***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[NanaKat]

Now...for the ducks...
We had six hatch from the 15 eggs that were due 4/27. They pipped early and shrink wrapped in the cabinet, so I wet the membranes and put them in a styrafoam incubator with higher humidity.
Once they hatched, I moved them back to the cabinet to allow them to dry easier.

Chicks are also already popping.

Moved 47 chicks to the brooder in the barn this evening to make room for the new chicks hatching now.
But I kept 11 of the smaller babies in the small brooder in the incubation room. And there is a naked neck in the bunch.


Then the 4 day old ducks....3 of 11 hatched.
I think one may be crested...




That might explain why the hatch rate so low with the duck eggs.

Morris, Mattie and Maggie have a secure house for night. The pen is portable and so is the house using hooks and chain with the tractor..


We used plastic barrels for their shelter and nest box. The girls lay in the smaller barrel on the left, but all three sleep together in the bigger one.

 

[GeeGi]

After 2 days I have 3 little ones! The tiny one in back was hatched yesterday, I didn't think the poor baby was going to make it but he's doing great! I still have one egg left but I didn't see any movement last night when candled. I will check again tonight since I was so tired I couldn't focus. This is day 30 so not sure what to do, this is my first time to use incubator.

 

[dunnmom]

There are ants in my coop. They are the little black ones and there is a modest amount following a specific path near the nest boxes. I don't put food inside the coop ever, so I'm not sure what they're eating, unless it's chicken poop, or they are carrying off PDZ grains. I haven't seen them going for the food in the run at all. Anyway, they don't seem to bother my girls, in fact they go ignored. Is there any harm in letting them be? If they were fire ants or larger ones, I wouldn't even ask before destroying their colony, but I'm wondering if maybe these are cleaning up stuff I can't see, and maybe I should let them do it? Are little black ants harmful for chickens?

 

[GeeGi]

There are ants in my coop. They are the little black ones and there is a modest amount following a specific path near the nest boxes. I don't put food inside the coop ever, so I'm not sure what they're eating, unless it's chicken poop, or they are carrying off PDZ grains. I haven't seen them going for the food in the run at all. Anyway, they don't seem to bother my girls, in fact they go ignored. Is there any harm in letting them be? If they were fire ants or larger ones, I wouldn't even ask before destroying their colony, but I'm wondering if maybe these are cleaning up stuff I can't see, and maybe I should let them do it? Are little black ants harmful for chickens?

I had the same problem and no food in the coop here either. They were there about 3 weeks and then just left. I haven't seen any for a good week now and didn't do anything to make them leave, maybe the girls ate them???

 

[dunnmom]

That's what I hope will happen. I think these ants are too little for mine to bother eating. I'd be more concerned if there was a swarm in there. I know ants are nature's cleanup crew. I cleaned the coop 2 days ago, maybe I missed whatever it is that they are carrying away.

 

[Matt in Okla]

There are ants in my coop. They are the little black ones and there is a modest amount following a specific path near the nest boxes. I don't put food inside the coop ever, so I'm not sure what they're eating, unless it's chicken poop, or they are carrying off PDZ grains. I haven't seen them going for the food in the run at all. Anyway, they don't seem to bother my girls, in fact they go ignored. Is there any harm in letting them be? If they were fire ants or larger ones, I wouldn't even ask before destroying their colony, but I'm wondering if maybe these are cleaning up stuff I can't see, and maybe I should let them do it? Are little black ants harmful for chickens?

I've got the same thing going. Weird.

 

[Kassaundra]

I don't think there is any danger, I've never seen them do any harm to even chicks.

 

[SonRise Silkies]

Hello! I just saw this post and had to answer with my two cents.......ants aren't good. Not always bad but I did have very bad experience a few times. They found the nests and lurked there while the chickens were setting. As soon as the eggs started to pip and had any kind of way for the ants to enter them they did! They killed the baby chicks before they could hatch.
I tried to rescue the pipping eggs by bringing them in the house but the ants just poured out and were all over the incubator and still killed the babies.
So yes, ants really worry me. How to get rid of them? I don't know. They seemed to have just left on their own.
Cheryl ps HI NanaKat

 

[OKVet]

I have 14 straight run Appenzeller Spitzhauben chicks I would like to sell, if anyone is interested. 5 were hatched on 3/22/2017, and 9 were hatched on 4/19/2017. They are really beautiful chickens. I love my flock.

 

[GeeGi]

Hello!   I just saw this post and had to answer with my two cents.......ants aren't good.  Not always bad but I did have very bad experience a few times.  They found the nests and lurked there while the chickens were setting.  As soon as the eggs started to pip and had any kind of way for the ants to enter them they did!  They killed the baby chicks before they could hatch.
I tried to rescue the pipping eggs by bringing them in the house but the ants just poured out and were all over the incubator and still killed the babies.  
So yes, ants really worry me. How to get rid of them?  I don't know.   They seemed to have just left on their own.
Cheryl    ps HI NanaKat

OMG!!! Do you think it would be ok to line the coop with borax or would chickens eat it? I know they have those boxes for baiting ants but I'm thinking with the chickens wanting to check out everything they would tear up boxes and get into the poison.