Red Partridge Orpington informational hatch thread

[Auntiejessi3]

This is soooo exciting!

 

[K0k0shka]

Recap from today: Day 21 started this afternoon. So far I have 3 fully hatched chicks and one external pip, all from my friend's local barnyard mix eggs. Nothing yet from my shipped eggs, not a single pip We're still only partway into day 21, so I'm trying not to worry. Last year I had shipped eggs hatch all of day 21 and all of day 22. So we'll see. They were all incubated under the same conditions (if anything, my shipped eggs got preferential treatment and got the best spots in the incubator!) so at this point it's just a matter of shipping stress or genetics.

Here's baby #3 bursting into the world:

That one is my favorite. It's the smallest of the three, and for some reason it bonded to me straight away. It became a bit of a problem, because it would not stay under the brooder plate. It kept running back out towards me and crying, then jumping into my hand as soon as I reached for it, nuzzling it and poking its head between my fingers. It was adorable, and so sad... this poor motherless orphan looking for a warm maternal body to snuggle against. The plate and its siblings clearly didn't satisfy that need It slept in my hands for a while, and after a bunch of unsuccessful attempts to stuff it under the plate (it got mad at me for it and sounded downright betrayed!), I finally managed to get it to stay there by turning the room light off (it was getting dark outside) and stuffing it under the plate with my hand under there as well, making contact with it, waiting until it fell asleep, and slowly sneaking my hand back out. It was content to stay under the plate as long as it could feel my hand touching it. I'm in love... And so sad that I'll have to give it back (my friend would totally let me keep it if I asked, but I can't succumb to chicken math). Another reason why this chick is my favorite is that it seems pretty smart and well aware of its surroundings. Out of the three, it was the only one that drank water on its own as soon as I placed it next to the waterer. The others looked at the water with a WTF look and walked away. I had to dunk their beaks in to show them what it was. Same with food, this little thing started pecking on its own without being shown. It seems very alert and confident, even though it's the smallest.

Here it is

Asleep in its happy place:

And here are some fluffy butts enjoying a warm snooze under my DIY brooder plate.

Check out my fancy new brooder! Made it out of a chest freezer box. Much bigger than last year’s.

 

[K0k0shka]

Two more of my friend’s hatched overnight, only 1 left in the incubator now, and whatever is under broody’s butt. Nothing yet from my shipped partridges... It’s still day 21 until this afternoon, but I’m getting worried. No pips or anything yet at all.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

 

[K0k0shka]

I really can’t tell what’s going on under broody’s butt. She’s sitting quietly and I hear nothing. It’s really cold outside though, in the 30s, so maybe they’re just keeping warm even if they’ve hatched.

I moved the camera. It has audio, pan and tilt, so I can get a good look at the whole nursery part of the coop. Can’t see into the nest itself very well, especially because it’s dark in there and she’s black, but I should at least see when they start to come out.

 

[aart]

Since she's docile, you might take a quick peek under there.

 

[K0k0shka]

Since she's docile, you might take a quick peek under there.

Do you think the babies will be okay with the rush of cold, dry air if they’re in mid-hatch? She’ll let me, but I don’t want to mess up the hatch...

 

[K0k0shka]

YES!!!!! Go #8!!!

 

[aart]

Do you think the babies will be okay with the rush of cold, dry air if they’re in mid-hatch? She’ll let me, but I don’t want to mess up the hatch...

Not if you're really quick.

 

[K0k0shka]

I once read something in the BYC learning center about giving chicks a low roost 1 inch off the floor at 1 week (!) old so they could learn to climb on things. Whenever I hatch chicks though, I have to laugh because they jump on top of the brooder plate (about 3”) within a DAY of hatching!

Here they are, less than a day old but up there already!