Officially on pip watch :)

[GermanKennhuhn]

Update!
Have two hatched running around the incubator. Third just started zipping. There are 2 with still just pips and 2 with no action so far.
Checked on mama and she has hatched out 5 babies so far, has one egg pipped and one with zero action.

Hopefully I can get some better pictures tomorrow of the fluff butts! I can't wait for y'all to see one of the Mama's babies, it's yellow with little black polka dots!!! View attachment 2018728
This was the first baby that hatched in the bator. Not the best pic.

Yay!!! It’s always so EGGciting when they hatch!

 

[treslilbirds]

Yay!!! It’s always so EGGciting when they hatch!

Yes it is! I'm forever grateful I found such a rewarding and fulfilling hobby!

 

[treslilbirds]

I read a good story about a keeper who would regularly handle the broody chicks, picking up one at a time then putting them back down. Once they had done that for awhile, they would put 2 chicks back down...mama broody had not a clue. Not sure they were working the the same amount of numbers as you are tho.

Oh wow that is actually a really good idea! I've been playing with her babies and she's broody enough she probably wouldn't even notice the extra babies. Once everyone in the incubator hatches, I'm going to try it and report back with the results.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Oh wow that is actually a really good idea! I've been playing with her babies and she's broody enough she probably wouldn't even notice the extra babies. Once everyone in the incubator hatches, I'm going to try it and report back with the results.

Cool idea aart! I look forward to seeing whether this works for you or not. I have a feeling it's going to be based on your broody hen's personality. I have some that I can get away with more than others.

 

[aart]

Oh wow that is actually a really good idea! I've been playing with her babies and she's broody enough she probably wouldn't even notice the extra babies. Once everyone in the incubator hatches, I'm going to try it and report back with the results.

Key is.... she's gotta trust you to handle the chicks.

 

[treslilbirds]

Alrighty. Went to bed with 2 hatched in the incubator and 3 more hatched out overnight. Float tested the last two eggs that hadn't pipped and they appear to be quitters. Mama chicken's five babies are doing great and she's sitting on one pipped and one unpipped egg still. The one will probably be out by this afternoon and I'll float test the last egg if it's still unpipped.

So 10, maybe 11, out of 14 eggs hatched. Definitely happy with that. These past couple of weeks have been rough, the baby has been in and out of doctor and specialist appointments all month. So just managing to turn the eggs at least three times a day was a challenge some days. But it all turned out good.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

Yay!!!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Alrighty. Went to bed with 2 hatched in the incubator and 3 more hatched out overnight. Float tested the last two eggs that hadn't pipped and they appear to be quitters. Mama chicken's five babies are doing great and she's sitting on one pipped and one unpipped egg still. The one will probably be out by this afternoon and I'll float test the last egg if it's still unpipped.

So 10, maybe 11, out of 14 eggs hatched. Definitely happy with that. These past couple of weeks have been rough, the baby has been in and out of doctor and specialist appointments all month. So just managing to turn the eggs at least three times a day was a challenge some days. But it all turned out good.
View attachment 2018978

Congrats on the precious peeps!

 

[treslilbirds]

So one of my incubator chicks appears to have spraddle leg. The other chicks are up running arud and this one is still kinda belly flopping around. He/she has little sore spots on it's knees. I think it had a rough time hatching bc it was covered in goo and dried blood, ending up giving it a bath. Appears healthy otherwise. I made a little hobble bandage and I'm giving it some Nutridrench. It's in a box with a towel in front of the heater in the bathroom so the other chicks don't pick at him. Just wondering if my bandage looks ok?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So one of my incubator chicks appears to have spraddle leg. The other chicks are up running arud and this one is still kinda belly flopping around. He/she has little sore spots on it's knees. I think it had a rough time hatching bc it was covered in goo and dried blood, ending up giving it a bath. Appears healthy otherwise. I made a little hobble bandage and I'm giving it some Nutridrench. It's in a box with a towel in front of the heater in the bathroom so the other chicks don't pick at him. Just wondering if my bandage looks ok?View attachment 2019197

Aww, rough start. When the chick is standing is it able to stumble around with the tape on? As long as the strip is wide enough for the distance between the legs so still waddle around then it's just fine. It's primarily to help keep the legs under the chick while it strengthens it's little leg muscles.