November/December "Hatch-a-Long"

[Heidisgran]

Quote: after they're dry I take them out too....sometimes they are in there 24 hrs I wait until they fluff and are up looking strong.

 

[Heidisgran]

How long after your hens start squatting do they start laying? Will they let a rooster that is lower in the pecking order mate with them? I have 2 rooster, 4 months, that have just started crowing. I haven't seen them try to mate with any of the chickens. My hens are mostly EE, 6 months and my roosters are a Red Brown Ameraucana (maybe an EE, much prettier than an Ameraucana) and a Splash Marans. I will get pretty eggs either way.

My little roo " little Man" that passed last week from a raccoon attack....rode across the back of the property on the back of a hen when he was about 3 months old lol....looked like a bull ride!!!

we were waiting for him to crow but we never got to hear that! his sister " lil sis" had just started laying cute little pinkish eggs....they were around 5 months old....they were our first broody hatch of the year...**** raccoons!!

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote: mine don't "squat" they just start going to the nesting box

 

[foxystag]

Whoosh.

I am on Day 8 and I believe I am already rocking back and forth at my seat in the madness. But it is lovely I get to see so much life through this thread.
Commmme on hatchday.

 

[Heidisgran]

my little pipped egg is now a strong healthy chirping chickie!!

 

[foxystag]

my little pipped egg is now a strong healthy chirping chickie!!

 

[country chick1]

can i join here too...i have 4 eggs under a silkie hen due to hatch this sunday/monday....i have 3 eggs under another silkie due to hatch this tuesday/wednesday...i also have 2 eggs under a light sussex X silkie due to hatch this thursday/friday....the eggs under those girls are from my light sussex X silkie hen with a Lavender Araucana Rooster and my Light sussex X silkie X Araucana with an Lavender Araucana Rooster......i then have a Light sussex X Silkie X Araucana hen sitting on 6 Australorp eggs she is due in 2 weeks on sunday...all so very very new and very very exciting..never done this before, so keeping my fingers crossed i am doing it right

 

[familypendragon]

My daughter turned our silkie eggs up to 107 while I was at work becasue she saw the light turn off and thought the machine was off...It was like that for 5-6 hours. This happened on day 4.
As we speak, they are pipping...several have already hatched. The only eggs that didn't develop weren't fertile to begin with. Maybe  it was a miracle..or maybe hatching eggs are more resilient then we believe Theres still hope!'

(This is supposed to  be a reply for the lady whos bator was on 108...tried to hit the reply button, but didnt work. )

I am over tired too...cant stop watching the bator!

This article is great info on temp variance http://www.brinsea.com/customerservice/poweroff.html

 

[familypendragon]

Ok...so I know to leave the chicks in the incubator until most are hatched...but what if they poop in it? Really, still keep it closed? I just had one poop greenish stuff in there.(First hatch )

I generally remove them when they are dry - I just add water to the paper towel under the eggs at the same time to keep humidity up. Godzilla chicks, membrane peckers, and "sleep on my sister's pip hole to smother her" chicks get taken out earlier.

 

[familypendragon]

She is.  Sara and Molly are my two favorite chickens.  She almost died when I got her.  I kept her in a scarf around my neck for 3 or 4 days until she was strong enough to go back with the others.  She potty trained herself.  She continued to be my buddy even after going with the others.  She came in the house to sleep even when the others stayed in the coop.  When my dog weent out the doggie door, Sara would dart in.  She slept on my parrots perch.  She'd jumped down in the morning and wake me up to let her out.  I love my Sara.  She is the smartest chicken I have.

I've been hardening off my chicks.  I put them out during the day and bring them in at night.  I read a lot of different things about when they can be out all night.  The temp at night is dropping faster than 5' a week.  My chicks are a week or two behind the temp drop.  It's getting cold early this year.  I thought I had it planned out.  But mother nature said 'No way, sucka!'  Is there an age when the can go out no matter what temp?  Otherwise my chicks can't go out until December when they 13 weeks old.

All mine that are 8 weeks are out all night on the roosts and are fine. I have always heard that once they are fully feathered you don't have to worry as long as they can get out of the elements. All my chicks are in an outside brooder now. Its 8 ft x 4 ft and has 2 heat lamps in it and they are perfectly fine. I have a big playpen inside the main run that is made with PVC, covered, and has small holes in the bottom of the netting on several sides. During the day I open the pop door to the brooder coop and block off all but a 3 inch square hole so that they can go out but bigger chickens can't get in. When they get about 3 weeks old I notice they start getting adventurous and coming out to play in the playpen with the bigger chicks. They have nipple waterers both places that only they can get to and plenty of their own food. So far its going very well.

ETA: Other things I do to help strengthen them:

Electrolyte/Mineral/Probiotics in their water at all refills
Rooster Booster mixed with their feed
I feed Everyone Game Starter 24% protein and then for the adults' feeders I mix it with sunflower seeds, scratch grains, and sweet feed pellets

And they all have the ability to go out and free range forage whenever they want to during the day.