Nankin Bantams

[MROO]

THANKS for the inputs, Dawn! As I am sure you can imagine, I am seriously “fretting” relative to the eggs in the incubator. Your thoughts on that matter are right inline with mine but it helps to get some corroboration from you!

I do have an extra large dog kennel that I could use. Since I have two hens setting (s couple of days separate them from the time they started), do you think they could share parenting responsibilities?

“Chicken Math” is hitting me pretty hard as it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to let the eggs go toward consumption.

How many days do Miss Piggy have into her current effort? By my reckoning, she should be right along with my two hams as to hatch day.

~BT

As near as we can tell, Piggy started setting some time on May fourth. That puts her at Memorial Day weekend. DD is leaning towards Star Wars names ... May the Fourth Be With You! We've already come up with "Hen Solo, Leia, Amidala (Ami,) Yoda (boy or girl,) Chewbacca, Binky (Jar Jar Binks) Wicket, Ewok. OhMaGosh, the list is as endless as that galaxy far, far away!

 

[MROO]

THANKS for the inputs, Dawn! As I am sure you can imagine, I am seriously “fretting” relative to the eggs in the incubator. Your thoughts on that matter are right inline with mine but it helps to get some corroboration from you!

I do have an extra large dog kennel that I could use. Since I have two hens setting (s couple of days separate them from the time they started), do you think they could share parenting responsibilities?

“Chicken Math” is hitting me pretty hard as it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to let the eggs go toward consumption.

How many days do Miss Piggy have into her current effort? By my reckoning, she should be right along with my two hams as to hatch day.

~BT

I really don't know how co-parenting would work ... but that doesn't mean it won't. It just means that I've never had occasion to try it. If your kennel is big enough, could you divide it until hatch? It's not like the ladies are gonna need a lot of space until then, anyway!

 

[cobra3073]

[QUOTE="MROO, post
If your kennel is big enough, could you divide it until hatch? It's not like the ladies are gonna need a lot of space until then, anyway![/QUOTE]
That seems like an EXCELLENT approach, Dawn! I will look at trying to break the kennel into two compartments.

Btw, the First Lady and I candled the eggs in the incubator last night and ALL the eggs are viable (and showing movements)!

...lockdown is tomorrow night and will be keeping my fingers crossed for a good hatch.

~BT

 

[MROO]

[QUOTE="MROO, post
If your kennel is big enough, could you divide it until hatch? It's not like the ladies are gonna need a lot of space until then, anyway!

That seems like an EXCELLENT approach, Dawn! I will look at trying to break the kennel into two compartments.

Btw, the First Lady and I candled the eggs in the incubator last night and ALL the eggs are viable (and showing movements)!

...lockdown is tomorrow night and will be keeping my fingers crossed for a good hatch.

~BT[/QUOTE]

 

[MROO]

That seems like an EXCELLENT approach, Dawn! I will look at trying to break the kennel into two compartments.

Btw, the First Lady and I candled the eggs in the incubator last night and ALL the eggs are viable (and showing movements)!

...lockdown is tomorrow night and will be keeping my fingers crossed for a good hatch.

~BT

[/QUOTE]

X100 on the !
We've got 9 viable eggs in the incubator, at the moment. We're four days away from lockdown. Piggy is still diligently broody-ing on her seven, but I have no idea how many are good. We'll be moving her to a broody pen in a bit, maybe next weekend. I'll try to check them, then. In the meantime, keep us all posted on your 'bator and broodies. Looks like you and the First Lady are gonna have to deal with some serious Chicken Math ... and it's AWESOME!

 

[cobra3073]

Well Dawn, it appears I am not the ONLY one who might be experiencing “chicken math” in a big way as you too are “on a roll!’

I went into lockdown and here we are at Day 19 and two Nannies have hatched, so far. A couple others have pipped.

The First Lady actually recorded the first one breaking out of the shell but the recording is pretty long and she is going to have to edit it before I can post it.

It would appear there is some truth to Bantam eggs sometimes hatching a couple days early! I am just hoping all the eggs hatch over the next 40 hours as I can hardly wait to get the hatchlings out of the incubator and into the brooder. I realize they are probably ok for up to two days but the suspense is palpable .

I am also keeping my fingers crossed, hoping Miss Piggy has a successful hatch and that she takes care of the chicks.

~BT

 

[MROO]

Well Dawn, it appears I am not the ONLY one who might be experiencing “chicken math” in a big way as you too are “on a roll!’

I went into lockdown and here we are at Day 19 and two Nannies have hatched, so far. A couple others have pipped.

The First Lady actually recorded the first one breaking out of the shell but the recording is pretty long and she is going to have to edit it before I can post it.

It would appear there is some truth to Bantam eggs sometimes hatching a couple days early! I am just hoping all the eggs hatch over the next 40 hours as I can hardly wait to get the hatchlings out of the incubator and into the brooder. I realize they are probably ok for up to two days but the suspense is palpable .

I am also keeping my fingers crossed, hoping Miss Piggy has a successful hatch and that she takes care of the chicks.

~BT

 

[cobra3073]

Updates.

