Red Partridge Orpington informational hatch thread

[Windrider]

Woo hoo! Go, chickies, go!

I am no expert, but I think you can get different shades of partridge. I was reading about the bantam partridge Wyandottes at Greenfire Farms, and they had a mix: some that were chocolate partridge and some that (I think) were just regular partridge and lighter, so some got the chocolate gene and some didn't? So that might be the case with your darker and lighter chick.

I have been following your posts on your flock, and yeah, I am not completely sold on the Barnies. Orps and Cochins are similar in temperament, I think. My little girls were about the size (and shape) of a large cantaloupe. There was one who would peck at your shoes until you gave in and picked her up. Spoiled. But I didn't like the messy feet feathers, so I think Orps are for me. I need quiet chickens, because houses are pretty dang close together here in coastal LA. In fact, I think when they made the law about chickens having to be 25' from your own house and 35' from your neighbors, they didn't expect anyone on a tiny beach community lot to get out a tape measure and actually figure out that they could squeak by on those guidelines!

My sister lives in a rural community and has full sized chickens. I really love her light Sussex, which are her most calm and friendly. The bantam light Sussex in the UK are so beautiful with their very black hackles contrasting with the white, but I've never seen that quality in the US.

 

[Windrider]

I don't have any advice on your third chick's pipping, since I haven't hatched before. But I've read that they can be pipped like that for 12 hours or so and be fine as long as the humidity is high, as I'm sure you know. So maybe you can get some sleep?

Its a "good night" from me, anyway. I look forward to seeing your Orps all fluffed out tomorrow! Good luck!

 

[aart]

but does the weird large hole mean it can’t turn around to zip properly?

Not necessarily....give it time, at least 24 hours from external pip.

 

[K0k0shka]

I stayed up until 4am last night... I set a 15 minute timer on my phone and went to sleep in the guest room, got up to check on progress, set another 15 minutes, and so on for several hours. The chick that had trouble zipping did eventually start working around the egg, and by 4am had its back where the beak was initially, so I concluded that it must be able to turn after all, so I went to sleep in my bed. The kids woke me up around 7 to announce that there were 3 partridges in the incubator and a 4th that looked stuck... Sure enough, that same one was still having trouble. It hadn’t progressed since I left it 3 hours earlier, and was struggling with the shell. I didn’t want to lose it so close to the finish line and got worried it would dry out, get stuck and rip its skin off pulling. So I helped it the rest of the way out. The membrane had dried and was REALLY stuck all over its body, but I moistened it with warm water and it eventually peeled off without any damage. The baby is doing well now, drying off in the incubator with its buddy from this morning. The two from last night are running around the brooder pecking at toes right now.

Current count so far: 5 from my friend’s eggs and 4 from mine, a 5th from mine is starting to zip. The partridges all look different... The first is very red, the second very yellow, the third has a lot of brown/black on it, and the 4th is still quite wet so I can’t tell. This is a project breed and he’s still working on it, which would explain the color inconsistency. Makes it easier for me to tell the chicks apart, but I wonder what they’ll grow up to look like!

 

[aart]

'Birthing' is hard work!!

Any peeps from under the broody?

 

[K0k0shka]

'Birthing' is hard work!!

Any peeps from under the broody?

I heard peeps on the camera and saw a couple little heads sticking out of the box! Wohooo! On my way to check on them now. It’s a nice sunny day, maybe she’ll bring them out of the box!

 

[aart]

 

[Windrider]

Awww. look at those cuties! So glad you got a decent hatch from the shipped partridge eggs this time. And what fun with the broody!

I look forward to your updates on the progress of these chicks. You are so good about chronicling your experiences.

 

[K0k0shka]

She hatched all three! I’m so proud of her for seeing this through. They came out from underneath her to check me out when I started talking to her. One black, one gray and one chipmunk So cute!

 

[K0k0shka]

Awww. look at those cuties! So glad you got a decent hatch from the shipped partridge eggs this time. And what fun with the broody!

I look forward to your updates on the progress of these chicks. You are so good about chronicling your experiences.

Thank you! I hope somebody finds all this useful. I’ve followed others and learned from their experiences as well.