San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[dedicateddourly]

Would you say a few hours observation tomorrow morning would be enough to get a good idea? Little guy #3 (final one, I'm pretty sure) just came out of the egg. All three will go under Wink tonight, then, but I have to go to work in the morning around 8:00 a.m., so having Rick check periodically is about as good as we'll get. Does that change anyone's recommendation?

Wow. The last little one is a peeping machine. Tell me that's not a sign of a rooster.

E

I would still go for it. You should be able to tell right away if Wink is being motherly to them, i.e. not pecking them (obviously, lol), letting the chicks go under her, etc. Good luck and please keep us posted. Pics would be awesome too

 

[dedicateddourly]

Egads! Hubby discovered today that the coop is INFESTED with mites. Checked 3 out of 10 birds and all were clean, so we're guessing these are the ones that hide out during the day and feast at night. So we cleared out all the bedding which is where most of them were. Seriously icky. I steam-cleaned the interior and some exterior of the coop. Then once dry, hubby dusted the inside of the coop with Sevin. We're making all the chickens sleep outside in the run just for tonight since I don't really want them breathing in the dust. Tomorrow I will dust everything with DE. I will hold off on treating the chickens unless we see some sign that the mites are still around. In 7 to 10 days we will steam and dust the coop again.

Does this sound like an ok plan? I'd welcome any suggestions.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I would still go for it.  You should be able to tell right away if Wink is being motherly to them, i.e. not pecking them (obviously, lol), letting the chicks go under her, etc.  Good luck and please keep us posted.  Pics would be awesome too

I've never done it myself, but I recently had two broodies hatch eggs the same day. One broody didn't mind the other broodies chicks and would have easily accepted them. The other, for some reason, went after a little dark one (which is funny because she herself is black) viciously. I mean, grabbing it, stomping it, and tossing it in the air. I think you'd know whether or not she's going to accept them or not within a short period. Just be sure to be up and watching...chickens rise pretty early in the morning.

 

[Compost Girl]

The other, for some reason, went after a little dark one (which is funny because she herself is black) viciously. I mean, grabbing it, stomping it, and tossing it in the air.

Well, there's no pressure now or anything.

Seriously, I very much appreciate the advice. I have a little kink in the works now, because the #3 chick is one I had to help a bit (some people say don't do it, but these chicks picked a hot, dry day here and #3 was shrink wrapping, regardless of my syringe routine and two full channels). Since it was the last one that pipped, I took a chance and helped move the shell a little. I think it would have been toast either way, but now it's cheeping away in the incubator.

Anyway, it's not quite dry and I'd like to let it sit in there for at least 12 hours, but if I want to put all three under Winkle at one time, that puts me at tomorrow night. I hear that 24 hours might be the yes/no mark for some.

Yes/no meaning a vicious hen that grabs, stomps, and tosses the chicks in the air. No pressure. This chicken keeping thing is worse than tax season.

 

[perchie.girl]

Providing your hen is truly broody there is a good chance she will take them in as her own newly hatched. You will know before 8:00. And if she takes those then she will take the next ones the next night. I am not saying this from experience but from reading over 10,000 posts on the broody hatch thread. There are several people that do this on that list for various reasons.

I have had broodies but never had incubated chicks to put under them. If you think about it a hen will set 21 and more days depending on her eggs. Often times the clutch will have been put in the nest over the course of three or four days. So its not unnusual for eggs to hatch for three days. So thats your window. but as in your case they have to be newly hatched.

In short..... You have a very good chance that it will work, and you will know before you go to work the next morning.

deb

Would you say a few hours observation tomorrow morning would be enough to get a good idea? Little guy #3 (final one, I'm pretty sure) just came out of the egg. All three will go under Wink tonight, then, but I have to go to work in the morning around 8:00 a.m., so having Rick check periodically is about as good as we'll get. Does that change anyone's recommendation?

Wow. The last little one is a peeping machine. Tell me that's not a sign of a rooster.

E

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Cari were you able to get your pipe panels? I wish I could have helped.....

deb

Hey Deb, yes! We had about 8 people and it took us just a couple hours and one trip and it was done. Definitely a success!

A big THANK YOU to Renee for coming out to help! Sorry you couldn't stay for Pizza, it was yummy!

We had just the right amount of people, any more and there wouldn't have been anything to do!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Quote:

Stick the ones that have hatched under her. As soon as the other one is dry stick it under that night. Get up early to watch them for a bit and you'll know pretty much instantly whether she accepted them or not.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Egads!  Hubby discovered today that the coop is INFESTED with mites.  Checked 3 out of 10 birds and all were clean, so we're guessing these are the ones that hide out during the day and feast at night.  So we cleared out all the bedding which is where most of them were.  Seriously icky.  I steam-cleaned the interior and some exterior of the coop.  Then once dry, hubby dusted the inside of the coop with Sevin.  We're making all the chickens sleep outside in the run just for tonight since I don't really want them breathing in the dust.  Tomorrow I will dust everything with DE.  I will hold off on treating the chickens unless we see some sign that the mites are still around.  In 7 to 10 days we will steam and dust the coop again.

Does this sound like an ok plan?  I'd welcome any suggestions.

I've read you should clean every 7 days until you don't see any evidence of them. Could take more than a couple of times as they're supposed to be hard to get rid of. What a hassle! Were they the red mites? I'd treat the birds myself, just in case one is still hanging onto it somewhere. They can get under the scales of the legs, in the ears, nostrils...any place that is dark that they can crawl under. Eprinex is a pour on that has no egg withdrawal period.

 

[RHRanch]

Heres a picture of the Sable Point Buck I am looking to re-home (as promised). Anyone want him or the others, let me know:

 

[dedicateddourly]

I've read you should clean every 7 days until you don't see any evidence of them. Could take more than a couple of times as they're supposed to be hard to get rid of. What a hassle! Were they the red mites? I'd treat the birds myself, just in case one is still hanging onto it somewhere. They can get under the scales of the legs, in the ears, nostrils...any place that is dark that they can crawl under. Eprinex is a pour on that has no egg withdrawal period.

Thanks for the recommendations, Allison. We have ivermectin on hand so we'll use that, despite the egg withdrawal period