Set 9/4 48 Araucana eggs. Any hatch buddies?

[yadaguhtoo]

Karen09 how traumatic for your little chick....I hope it is okay! I had one once that was still stuck to its egg by the cord and I just left it alone and it came loose by itself. I guess if it doesn't you could carfeully use a piece of thread or something to tie it off and then snip it.Good Luck!

 

[Karen09]

It is very sad to say, but the chick stepped on by a broody died. Hopefully the others will hatch today. I have had the two who pipped yesterday hatch and two more so I am up to 5 (6). 3 more are pipped right now. Just waiting... at least I have some to hold.

Not sure what to do with the broody now though. She is just sitting in the cage. Should I try and stick chicks under her? She has only been broody for 5 days. Or should I collect a few eggs and stick them under her. I could give her a barnyard mix (I have a pure-bred Black Ameraucana rooster but my pure-bred hen is a mother of 2 chicks so all the other hens are pure-bred but not Ameraucanas so they would give me Easter Eggers). Here is a picture of the Ameraucana rooster mixed with a silver-laced wyandotte hen (Easter Egger now). The second is an Easter Egger.

The second picture got me nervous - I thought she/he might have a club foot but I checked. It doesn't, must have been the way it was standing on the bedspread.

 

[Flash534]

Well today is officially hatching day. Woke up this moring to 4 1/2 chicks out of the shell, and several pips. Started with 48 shipped from 2 different breeders. After candling at day 10, I had to toss about half. So I guess currently I'm at about 10% hatch rate. Still only on the morning of day 21. If I could end up with 25% or better I would be happy ! My luck with shipped eggs has been not too good so far. I'm at the point of trying to decide whether it is better to have a small percentage hatch but not have them picked through first, or get a good healthy batch of chicks in that have been cherry picked. It would be easier to decide, except I'm trying to raise Araucanas. Getting rumpless is pretty easy, getting the tufts, esp. double uniform tufts, along with correctly colored legs is difficult indeed. I'm just afraid a breeder selling live chicks would take the best and send me the culls. I wouldn't really blame them though. I would hate to ship off a possible show prospect while retaining a chick, that although still cute, would not be part of my future breeding program. Anyways.... Hope to post some chickie baby pics tomorrow.

Good luck everyone on your hatching !

 

[Flash534]

At 6 chicks now. Including my new favorite !!

Bi-laterally tufted, rumpless !! My first tufted chick !

And the tufts look very uniform !! I just hope the coloring ends up correct

I don't see any more pips at the moment. But the last chick popped out pretty quick, and not too long ago. I'm still on day 21 with 11 eggs left. I had a couple "early birds".. Hope I still get a few "late bloomers".

 

[Karen09]

8 hatched and 2 more pipped! Flash 534 - your chick is very cute - hopefully it will be exactly what you want!

 

[muckmuck]

My tally for this hatch was 5 for 6!!! The last one was fully formed but died in the sheel before it absorbed the yolk My Mac is being stubborn about uploading pictures so I'll try tomorrow.

Max

 

[chickee]

Progressing slowly here

The first to hatch yesterday is a white crested Khaki bantam Polish. The second to hatch last night I think is a chocolate Cuckoo bantam Polish. Today my Blue Laced Red Wyandotte egg from my own hens hatched and it is a blue. Tonight only one of the four Polish eggs that are left has pipped and will probably hatch overnight. I am beginning to think that the last 3 won't hatch. I guess it isn't too bad considering the eggs spent 5 days in the mail! I am lucky that any of them hatched

I can't wait to see what color this next chick to hatch will be

Flash534, I am SO envious!! I REALLY want some Araucanas! I have EEs and Ameraucanas, but I love the Araucanas!

That chicks tufts look great!

 

[Karen09]

So I had 12 hatch nicely (with one more that did not make it due to being stepped on and hatched early by a broody hen). 3 quit and never pipped and 17 were not fertile. The breeder I got them from says that she has plenty of rooster per hen but this is the third time I have gotten eggs from her and only had between 33% to 41% hatch. Of the 12/13 that hatched, 5 were from my own flock and one that quit was too. I have one rooster to 12 hens and he is very fertile. Maybe her roosters are not as fertile or the roosters have only their favorites. This batch of eggs was to replace what she gave me a two months ago when I only had 12 hatch from 36 eggs. They are very cute and I am just hatching to replace what I lost to a coon family that ripped up the floor and came in through the air vent (the coop was really old - over 70 years old) so we reinforced the coop, dealt with the raccoons and got a lab that loves to protect the chickens. Today one of the hens was making plenty of noise after laying an egg and she came running to check her out to make sure she was ok. Once she made sure the chicken was ok, she checked out the area to make sure nothing else was around and layed down. Best rescue dog we have ever had.

 

[Flash534]

Congratulations to all on the newly hatched flock additions !! I love the pictures of the babies ! One of my suppliers, Ray_n_Debi, from our own BYC forums, felt bad as to my hatch shortage. I reassured them that I felt any problems that I might have had in my hatch rate was probably due to my own inexperience, or to our wonderful rural postal service package handling. Not to be put off they insisted on sending me a fresh batch of new eggs, free of charge. Also gave me some advice to use during hatch to help with my hatch rate. They are a credit to our forum, and if anyone is ever looking for some Araucanas from a very good supplier, please look them up ! I love you peeps here at BYC !!!!

Thank you, thank you , thank you !! Now I must get the incubator ready again !!! Yay !!!!

 

[Ray_n_Debi]