of little fellows life, my buttons hatched! I figured.. hey, they're small.. maybe they'd make a good roommate!
So I set up a third brooder for these guys, and my bantam went into full "broody" mode. These are HIS (her?) babies! Just TRY and seperate them! The peeping alone will drive you mad. Anyway, just thought I'd share a little picture story with you all.
First.. the characters:
Five day old "Peanut".
The "babies", 2 day old "Button" and "Thread".
"Hatching is hard, it required a lot of nap time."
"Alright guys, this is where the food is. And this is how you eat it!"
"Everyone needs a wingman."
"MY baby."
"I'm here for you, buddy."
