***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Chickenfan4life]

Morning, Okies!

 

[TRUE5]

Do you guys know if there's different rules to incubating bantam eggs from LF eggs? I haven't been able to get any of my Buff Brahma Bantams to hatch yet, even though they seem active all the way up to lockdown.

Im starting to wonder the same thing...

Okay; I'm from SE Oklahoma, near Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Back in the 70's after I returned from Vietnam, I moved my young family back here to the old ranch house after Mom and Dad built a new home closer to civilization.

I raised a garden, chickens, geese, ducks, pheasants, rabbits, turkeys, barn cats, stray dogs, cattle, bottle fed orphan calves, hogs, sheep, horses and their foals, goats, kept a milk cow that I milked twice a day (hint ~ the barn cats. They love fresh milk, and my daughter loved kittens). Wheeu; No wonder I'm tired.
So, now, the kids have married, and gone. Don't have a need for much, other than a few longhorn cows, a couple of old ewes, and some old range hens. I've always wanted Rhode Island Red Bantam chickens for some reason. So, after varmits caught most of my range hens, I ordered those RI's, but got a call, and the hatchery was out of them , it being late August of 2013, so I ended up with 10 Japanese White Blacktails, and 15 Buff Orpingtons. Of all of those, most were Cockerels, which has left me with a mere 4 Buffs, and 4 Japs, and one of them is a Roo. Being retired , I have plenty of time on my hands to spend with them and chat about chickens, the country and the farm in general, so here I am.

Welcome and Thank you for your service. We all like chatting about chickens as well!

So day 22 on the four bantam eggs. Yesterday three piped. I could visually see where one was starting to zip last night but this morning it was dead.

The other two aren't doing very much and I'm afraid to think they wont make it as well. I think the humidity go up there past 70 at one point but I cracked the window plate just a hair only enough to bring it down. That worked but I'm afraid I may have been too late. I have horrible luck with bantam eggs for some reason. Last hatch I was incubating a bunch for a friend and NONE of her eggs made it to lock down. I must be doing something that the big ones can tolerate but the little ones can't. I have yet to figure it out... So here goes a long day of waiting to see what happens with these two that are left.

Oh, the one bantam egg that was larger than the others is still in there. Nothing from it. ***sigh***

 

[aShMaNv]

By chance does anyone in the east okc area have or know someone who has mille fleur d'uccle hatching eggs for sale?

 

[artsyrobin]

@TRUE5 can you hear chirping? i have cracked the shell a little where they are pipping, to help them get started. If they are wek i will help to a point,

 

[Jeansrie]

Im starting to wonder the same thing...

Welcome and Thank you for your service. We all like chatting about chickens as well!







So day 22 on the four bantam eggs. Yesterday three piped. I could visually see where one was starting to zip last night but this morning it was dead.  The other two aren't doing very much and I'm afraid to think they wont make it as well. I think the humidity go up there past 70 at one point but I cracked the window plate just a hair only enough to bring it down. That worked but I'm afraid I may have been too late. I have horrible luck with bantam eggs for some reason. Last hatch I was incubating a bunch for a friend and NONE of her eggs made it to lock down. I must be doing something that the big ones can tolerate but the little ones can't. I have yet to figure it out... So here goes a long day of waiting to see what happens with these two that are left.

Oh, the one bantam egg that was larger than the others is still in there. Nothing from it. ***sigh***

I am no expert, but in my trial and error with silkie bantam eggs especially is DO NOT open the incubator at any time while they are hatching. The egg membrane dries up fast and they get stuck.

 

[TRUE5]

They were getting to where I didn't hear them at all so I went ahead and helped with the zipping a bit. One is now out and fumbling around, drying off (YAY!) the other had started to zip but in the wrong direction. I started to help and could see inside and noticed it still has some blood veins that are needing to be shrunk. I didn't bother trying to open up to see the one that died. Breaks my heart when I feel like I could have done something but it was in the night and I had no idea. So sad.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Those of you who use safe-guard to worm your chickens- how much do I give an average size hen (4-6 lbs) and what is the best way to get them to eat it? I was thinking at evening roosting time a little bit on a piece of bread to each chicken. Seems like they shouldn't need much, maybe a 1/2" squeezed out? I bought the 10% paste labelled for horses. I'm going to do a round of Wazine and then follow up in two weeks with the Safe-Guard so I have a while before I'm ready to use it.

Rinda

 

[Ksane]

Rinda, that's what I use. I just open their mouths and squeeze it in. About 1/2" for an average sized bird, about an inch for a Brahma or Cochin sized bird. It's super safe and hard to OD any animal on it. It's easier just to snatch them up and dose them, that way you don't have to worry about them crowding around and taking everyone else's bread (whichnis exactly what mine would do).

 

[artsyrobin]

i tried doing it on the bread- not all of them got it- so each gets their own dose now

Sonny update- and a funny- when i get him out in the morning he will stay on the bed that is covered with a sheet- well, some of the ice slid off the roof making an awful racket- found him hiding in the closet behind the laundry basket, picked him up and he snuggled his head under my arm, poor boy!! He still a year to his full growth- he is going to be massive.



@TRUE5 keep an eye on them they don't dry out- how is hannah doing??

 

[mjgigax]

Thank Y'All for the Welcome. You know, from all the searching about those lil Jap Bantams, most folk say they're not good layers. Well; right now between the three of them I'm averaging 2 tiny Eggs a day since they turned 21 weeks old. Not bad considering the below freezing weather. I'm having to keep a brooder lamp on above the hanging waterer. However, the 4 Buff Orp Bantams are now 24 weeks old and they're holding out on me.

Welcome Sagetown.

My Splash Maran pullet is laying great - six eggs in six days this week. My Ameraucanas are laying only occasionally and my Cochins haven't even thought about laying yet.