September 2023 Hatch-A-Long

[gimmie birdies]

Day 13 for me. 19 eggs. One egg I thought was gone, but didn't pull it, is fine. Good thing I stayed my hand.

 

[NCchickentender]

Chick #3 is here!

 

[Kwoka]

don’t tell my husband…he’s away on business. I’m setting these today, so they should hatch on 30/09 i don’t need more chickens, but my kid is begging me, plus they’re just such pretty eggs!!

These 12 are eggs from:
Dark Shell (Mystic Marans) and perhaps from a purebred French Copper Marans
Green Shell (Sapphire Olive Eggers and Barred Olive Eggers)

They run around with 3 cockerels - Blue Copper Marans, Duckwing/Crele Araucana, Blue/red Araucana bantam…. The Crele-looking Araucana boy is dominant, but the yard is big and there are lots of girls, so I’ve seen the other boys get with them too. It’s also VERY possible that my SLW Roo got ahold of some of them really hope not, but it’s a possibility. We’ll see if anyone hatches with a rose comb…

 

[AusHen]

Bob as we have named him is a solo chick for a few days until the next lot hatch. Out of the incubator I see he's black not blue but 100% a boy (sex-link pairing). I put him in a cage inside a large brooder (yes it's a grow tent but temp, light and air input/output is controlled) and I just went in to find him running with the big chicks I threw the smallest of the bunch with him and turned off the main light and left them with the night light similar to the light of the moon. Will swap the top cage with one that has smaller wire on it tomorrow since its outside and 1am here

 

[NCchickentender]

So our 21 days of incubation are up as of midnight last night, right after the 3rd chick hatched. I watched another chick zip the egg over 1/2 around it. The membrane looked good and was opened for plenty of air. I had one other egg that had pipped but it was close to 2:00am so I figured the zipped chick would be out by morning.
I don't know what happened. When I woke up, a 4th egg hatched but it wasn't either the zipped or the pipped eggs. Since the humidity was high from the newest hatch, I risked snatching the zipped egg. I was ready to do an assist but the chick had died. That's #2 that zipped and died
So, #3 and 4 are still in the bator with 2 pipped eggs. I notice #4 isn't pulling her right leg up under her. She's still mostly "moist" lol so maybe she's just not got the hang of it. A couple hours later that leg is still not acting right. When she's resting the leg is stretched out behind her.
BYC to the rescue! Been reading up on splay leg and what I need to do. In the mean time, #3 is fully dry and pecking at #4's exposed foot. Will not leave her alone. So I snatched #3 out of the bator.
Imagine my confusing when chick #4 pulls that leg under herself and is completely normal for the last 30 minutes....
So as of now I have 4 chicks, 2 DIS, and 7 more eggs. 2 of the eggs have pips. Come on Babies!!!

 

[NCchickentender]

#5 and 6 have hatched!! #6 has brought up questions though. As she was zipping she hit a vein. Nothing bad. Just a spot. She went a little bit more and hit another one. Again it was just a spot. Shouldn't the blood have absorbed before she zipped? Can they bleed out? I wonder if they will stop zipping if the bleeding is bad...
Anyway, #4 was a big faker! There doesn't seem to be any thing wrong with her now

 

[Canadian Wind]

The Muscovy eggs are finally hatching. Yes! Saw at least three or four that were externally pipped. We shall see how things go.

 

[NCchickentender]

I almost lost #6. Apparently she hadn't absorbed all of the yolk. Her foot got snagged on it and it ruptured. Blood and yolk everywhere and chick #5 in the bator too. I put her in a cup with a paper towel to keep her still. She climbed out. I wrapped her like a burrito and put her back. She stayed a little longer but she climbed out again.
The whole time I'm on here searching for something I can do for her. I read the cup and paper towel might absorb the blood and keep it flowing, that it was better to put down a paper towel and hope it clots. I read to stop the blood. I don't have anything! I read somewhere else if you don't have anything, use baking soda or flower. Couldn't find the baking soda so I grabbed a pinch of flower. I had hubby grab chick #5, put her with the others then help me with #6.
I dipped her lil booty in the flower, said a quick prayer and put her back in the incubator. I really did not expect her to survive this long but somehow the bloody mess had dried up. She perked up. She's active and very vocal.
I'll leave her in the bator over night and see how she's doing in the morning but so far, so good!
One more has pipped and the nothing from the last 4.

 

[NCchickentender]

Have you got any baby duckies yet @Canadian Wind?

 

[AusHen]

Not a chick but I have helped whelp many pups and used flour before. one time I even had to use a cupcake mix, she survived and the owner decided to keep her and the name cupcake stuck. Hopefully your little one is a fighter as well