She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[sideWing]

They're eggs or meat, neither needs peanut butter or oatmeal. I am fine with putting electrolytes in the water for the 1st 3 days, still a little unsure about using medicated feed, but if I have to spoon feed them, burb them, or move their wings up and down...I draw the line. Remember, these will be the mothers of my future flock. I think perhaps they are all brain damaged by my stress test.

Look out! Truth bombs!

 

[Alaskan]

Yeah... I don't put anything in the water, and I use unmedicated feed


I find only the fancy purebred expensive chicks have issues...

And though I firmly subscribe to the "I only want healthy and robust stock" I have actually caved and done the peanut butter with some of the chicks

 

[Alaskan]

I think I have justified it by only doing it with shipped chicks and shipped eggs... Nothing that
I hatched from my flock

 

[NTBugtraq]

Yeah... I don't put anything in the water, and I use unmedicated feed

I find only the fancy purebred expensive chicks have issues...

And though I firmly subscribe to the "I only want healthy and robust stock" I have actually caved and done the peanut butter with some of the chicks

Hey, I get it, those long Alaskan winters and nothing to do, why not play with a chick! I still wouldn't. I do, however, pick bullies up who are sitting on the dying one's head or something...this is a no bully zone...;-]

 

[sideWing]

Yeah... I don't put anything in the water, and I use unmedicated feed


I find only the fancy purebred expensive chicks have issues...

And though I firmly subscribe to the "I only want healthy and robust stock" I have actually caved and done the peanut butter with some of the chicks

I will admit that I do all kinds of things for them and would also help them out of the egg if I thought it would work. But I would then sell them as pets or for egg producers. I would not keep them.

 

[scflock]

I will admit that I do all kinds of things for them and would also help them out of the egg if I thought it would work. But I would then sell them as pets or for egg producers. I would not keep them.

I'm on Bugtraq's side on this one. If they are smart enough to live, they live, but

 

[WVduckchick]

We are 5 no more, cause now we are 4.
1 more is as near dead as living can be, but as for the others, they will soon be 3.
Once death has finished passing this fragile door, I'll chalk it up experience and pine no more.
As for the remaining 3, they're bouncing and chirping and full of glee.
The bator fan drones on like a fan over an oven, as a new set of 41 gets ready to be chicken.
And as I sit here and, for the last time, ponder why...I am so glad I bought a new bottle of rye.

Maybe you should pick a different number to set

I'm incubating at 50% humidity this time around due to the info I got on the high altitude hatch thread. Air cells are looking just fine at day 11.

So 100sqft for 10 birds? I think I can double that and still have plenty of room.

Be sure and let us know how the change works for you. I still wish I had thought of it sooner for you.

I'm on Bugtraq's side on this one. If they are smart enough to live, they live, but

Tried to tell myself that this morning.... just couldn't do it.

 

[FridayYet]

I think they need to see the little pieces of dry food on a light surface first. (I tapped with my finger so the crumbles would move around a bit.) Mine did, and at first they would only eat off the paper plate until they realized the same stuff was in the feeder. Took about a day, then I took the paper plate out.

Maybe it's because you have wet food???

 

[NTBugtraq]

Essie Frock/Amy, I got a question about the Brinsea.

So the expected delivery date is next Tuesday. Let's say its ready to put eggs in next Wednesday. I have 2 choices, start 40 anew in the Brinsea, or transfer the 41 from the Styrofoam bater into the Brinsea (they will be on Day 9), and put 41 anew in the Hovabator. I have to try and get the 2 bators in synch, its a long and expensive process for me to get to the meat processing plant and I want to do it with 2 sets at a time, albeit of different ages. I had thought too be taking 2 sets with 4 weeks age difference (say 9 and 13 weeks, or 10 and 14 weeks). I have to make 2 trips, each two-way, 50 miles to process meat birds. It means I might have 50-60 in the brooder at one time...hmmm, I'm rambling now...;-]

 

[WalnutHill]

We are 5 no more, cause now we are 4.
1 more is as near dead as living can be, but as for the others, they will soon be 3.
Once death has finished passing this fragile door, I'll chalk it up experience and pine no more.
As for the remaining 3, they're bouncing and chirping and full of glee.
The bator fan drones on like a fan over an oven, as a new set of 41 gets ready to be chicken.
And as I sit here and, for the last time, ponder why...I am so glad I bought a new bottle of rye.

Nicely said, and nice choice of consolatory beverages.

To help with the next batch, I'd suggest tracking egg weights on a few so that you have a weight at lockdown, then weigh chicks and shell at hatch and compare. The total weight loss from laid to hatched should be about 15% +/- 1%. If you find your chicks when pulled from the incubator are considerably underweight, then you are losing too much moisture at hatch or before moving to the brooder, causing dehydration.

Besides light weight for the size, dehydrated chicks will show signs of vertical wrinkles in the shanks, a slim belly, and small or glazed eyes.

On your next hatch, to be safe, have a warm, draft free brooder at 95F ready and move the chicks as soon as a few are mostly dry. A paper plate or white container lid with a sprinkling of chick starter will attract them, especially if you tap on it. For water, I prefer to dip my finger in it and hold it next to their beaks, they will lap it up and then look for more.