Setting Eggs Sept. 24th-Oct. 4th-Last Hatch of the Year. Anyone care to join me?

[Texasmja]

I am sick

I just looked inside the bator window and saw my second SLW chick expelling the yoke she absorbed already

The homegrown chick has hatched and is doing great.

 

[Brookhavens]

so what would be the worst scenerio would she kill them or just not let them under her?

Both could happen. I would stay and watch a little while just to make sure she accepts them. If they crawl under her wing and/or she scoops them under I think you are all set.

 

[Brookhavens]

I wonder if shipped eggs shrink wrap more often...

Shipped eggs have more issues during hatching imo. The second SLW chick was sideways in the egg...if I hadn't helped it would of died. I already lost one that didn't pip in the right spot (but that egg had a badly shaped air cell). And the last egg hasn't done a thing..(that air sac is BAD and sloshy) Good news is I have one of my own eggs zipping (SLW x Aust).

I think my SLW eggs had additional issues because she sent me eggs that looked like pullet size. Remember 1/2 were not even fertile.

I have to agree. When I just went to check on them I noticed that one of the eggs had pipped at the wrong end. After what happened the last time I grabbed it out and went to work on it but it was already dead. Nice big chick. There was only a little bit of yolk left and most of the blood vessels were gone, just real tiny thin ones were left. I hate when I lose one like this!!!!

I keep saying no more shipped eggs to myself but then I find a breed I like and order anyways.

 

[Brookhavens]

hey all, have a question

how are you setting up your brooders for all the cute little bundles of joy? I had mine in an old baby play pen but i was such a pain in the but to clean when they got older. I am looking at our 10 gallon terrarium it has some bugs that kids catch but lost interest and really tierd of looking at bugs..... and thinking it might work as a brooder since i am expecting no more then 3 to hatch...would that be really good for the little chicks?

Yes you can use an aquarium but you have to hang the light higher because the glass holds the heat in more. My main brooder is my son's old lizard aquarium it is more flat than tall but it has worked out fine. Just watch those temps in there and make sure the chicks can get out of the direct heat of the light. I have mine angled on the far side of the aquarium facing outward so that part of the aquarium has no light at all.

Edit: You can also use a large cardboard box. That way all you have to do it throw it away when you are done.

 

[Brookhavens]

70 eggs set bout an hour ago.

Going to get my 24 later this afternoon. How many do you have total now?

 

[Brookhavens]

I am sick

I just looked inside the bator window and saw my second SLW chick expelling the yoke she absorbed already

The homegrown chick has hatched and is doing great.

So sorry. Was this the one you helped?

 

[picanins]

Picanins - hatching eggs? They are a lighter buff color (2nd pic color is off)

Yes, yes, yes yes!!!! Oh they are beautiful!!!!!

 

[picanins]

Well I am done, that hatched is completed now that I did the eggtopsy's today.
I started with 18 eggs, 9 in an incubator and 9 under a hen.
I have 11 chicks, over 60% live.
3 were never fertile (all liquids, maybe very early quitters?)
2 died after pip as they didn't get out in time (happened to 4 but 2 were saved)
2 died earlier, never pipped and still had a large yoke

I am happy and I've given them all to my hen for now. She is very happy & fluffed up covering them all. I have to figure out later what I will do as it's too many for her to keep warm once they start growing. Some will have to go into a brooder. It seems like all my Welsummers are boys, by their markings, but I am going to try the feather test later today when it gets warmer.

the final eleven:

Just cleaned the cage yesterday, looks like it will be daily - - -

Tooooooo cute!!!!

WOW you've got a bunch of different colours - sooooo cool!!!

 

[picanins]

hey all, have a question

how are you setting up your brooders for all the cute little bundles of joy? I had mine in an old baby play pen but i was such a pain in the but to clean when they got older. I am looking at our 10 gallon terrarium it has some bugs that kids catch but lost interest and really tierd of looking at bugs..... and thinking it might work as a brooder since i am expecting no more then 3 to hatch...would that be really good for the little chicks?

Plastic totes for me work really well - and they can share a brooder light (kind of positioned in the middle of two totes) so there's a warm spot and a 'get cool if things get too warm' spot.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Going to get my 24 later this afternoon. How many do you have total now?

That was my whole stockpile. I'm scrambling to get whatever i can together by next week and just set mine a week apart. maybe just maybe ill be able to get back to where i need to be