***SEPTEMBER HATCH-A-LONG come join in***

[icemanchicken]

Came home to 5 more in the incubator, but when i checked the ones in the brooder i found one being picked on. He seems to have some problem with his neck as it keeps twitching and when he runs he goes in circles. I seperated him from the rest, but should i cull him or give him a chance. I just hate for him to suffer needlessly if he cant recover.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

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Congratulations on the chicks! Can't wait to come over and see them! I will be curious to see what your mystery chick turns out to be! I saw a lone Bantam chick at Echo Valley a couple of days ago and almost bought it because it looked so tiny and lonely in with the LF chicks! It was an odd color, chocolate with feathered feet. Breed? Sorry about the Guinea egg!! I know how upset you must have been!!

Thank you, they're adorable and thriving! You're welcome to come see them any time! I'm curious about what the mystery chick will be, too--it's fun raising babies when you don't know how they're going to end up! It'll probably be a mutt, but if it is I'm perfectly fine with that! Maybe it'll end up being really interesting-looking.

It's all right about the guinea egg! It's certainly sad and I feel awful, but it was just one of those darn mistakes that happen from time-to-time. I just hope the little guinea fetus didn't suffer.

Time to start hovering over the incubator for the next few days!

icemanchicken, I'd personally give the chick a few days to see if it improves at all. If it's eating, improves, and is doing all right, it may just have a slight disability that requires special help (many disabled animals live very happy lives!), but if it isn't eating and doesn't improve within a few days, culling it is probably the kindest option. Good luck, I hope the baby pulls through. Sounds like a neurological problem...

 

[coturnix2044]

I ended up with like 12 FBCM, 4 Araucanas, and like 4 or 5 BLRW That hatched (kinda hard to tell which is which and how many I have).
And then I fell subject to the horrid Feed store chicks - I got 2 Golden laced sebrights, one purple-ish feather footed mystery chick and Two black and white mystery feather-footed banties along with 2 CX......
Oh boy.....
I think my count is up to about 35-40 kids right now

Chicken math hit me hard

Oh and not to re-mention my 14 Lav Araucanas going into lockdown wednesday or my 6 silkies, 2 frizzles, and 8 blue marans on Friday.. or the 8 FBCM and 6 blue marans I put in last night

I've got the hatching fever!!!

 

[Newyorkrita]

Oh heck. Tonight is day 9 on my set eggs so I could not stand to wait until tomorrow and just candeled the eggs. There is nothing. No develomentthat I can see. But I can't see into the middle of some of the eggs, the shells are so dark. I just went and rewatched some Y Tube videos on candeling to make sure of what I should be seeing and it just isnt there.

I am so bummed at my mess of a first attempt.

My humidity was all over the place and I didn't have anyway to measure until they had been set for 4 days. I had ordered a reader but it hadn't yet arrived. Then when I could get a reading it was about 85 percent which I know is way to high. I was just following the instructions on my Genesis 1588 which is to fill that first water trough. So now have been learning and fine tuning and it stays between 30-40% with no water or just afew drops. I have also been turning the eggs by hand.

So I ordered the turner so that next time I don't have to open the incubator as much. I am going to ingore the instructions and pretty much do a dry hatch next time.

I know you really should start with something not too important but I have to buy hatching eggs no matter what. So I saw the auction for 6 Black Copper Marans and six olive eggers from Wynette and bought them. Those eggs came packed perfectly, I let them rest for 24 hours and then set them. I really wanted them.

So my first attempt is not looking too good. . I will leave them for afew more days just in case I don't know what I am looking at.

 

[gryeyes]

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I'm afraid to count the eggs I've set into my incubators. There are more to set, too, awaiting the next one currently in "shipped" status.

But I've got 19 as-yet-unnamed chicks either in a grow-out coop (7) or in brooders (6 in each of two brooders).

I do believe I'm insane. Which is better, spending money on cigarettes, lighters, matches, new clothes without burn marks on 'em, Febreeze for everything I wear, or on incubators and hatching eggs? I quit smoking in late July.

I'll be hatching well into October.

 

[Beth G.]

I have pipps on my FBCM's and Orp eggs!!! WooHoo and it's only day 19&20!!
Soo excited!!

 

[Beth G.]

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Hey there my egg pic above is of Wynette's FBCM's. They were way too dark to candle and I just left them alone. The one's I could see and were clear I culled. So far its turning out okay! My fingers are crossed for you.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Beth G. Congrats on your pips!

 

[Newyorkrita]

Beth G. :

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Hey there my egg pic above is of Wynette's FBCM's. They were way too dark to candle and I just left them alone. The one's I could see and were clear I culled. So far its turning out okay! My fingers are crossed for you.

I know I wil buy eggs and try again. I just have to see what I want on the auctions and there isn't much this time of year.​

 

[StormyMoon]

Update : if anyone wants to know I got a better hatch rate this time using a incubator.

16 out of 28

8 were not fertile
4 died early on

but its better than 6 out of 24 which is what I had last time using 2 hens.

I wish I could post pictures but my battery on my lap top is dead and my cord wore out in the same week.

I will try and borrow a camera it would probably be better than using a web cam any ways.