NY chicken lover!!!!

[happyhensny]

Uhg, can someone here help me?

I was just informed on my hatch thread that I have to lock down my 5 D'Uccle eggs 2 days before the rest of my regular large size eggs, which are due to go on lockdown Friday morning! I don't have a spare incubator or hatcher! I have the items needed to build a bator but don't have the time to commit to the build until after the Easter holiday! Please help me and tell me what I need to do?

When I candled last night (day 14) it looked as thought the chicks had run out of room to grow in their shells (the D'Uccles)...I'm so worried now....I don't know what to do!!!!!!!

I hatch all the ones you are hatching (

) and "lockdown" at the same time. I've actually forgotten to stop turning and have had chicks start hatching. Don't worry!

They may hatch a day early. Mine ALWAYS do. So what? Remember that not all information given is 100% accurate for 100% of the cases we deal with. If you knew some of the things I have done when I started (and continue to do) you would know that everything is subject to change. Like Someone on here says "your milage may vary". (And I never actually do "lock down"....I just try to keep things as consistant as possible...I still hatched 75% the 3 times I used a 'bator) Seriously, hens do not sweat the details like we do and they have much better hatch rates...all without a hydrometer, thermometer, lockdown and such.

Yes, some may be early, some may be late. Sometimes I remember to put water in the incubator, sometimes I forget the entire hatch.
I ALWAYS get chicks.

I came home from work today to find my first silkie chick has hatched! Go chickies! Hopefully the rest hatch out pretty soon.

Silkies are so cute. I am starting to like those gaudy showgirls. WHERE IS MY TIN HAT RANCHER????!!!!

I really like your setup! I have my first eggs set and I also used the egg carton bottoms to hold my eggs. However I wasn't exactly intelligent about it and I cut them all separate and cut the bottom off for ventilation. I'm kicking myself for not doing it your way, every time I roll the eggs I have to make sure they don't tip over.

I bought an auto turner for my Brinsea's and when I hatch I put them in a styro-bator in cartons with the bottoms cut off. Works wonders.

 

[rancher hicks]

Are they getting enough calcium ? We give our chickens layer & save the egg shells from the eggs we use ...in the frig till we get a bunch
Microwave them & Food process them into small pieces & mix them in with their food .
As with the light increasing they should be laying more ..
Is it possible they are hiding them in a nest somewhere ?

I like to collect my egg shell in a can near the stove and them later crush them up and mix them with the granite grit. Sometimes I toss the crushed shell into the compost pile where the chickens scratch too.

I also like to toss some oyster shell grit on top of their pellets.

 

[rancher hicks]

ok i feed them chick starter food only. The chick eats drinks and pooed two times that i'm aware of yeasterday. Morning one was softer night poo was harder. I have probiotics in water added apple vineger anti biotic to the water also. I tryed to get some olive oil in her noluck. Won't eat yogart eather.i had wife take food out at 6pm last night i checked her at 12 when i got home still massive soft chest/ right shoulderish area. I also have poly vi sol in water wasn't sure if i put there ot try to get down throat. So i figured water safer. I just built a new brooder right before work so when i get home will be moving her to old smaller one. I think she eats the pine shaveings can i take them out and put a towl down instead?

Please DO NOT add things to the water. They are babies. DO NOT give them olive oil or anything else. IMO this apple cider vinegar thing has gotten completely out of hand. It is not a cure all.

I suggest you isolate the chick, keep it calm and let it rest. You could place it on paper towels so you can monitor whether it is pooping or not.

DO NOT try to put anything down it's throat. By constantly pestering the chick you are stressing it and this alone can cause it's demise. Remember even at 1 - 2 weeks they are babies and babies sleep alot. Let them rest.

I wish you well,

Rancher

 

[ChickPrincess]

I caught a weasel Saturday and it already has it's summer coat. It wiped out my entire grow out pen. It was a big male. Took me 3 days to get it but it is dead. I'm mounting it now with my uncle. The difference in a weasels summer coat and minks coat is minks only have a white chin and a weasel have an entire white stomach from chin to tail.

Sorry County Boy. That's heartbreaking.

Hi Everyone. I'm new to BYC, actually, new to chickens too. I just found this NY thread and thought I'd speak up.. I live in Ulster County.
Nice to "meet" you all!

Welcome!

I moved my 12 red sex links and 1 amberlink (Pancake) to the brooder in the garage tonight. They were adorable testing their flight skills for the first time. Too funny.

 

[rancher hicks]

They were all set on the same day, 5 D'uccles (considerbly smaller eggs), 6 Austrolorp, 1 blue Americauna, 1 Penedesenca...

I was just told to go ahead and lockdown tomorrow (2 days early) and the other larger eggs will hatch when they are supposed to (day 21)...I'm so flipping nervous, this is my first hatch and I really really don't want to cause any harm to any of the babies!

I have hatched bantams, (silkies) and LF orp and rir's at the same time. They bantams might hatch a day early but not so early that you can't just leave them till the others are done. Keep in mind a chick can go for three days without eating.

Have your brooder ready with food and water.

Even with my LF I have a few that hatch early. Usually the EE's or Dels are first on day 20. I leave them all til day 22. I then take all the chicks out and leave the rest for another day. Depending of course on how things go.

Relax , I'm sure all will go well,

Rancher

 

[rancher hicks]

I came home from work today to find my first silkie chick has hatched! Go chickies! Hopefully the rest hatch out pretty soon.

 

[mderby48]

You're too funny Rancher!

Are they getting enough calcium ? We give our chickens layer & save the egg shells from the eggs we use ...in the frig till we get a bunch
Microwave them & Food process them into small pieces & mix them in with their food .
As with the light increasing they should be laying more ..
Is it possible they are hiding them in a nest somewhere ?

They eat layer pellets and I do feed them egg shells when I have them but we haven't been eating a lot of eggs lately. Maybe tomorrow I will boil a couple dozen, make some pickled eggs, and feed them the shells. Before winter I never fed them anything but the pellets and I was getting 2 dozen eggs every day. Hopefully they are just waiting for it to get a little warmer!

 

[minichic]

I came home from work today to find my first silkie chick has hatched! Go chickies! Hopefully the rest hatch out pretty soon.

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that's awesome. Be sure to let us know how the whole hatch turns out. Love my silkies!!!!!

 

[brahmapapa]

My one worry about the D'Uccles is they have ZERO room to grow in their eggs...they are tightly fit into them right now...that is what I had posted originally and why the poster had told me to lockdown early...

GENERALLY the reason chicks grow to large is humidity in bator too high durring incubation, not enough evap. as we know the chicks are composed of the eggs contents, so if not enough evap. the chicks grow too large. to put those eggs into early lockdown with its high level of humidity will not help things. because they are large in the shell, it does not mean that they will hatch early. put them into lockdown all at regular time. honestly when i have had chicks that grew too large in the shell they generally failed to hatch as they didn't have room enough to move around to pip. my best advise in the future is to monitor the evaporation and see that the air sac gets as large as it should at the appropriate times durring incubation. look online or possibly even here in BYC for diagrams of the right size air sac in future hatches. best of luck, and i hope they all hatch, please keep us posted.

 

[Gramma Chick]

You're too funny Rancher!

Quote: Hopefully It is just that ..Could they be hiding them or eating them ?