November/December "Hatch-a-Long"

[Farmer Viola]

This one has some leg feathers, but the second one has a whole lot more. I'm anxious to know sex!

when they are 1 day old you can do the feather sexing method! my welsummers are autosexing so I'm able to check females against them.. but if they're still 1 day old, it seems to work well, the difference in feathers becomes obvious after a few.

I am also doing the flip test, seems less accurate, but when I have a boy chick, they REALLY let me know. I think I have 2 BLRW boys and 1 BCM boy. and 2 silkie boys. maybe. LOL

I leg tagged them and wrote down my guess, so we will see who crows!!

 

[Mypeeps2013]

the second marans has/had curly toes too he was hobbling around trying to walk on the toe, bent under the foot. both marans got 2 band-aid booties yesterday. The girl marans is doing great, walking all around! the boy marans is a fat little thing and refuses to walk with the booties on. I just took them off him this morning. (BTW: Baby oil and a q-tip to take sticky stuff off chick feet! works awesome! then clean the oil off with hand sanitizer) He seems to try to walk now, and the curled toe is staying flat, so I might leave the booties off... it was supposed to be on for 4 days, changed daily. going to wait and see..

the welsummer girl's belly still looks bad. I just but antibiotic ointment on it, but this morning it was dry and that made it look better? the other 2 welsummers don't have this problem at all. I'm relieved to hear egg yolk? It really looked like poop to me.. she wasn't premature, but she was first of the welsummers. she took an average time getting out (8hrs from pip to hatch), in contrast to the next 2 wellies who hatched in 2hrs and 1hr flat. It was so fast lol, very different from the other hatches I watched!

Welsummer - Pink legband. I'm wondering if she can recover from this or if she would be a cull? (I can't do that!!!)


fluffy butts!!

pink leg = hurt belly; purple leg = female welsummer; blue leg = female BCM


you can see the male BCM (orange leg tag) sitting awkwardly here. I call him the penguin. this is after taking off his band-aid booties and he's trying to walk some. His feet are flat now after 1 day of booties. sometimes he sticks his right leg out backwards like spraddle leg, but it isn't all the time.

they are under the brinsea brooder until they get old enough to join mama broody and the other chicks.

It goes away, just keep it clean and she should be fine ^^

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote: she'll be fine...as long as that belly button doesn't get infected....but your a good chicken mom!! so I'm sure!

 

[Farmer Viola]

she'll be fine...as long as that belly button doesn't get infected....but your a good chicken mom!! so I'm sure!

It goes away, just keep it clean and she should be fine ^^

REALLY!!!

okay.. thank you so much.. that is a huge relief!!! I really want her to live
for some reason she is my favorite...

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

oh maybe a little roo with it's little copper color on the wings??
from what I've read the Marans with good feathering on their legs have more of the actual French bloodline in them!!
mine are going on 1 month old ( boy time flies) some have feathering and some don't
I had 2 that hatched a copper brown color...roo's ? can't tell by their combs yet

SOP for Marans is feathering on shanks and outside toe only...don't see any on this one's toes? You will be able to tell cockerels in a couple weeks by their combs (~6 wks). They usually don't get any copper until much later...true feathers (after fuzz) in chicks are generally black for weeks or months.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

LOCKDOWN this morning! The incubator is not yet stabilized from opening it to add more surface area for upping the RH and putting eggs in trays for hatching, etc. but everything looks good so far.

QUESTION: The eggs are in a cabinet bator and have been air cell up in a rack. I took them out of the rack and put them on their sides, no turning now. I assume the chicks will find their orientation to the aircell when they pip, right? I may have no fingernails when this is over...and I'm not a nailbiter! Should I turn each egg so the largest part of the aircell is oriented UP (while on its side)? Did that even make sense?

(Clearly, my crazy time is just beginning as this is my first hatch. Please bear with me!)

 

[Farmer Viola]

how are you sexing the BCM?

I am using the flip test and wing feathers. I do the flip test like 3 or 5 times in a row lol, it seems inaccurate. But the boys REALLY freak out on their backs past 1 day old so its repeatable...

the wing feathers have to be on day 1, so small window, and then you doubt yourself later.

here are pics of their wings with my guess.. what do you all think?


and then I can check it against a welsummer who I know is female..

QUESTION: The eggs are in a cabinet bator and have been air cell up in a rack. I took them out of the rack and put them on their sides, no turning now. I assume the chicks will find their orientation to the aircell when they pip, right? I may have no fingernails when this is over...and I'm not a nailbiter! Should I turn each egg so the largest part of the aircell is oriented UP (while on its side)? Did that even make sense?

yes! I believe there is some illustration showing exactly what you describe. if the egg were upright, the lowest dip in the aircell, that's where they will probably pip. so try to put that one facing upwards. I think that's exactly what you meant

the only time you don't is in the case of shipped eggs (in a carton, large end up for lockdown. with ventilation)

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

wing feathers & flip test

yes! I believe there is some illustration showing exactly what you describe. if the egg were upright, the lowest dip in the aircell, that's where they will probably pip. so try to put that one facing upwards. I think that's exactly what you meant

the only time you don't is in the case of shipped eggs (in a carton, large end up for lockdown. with ventilation)

Mahalo (thanks!). I'll go do that now and then leave them alone. Why don't people put all eggs in a carton to hatch if they do it for shipped eggs? My guess is because you can't see them rocking later on?

 

[Farmer Viola]

I'm not sure since this was my first try.. but watching them try to get out of the egg with it upright, it definitely looks more difficult for the chick. I imagine with the eggs on their sides, they can cut the shell in half and just wiggle out. With the carton, they have to pop the top, and then somehow climb out of the (relatively deep) egg. It's quite a feat. everything inside me wants to help them, but you cant...

 

[chickydee64]

Mahalo (thanks!). I'll go do that now and then leave them alone. Why don't people put all eggs in a carton to hatch if they do it for shipped eggs? My guess is because you can't see them rocking later on?

HI,
I always use eggs cartons.........for all eggs.. just my preference.
Other reasons are .It scares the life out of me to see one or two hatched chicks lay over
a pipped hole.....hate when they push the unhatched eggs around......and I do find less mess..