***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[HeyBigRhondaq]

I just had my very first extremely successful totally dry hatch. 17 of 18 hatched. The 1 stopped around day 18. Zero water, grabbed chicks here and there without worrying too much, easy clean-up. Now, yes, I will check air cell size from time to time, but I am HOOKED.

Chicken math has morphed into chicken futures. I've got each chick written on an index card to try and "pen" them how I want them all while checking the chicken calculator to see what will result from the groupings. Ridiculous. BUT, I am super-excited for next year. And, of course, I have discovered I still need a few Orpington colors...

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I got 6 amerucana eggs that will hatch into olive eggers. I candled today and 4 are growing good and everything looks normal. 2 of them though looks like the air sack is on the side. Anything I can do? Will they hatch?? What causes this?

Sometimes an egg just gets made "wrong." Incubate them with the air sac up and rotate them instead of turning them. They may still hatch, they may need help though.

I just had my very first extremely successful totally dry hatch. 17 of 18 hatched. The 1 stopped around day 18. Zero water, grabbed chicks here and there without worrying too much, easy clean-up. Now, yes, I will check air cell size from time to time, but I am HOOKED.

Chicken math has morphed into chicken futures. I've got each chick written on an index card to try and "pen" them how I want them all while checking the chicken calculator to see what will result from the groupings. Ridiculous. BUT, I am super-excited for next year.

And, of course, I have discovered I still need a few Orpington colors...

Yay for another dry hatcher! It really works fantastic for our climate.

I don't make "plans" anymore- every time I do weather, illness, or dogs change them for me... I just wait to see what I have left at maturity so I can be pleasantly surprised.

Last fall I saved my last batch of Ameraucana chicks, and had 7 pegged as females to add to my breeding pen. One by one they flew over the fence into the dog's yard or got ill and died. I'm down to 2. Pretty sure one of those is a late maturing male. Of course.

 

[artsyrobin]

meet muffin- supposedly a sizzle... well, obviously the breeder has issues - but i fell for her charm anyway- any guesses as to breed?? i am breaking my rule of no more chickens, but you know what happens when i see a special needs bird-

 

[HeyBigRhondaq]

Sometimes an egg just gets made "wrong." Incubate them with the air sac up and rotate them instead of turning them. They may still hatch, they may need help though. Yay for another dry hatcher! It really works fantastic for our climate. I don't make "plans" anymore- every time I do weather, illness, or dogs change them for me... I just wait to see what I have left at maturity so I can be pleasantly surprised. Last fall I saved my last batch of Ameraucana chicks, and had 7 pegged as females to add to my breeding pen. One by one they flew over the fence into the dog's yard or got ill and died. I'm down to 2. Pretty sure one of those is a late maturing male. Of course.

I hear ya on that one. As I'm sorting, I think "Why am I spending so much time on this? They could be gone tomorrow." I can't help it...

 

[Kassaundra]

@miohippus how did it go? Is the little one out and still w/ us?

 

[YardBirdMom]

This may be late, sorry, been canning thawed freezer meat all day.  Chip the shell away carefully, you will see 2 membrane layers the outer white tough one, and the inner clear (or white if it is shrink wrapped) the inner one has blood vessel and you need to be extra careful of tearing it where the vessels still have blood.  Chip away shell, gently pull away white outer membrane, moisten the inner membrane, gently ease it (a warm wet qtip is good for this) if you see blood stop let it rest in the incubator for a bit and try again.  The blood from that membrane through the hatching process is dried and goes into the chick and if ruptured can bleed the chick out.

You amaze me! The thought of helping a chick hatch scares the crap out of me! My hat is off to you!

Good luck @miohippus on the assist, my hat is off to you too!

Hi!! I am new and in Tulsa

HI and welcome! I'm near the Agra, Tryon, Perkins, Cushing area so we are distant neighbors

 

[Kassaundra]

I am amazed at the dry hatchers, I get horrible shrink wrap w/ all the water I can add

 

[Kassaundra]

You amaze me! The thought of helping a chick hatch scares the crap out of me! My hat is off to you!

Good luck @miohippus on the assist, my hat is off to you too!
HI and welcome! I'm near the Agra, Tryon, Perkins, Cushing area so we are distant neighbors

Thanks, for me it was desperate times calling for desperate measures. I was losing all my pipped chicks to shrink wrapping, still would lose most if I didn't assist.

 

[NanaKat]

I am amazed at the dry hatchers, I get horrible shrink wrap w/ all the water I can add 

I dry hatch until lockdown. Then I move the humidity to 65. I still have an occasional shrink wrap...usually the White Wyandotte.
Had one last night....fully zipped, but stuck. so I slipped off the cap and loosened the sides. The chick popped out, but was sticky. Turned on the bathroom sink faucet to warm water. Ran water over the chicks back and sides, keeping the head clear of the water. Dried him off with a paper towel and popped him back into the hatcher. Perfectly dry and healthy this morning.
I also keep a soft toothbrush handy to fluff up those that haven't fuzzed up while drying. Chicks are warmer in the brooder if they are all fluffed up.

Still having a dickins of a time getting the Serama and Duckwing Rosecombs to full term. Moved the temp up in the hatcher a half degree and had three Serama pop out this hatch! Still no Duckwing yet.

Yep, I don't make the "futures" circuit until the birds are breeding age.... The wet Spring always does a number on my plans. Even with adults, a predator takes out one. One of the Buckeye hens got out of her pen the other night and something got her...like Alice in Wonderland the Queen Critter yelled "off with her head!" And she was such a lovely hen laying nice big eggs.

 

[kassward]

this is probably stupid, but what is shrink wrap. I can't figure out what that means.