Setting the week of August 22 (or so... ) Everyone join!! You know you want to!

[Chefswifey]

My turn to ask a question. This question is directed to those that have used a broody hen for hatching eggs. I expect eggs tomorrow or saturday but tonights temps are going to be dipping below 40 degrees ... should I be worried? My hen is located in a 6'x6' chainlink kennel surrounded with doubled up tarp(wind barrier) and a wood/linoleum ceiling(doesn't hold in heat, just keeps out moisture) I've got a nesting box made of wood with shavings and DE on the ground... there's food and water available that's safe for the babies... I'm just worried about the mama hen being out there keeping the babies warm but getting cold herself... should I interfere and put a inferred light up? if so, should it be close to her and risk overheating her? or space it away and run the risk she'll abandon her nest in favor of the heat? so many questions!! this is my first time...I do have a coop for her to go in with her babies once they develop a little and can get up and down the ramp into the nest.

didn't get a response yet for some reason I thought today was friday... I expect the eggs to hatch tomorrow(friday or saturday) I can't candle them to see if this cold weather has affected them because they're copper maran eggs and blacked out, plus its so late in development I'm ok with waiting to see. Same question goes for tonight though. Has anyone had a clutch hatch this late in the season with temps below 40? it's supposed to be 45 degrees as a low tonight and get up to 88 during the day... should I be concerned and intervene or let nature take its course?

 

[Wrightsx4]

OK, I know this is a stupid question before I ask it, but what the heck.....If I end up with just this one chick.....what do you do????  My oldest are 18-19 weeks old and not even laying yet...so definitely no broodys......my youngest little girl is around 13 weeks old.  I could see how Sassafras (Isbar) acted around it, if she would mother it somewhat.  Or I thought about my sweetest hen a speckled sussex, Hattiecall, I just hate for it to grow up all by itself.

After my day 10 or so candling I had a strong feeling that I was going to end up with a single chick or two if I was lucky so I ordered a small order from Meyer. You can order as few as 3, shipping wasn't bad. They arrived yesterday and my 1 or 2 will join them today. They have a "need it now" tab that you can click on for day old chicks that can ship right away for no extra charge. They'd be within a few days of the same age. Mine arrived super healthy!

 

[wahmommy]

Congrats to everyone with new babies! For your little singletons, you can use the little stuffed animal, feather duster, or even do like I did with my last single baby and use a piece of feather boa (she used it to cuddle down into and under).

I unfortunately lost all of my little ones. I think the humidity went too high for the tiny babies. Next hatch is going to be a dry hatch, since all I am hatching is Serama now. I had a great hatch two hatches ago, and then just seem to have had bad luck. Hopefully using the dry hatch method will make a huge difference with these little bitty guys next time out.

I have eggs coming today and then the ones next week.... all going to be incubated with farrrrr less humidity. I opened my eggs this morning and they were all dead and very wet. I have to assume they drowned. :<

sorry Aschenfire can you post what your humidity was?

 

[wahmommy]

I used a piece of tubing and wiggled it thru the vent hole and was able to dislodge the other two shells off of him and he moved out a little.

I think his/her name will be Shelly.

good solution and really glad you didn't have to open the incubator!

 

[Wrightsx4]

Wow - so much excitement! I haven't been able to get online much in the last 24 hrs so I'm catching up and sharing!!! First - aschenfire, so sorry your hatch went bad Hope next time is a success.
Second - congratulations to all of you with the new babies.
Third - I have a new baby too!!! Of the two hopeful faverolle eggs, one of them was chirping aroung 8pm last night, pipped shell around 10pm then did NOTHING til 10am today. (I know, not really nothing, I'm sure there was stuff going on in there Then it zipped in about 20 minutes and I swear leaped out. I have the humidy at 80 so it's taking a while to fluff up. The other egg hasn't pipped yet so if he/she fluffs and the other hasn't pipped I'll swipe it out of the incubator and into the brooder with the mail order chicks (in it's own separated quarters for a day or so of course!)

 

[Aschenfire]

sorry Aschenfire can you post what your humidity was?

Kept it around 54-58% for the majority of my incubation then put the plugs back in....

It spiked to 75 when I first put the plugs in, then settled around 67-68%...too high for little Seramas I have a feeling... I think I worried less with my first Serama hatch, too, and ended up with 7 of 11 hatching and still here with me.

I need to look at what one of the girls I buy eggs from suggested a while back. I am pretty sure it is "dry hatch" style

 

[wahmommy]

today is Day19? of me. Anyway, hatch day is Saturday. I have them locked down in the hovabator, separated with some plastic mesh grid (some of the marans eggs I had were too light, like at 2 on the marans scale, so I want to make sure which ones came out of which egg so that I keep the ones with the best egg color). Humidity is at 65%, temperature is holding around 99.5 - 100F. No wiggles, no chirping. Just sitting tight til Saturday...

 

[chicksooner]

didn't get a response yet for some reason I thought today was friday... I expect the eggs to hatch tomorrow(friday or saturday) I can't candle them to see if this cold weather has affected them because they're copper maran eggs and blacked out, plus its so late in development I'm ok with waiting to see. Same question goes for tonight though. Has anyone had a clutch hatch this late in the season with temps below 40? it's supposed to be 45 degrees as a low tonight and get up to 88 during the day... should I be concerned and intervene or let nature take its course?

Have you posted this on the incubation/hatching board for everyone to read? You will probably get really good answers there. Sorry I am no help with this.

 

[sandmbaker]

I went to dr today and came home to find a cochin had hatched! Il upload pics in a while when im able to open the bator. dont wanna shrink wrap any

 

[mstricer]

Quote: Don't worry about the cold, she will sit tight, chicks aren't as fragile as we think a momma hen will take her chicks out in those temps for short spurts or long ones and cover them if they start to cry. We have had similar weather here, some nights in the forty's and today 85*
It is so much better letter her raise them.