September 2016 Hatch-A-Long

[Fluffyserama]

Looks like I am down to 1 viable egg out of 6.
Candled today (day 9) and only 1 egg has clear veining and movement. 4 had no development at all and 1 seems to have quit within the 1st week.
If it makes it to hatching, I will keep it in the house till others I have, and are due 1 week later, can join the lonely chick.

What do the air cells look like on your new eggs?

I only had one chick that hatched with my last batch of 24 shipped eggs. I got her three little silkie companions from a neighbor even though I was incubating other eggs. Her incessant chirping calmed quite a bit once she had friends.

Do you have any other hens hatching chicks? I've brooded chicks with a 3-4 week age difference before. I don't know if you keep different sized adults. It works really well when the older chicks are bantam paired with LF chicks right out of the egg. The bantys establish dominance when everyone is young, but of a similar size and the big guys don't pick on them when they are older.

 

[Cerise1924]

Haven't even reached lockdown yet and I'm already wondering if I should join an october hatch - a- long LOL

How about anyone else??

It is so addicting! Love seeing those little fluffy chicks hatch out. I'm going to restrain myself, though. The weather may be getting too cold for the barn brooder, and I really don't want a house full of cute messy chicks this fall. I think two dogs, three laying hens, two chicken chicks, one peafowl and possibly 16 quail are enough... for now.

Let us know if you start another hatch!

 

[Fluffyserama]

I was part of the august hatch along and only got one serama chick. This hatch I think I'll get two.......
I Want more!!!! I think I might need to be in the October hatch along as well

Here are the two babies I'm assisting at the moment.

They both internally piped yesterday. The one in the top photo probably didn't need help yet, but the bottom chick piped into the center of the air cell and would have never made it out without help.

The chick in the third serama egg was upside down and didn't make it. It was super cute Yellow with one thin black line down it's spine and a black spot on its head.

Here is a picture of the eggs with caps on

 

[Fluffyserama]

I still have 3 la bresse eggs that should be hatching Monday

 

[marlene]

@marlene I have had that happen, too. I am so sorry... it's always disappointing. I didn't have any other eggs going when I hatched out a solo egg but luckily, our TSC was having a chick day a few days after, so I was able to get it some friends. 

Thank you. The only consulatation is that I do have another 5 in the incubator right now, and they are due to hatch 1 week after this lonely egg. I hope I have at least a few hatch from the second batch.

 

[marlene]

I still have 3 la bresse eggs that should be hatching Monday

That is great news. Hope they hatch out for you.
How many did you start with?

 

[Fluffyserama]

That is great news. Hope they hatch out for you.
How many did you start with?

I started with 12;

3 where infertile
my daughter cracked 4 ( I tried to repare them & 1 of these is still going)
3 lost to bacteria

I picked these up by hand so I cant blame poor shipping

 

[marlene]

What do the air cells look like on your new eggs?

I only had one chick that hatched with my last batch of 24 shipped eggs. I got her three little silkie companions from a neighbor even though I was incubating other eggs. Her incessant chirping calmed quite a bit once she had friends.

Do you have any other hens hatching chicks? I've brooded chicks with a 3-4 week age difference before. I don't know if you keep different sized adults. It works really well when the older chicks are bantam paired with LF chicks right out of the egg. The bantys establish dominance when everyone is young, but of a similar size and the big guys don't pick on them when they are older. 

They aircells on the new eggs didn't look too bad. There was 1 that looked slightly detached but the rest appeared to be OK. I have incubated them, up right in cut out egg cartons and I will not be turning them for the first 4/5 days. I am also trying out dry incubation with the 2nd batch.

I recently had a broody hatch 4 jersey giants. They are outside with mamma and are 3 weeks old now.

At the moment all my chickens are about the same size, but I am sure that the new breeds will be quite a bit larger.

To be honest I am dreading the integration part, it makes me nervous.

 

[marlene]

I started with 12;

3 where infertile
my daughter cracked 4 ( I tried to repare them & 1 of these is still going)
3 lost to bacteria

I picked these up by hand so I cant blame poor shipping    

That is so unfortunate to have only ended up with 3 out of 12, but 3 is better than none at all.
Will you be breeding them? And did you get them for eggs, meat or both?

 

[Fluffyserama]

I was hoping to get some unrelated chicks from this hatch then breed them together for duel purpose. The eggs came from two different pens, but the ones still going all came from the same girl so will be full siblings.
I know people in the chicken world breed closely related birds, but I think if I get these to hatch I will still want to try and find other unrelated eggs or chicks.