Ribh's D'Coopage

[kattabelly]

Experienced hatchers: Did I call it too early? Should I have left it a bit longer?

If it had been 48 hours I'd say you waited long enough. It sounds like you did a good job and allowing it to finish hatching itself was a good move. I try to do that too, when I assist.

With incubator-hatched chicks that seem especially weak, I'll monitor for a while and sometimes give them a first feed just to prevent them falling into a spiral of weak > struggle to eat > get weaker > even less able to feed themselves > etc. That might be more intervention than you're comfortable with providing for broody-hatched chicks, and of course it depends on the broodies themselves whether they'll allow that much interference.

It doesn't always work out this way but of the three chicks that hatched under a broody here recently, one of the two that have made it to 8 weeks old - despite being weaned at one month, in the middle of winter - is the one I helped slightly.

 

[Ribh]

Eddie says Happy Caturday!

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Today is windy and rainy and I don’t feel terribly motivated to do anything other than sew.

I hope your chicks survive and thrive.

Thanks Lozzy. So far everyone has survived.

 

[Ribh]

If it had been 48 hours I'd say you waited long enough. It sounds like you did a good job and allowing it to finish hatching itself was a good move. I try to do that too, when I assist.

With incubator-hatched chicks that seem especially weak, I'll monitor for a while and sometimes give them a first feed just to prevent them falling into a spiral of weak > struggle to eat > get weaker > even less able to feed themselves > etc. That might be more intervention than you're comfortable with providing for broody-hatched chicks, and of course it depends on the broodies themselves whether they'll allow that much interference.

It doesn't always work out this way but of the three chicks that hatched under a broody here recently, one of the two that have made it to 8 weeks old - despite being weaned at one month, in the middle of winter - is the one I helped slightly.

Thanks, @kattabelly. That is really helpful to know. While I've kept chickens for years I've only been able to hatch since I moved up here & the 1st couple of attempts were disastrous! Not helped by my lot insisting on co-sitting & co- parenting. Too many cooks.
Thanks for the heads up on letting the chick finish the job herself. I was working on instinct, not knowledge. She's out & about with the other 2 this afternoon. That's her down in the bottom left corner.

 

[Ribh]

I put down food & water for the chicks this afternoon. Everyone came out & had something.

Meanwhile Pearl has designs on being a lap chicken...

Anixe will come & peck me for attention...

And I found Minerva's hidden nest.

 

[Ribh]

The Assist is still with us, though considerably smaller than the other 2. I think she must be one of Chavi's as the egg was a small white one & Chavi is the only hen to lay white now Ha'penny is gone.

The other 2 are going strong.​

 

[Ribh]

I try not to name chicks until I'm pretty sure they're going to make it but when she stood fully extended this afternoon I knew there was only one possible name:​

 

[drstratton]

I try not to name chicks until I'm pretty sure they're going to make it but when she stood fully extended this afternoon I knew there was only one possible name:​

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I love that. I think it fits her perfectly!

 

[kattabelly]

You'll have to hope she feathers out with a lighter breast or at least some King penguin gold leakage at the throat now!

One of my assists last year got stuck with the name Tiny pretty much straight away, even though she's no smaller than most of the others now. Another (not an assist) is Grumpy Chick, for similar reasons