1. As of this morning six (6) of the eleven eggs in the incubator have hatched. The first three hatched on the 19th day of incubation and three hatched on the 20th day. The first egg to hatch was the first one layed and the last one (so far) is among the last one layed. The last hatched chick (so far) hatched at around 10 PM last night and that chick is still in the incubator.

2. Since I am using the Brinsea Mini II Advance incubator, it was quite crowded with the unhatched eggs, broken shells, and the hatched chicks. I noticed on yesterday afternoon that the first four (4) hatched chicks were giving the one newly hatched chick a difficult time to the point it was peeping loudly as if in pain when they walked over it or pecked it toes. The First Lady and I decided to take the four older chicks out and put them in the Brooder with the Premiere Heat Plate. We did the transfer very quickly but they were definitely "protesting" until we put them under the heat plate. I had adjusted the plate with the front higher than the back to allow them to individually choose the area that is most "comfortable" for them. Let me tell you, they seemed to LOVE that heat plate! I checked this morning around 4:00 AM (my time) and they (5 of them now) are not "piled up" but in individual areas under the heat plate.

3. After we moved the four "bullies", the newly hatched 5th chick complained loudly for some time. We waited until it was completely dry before moving it to the brooder also, where it settled in nicely.

4. I have read many observations relative to not opening the incubator when there are pipped eggs in it but I can attest to that apparently not being an issue if done so quickly. While the temperature in the Brimsea II dropped a couple degrees, it rebounded within about 45 seconds and did not result in any apparent drying out of the membrane for chick number six that had pipped. That chick as previously noted has hatched and now fluffing up in the incubator.

5. This is day 21 and I cannot see where the last five (5) eggs have pipped but will give them some time. I will probably move the sixth hatched chick to the brooder some time later today.

6. I noticed when the chicks initially hatched they had pink legs but the color seems to be changing to the light blue or gray as identified in the "Standard." I had wondered about that based on pictures I had seen of other Nankin chicks...just an observation.

7. I also noticed a couple of the chicks have the black spot on their heads. I will band those to see what (if anything) is different about them as they age.

More updates and pictures to come!

~BT

 

[MROO]

Updates.

1. As of this morning six (6) of the eleven eggs in the incubator have hatched. The first three hatched on the 19th day of incubation and three hatched on the 20th day. The first egg to hatch was the first one layed and the last one (so far) is among the last one layed. The last hatched chick (so far) hatched at around 10 PM last night and that chick is still in the incubator.

2. Since I am using the Brinsea Mini II Advance incubator, it was quite crowded with the unhatched eggs, broken shells, and the hatched chicks. I noticed on yesterday afternoon that the first four (4) hatched chicks were giving the one newly hatched chick a difficult time to the point it was peeping loudly as if in pain when they walked over it or pecked it toes. The First Lady and I decided to take the four older chicks out and put them in the Brooder with the Premiere Heat Plate. We did the transfer very quickly but they were definitely "protesting" until we put them under the heat plate. I had adjusted the plate with the front higher than the back to allow them to individually choose the area that is most "comfortable" for them. Let me tell you, they seemed to LOVE that heat plate! I checked this morning around 4:00 AM (my time) and they (5 of them now) are not "piled up" but in individual areas under the heat plate.

3. After we moved the four "bullies", the newly hatched 5th chick complained loudly for some time. We waited until it was completely dry before moving it to the brooder also, where it settled in nicely.

4. I have read many observations relative to not opening the incubator when there are pipped eggs in it but I can attest to that apparently not being an issue if done so quickly. While the temperature in the Brimsea II dropped a couple degrees, it rebounded within about 45 seconds and did not result in any apparent drying out of the membrane for chick number six that had pipped. That chick as previously noted has hatched and now fluffing up in the incubator.

5. This is day 21 and I cannot see where the last five (5) eggs have pipped but will give them some time. I will probably move the sixth hatched chick to the brooder some time later today.

6. I noticed when the chicks initially hatched they had pink legs but the color seems to be changing to the light blue or gray as identified in the "Standard." I had wondered about that based on pictures I had seen of other Nankin chicks...just an observation.

7. I also noticed a couple of the chicks have the black spot on their heads. I will band those to see what (if anything) is different about them as they age.

More updates and pictures to come!

~BT

Congratulations! Mine are still a few days from hatch. We go into lockdown Thursday night. They should start pipping on Saturday. You're right about some bantams hatching early. Mine generally go anywhere from 19 -22. Anything later than that has died in the shell, so I think I may start assisting those, just to see if it makes a difference. At that point, if I'm going to lose them anyway, it can't hurt to see if it makes a difference.
I'm curious to see if the black dot makes a difference. It doesn't seem to with mine, but I haven't been to diligent about watching it, so I could easily have missed it.
Again, Congratulations on your first hatch! That's awesome!

 

[cobra3073]

Here are a couple pictures of the five Nankin chicks I currently have in the brooder.

I still have one chick in the incubator, along with 5 unhatched eggs.

I think the five are near the point where I can place their food in the feeder. Right now I have been sprinkling food on the paper towels to “bribe” them to make periodic trips from under the Premiere Heat Plate.

~BT