Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[AmericanMom]

Ladies and gentlemen

..... we have a pip.

Egg # 6 has decided to be first out this morning and is cheeping(heh heh...get it?

chipping/cheeping...oh, never mind...it was funny in my own mind

) her way through the shell.

Oh my gosh!! This is freaking awesome BEE!!

 

[fisherlady]

Quote: Gracie is in a plastic nest box which sits on an elevated shelf, nesting material is a mix of sawdust from my chainsaw and hay. Coop was about 35 degrees inside when I was out for the pics. This little girl is a winter expert... last year she hatched 8 for 8 on Jan 26th, this year 3/3 on December 1st. She does get out at least once a day, sometimes twice, only stays out about 10 minutes when the weather is this cold, during warmer weather I have seen her out 20-30 minutes. We have baby cameras in the coop so we can watch 'chick tv' in the house and when we hear a ruckus it is easy to tell what is going on. (this helps us decide which birds are 'problem birds' when it comes to peace and well being in the coop).

Ladies and gentlemen

..... we have a pip.

Egg # 6 has decided to be first out this morning and is cheeping(heh heh...get it?

chipping/cheeping...oh, never mind...it was funny in my own mind

) her way through the shell.

yes!!!!

 

[AmericanMom]

Zipping!!! This chick is vigorous! Though, I have no idea how long it's been pipped, so no idea how long between pip and zip. She's cheeping!

Er...update!!! She is zipped and pushing against the shell and membrane, cheeping and ready to greet the world!

Pictures!!!!!!!!! So exited....

 

[Beekissed]

Cool BEANS!!! Gratz!!!

Are you going to leave it in the 'nest' to 'dry'?
Do you have some kind of 'brooder' for the first couple days to keep an eye on them before taking then outside?


again....Cool BEANS!!! Gratz!!!

Yep...will leave in the nest until dry and hopping around.... and then straight to the outside brooder under the heating pad brooder setup(I've had it on for the past several days, heating the brooder materials under it). Just like for a real broody situation. Babies don't get babied here...they get heat, a clean and dry place to be and food/water. They don't get their beaks dipped in water or food...they will find it in their own time. They will get placed directly under the heating pad brooder and monitored the first day, on and off, and then, once they have learned how to access heat, food and water, they are fed twice a day, checked on each night that everyone made it under the heat and no one got stuck in weird places away from the cold.

We'll see how healthy these FF chicks turn out to be....

 

[Beekissed]

Pictures!!!!!!!!! So exited....

Taking some video and pics as well...will try to upload those sometime today!

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Yay! Whooooo!!

 

[aart]

Gracie is in a plastic nest box which sits on an elevated shelf, nesting material is a mix of sawdust from my chainsaw and hay. Coop was about 35 degrees inside when I was out for the pics. This little girl is a winter expert... last year she hatched 8 for 8 on Jan 26th, this year 3/3 on December 1st. She does get out at least once a day, sometimes twice, only stays out about 10 minutes when the weather is this cold, during warmer weather I have seen her out 20-30 minutes. We have baby cameras in the coop so we can watch 'chick tv' in the house and when we hear a ruckus it is easy to tell what is going on. (this helps us decide which birds are 'problem birds' when it comes to peace and well being in the coop).

Cool, thanks. How do you do those nested quotes?

Yep...will leave in the nest until dry and hopping around.... and then straight to the outside brooder under the heating pad brooder setup(I've had it on for the past several days, heating the brooder materials under it). Just like for a real broody situation. Babies don't get babied here...they get heat, a clean and dry place to be and food/water. They don't get their beaks dipped in water or food...they will find it in their own time. They will get placed directly under the heating pad brooder and monitored the first day, on and off, and then, once they have learned how to access heat, food and water, they are fed twice a day, checked on each night that everyone made it under the heat and no one got stuck in weird places away from the cold.

We'll see how healthy these FF chicks turn out to be....

Cool....what a great experiment!
Might have to dip beaks, broody hen would dip hers...but your prolly wouldn't fit? ;-) or maybe a wiggly finger in the water would attract them enough.

 

[Beekissed]

Have found a way to get the chick to peep louder and try harder....snicker....pecked lightly on the egg and puck, puck, pucked! like a hen and, man, did it start to really peep and push on that egg!

Will resist the temptation to do this unless necessary........

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Have found a way to get the chick to peep louder and try harder....snicker....pecked lightly on the egg and puck, puck, pucked! like a hen and, man, did it start to really peep and push on that egg!     Will resist the temptation to do this unless necessary........ 

Wow Bee nicely done. Whatever works. I may have convinced my dh to let me try again. So may do the Easter hatch along

 

[Beekissed]

Good! I think any new method is a shaky business, at best, and needs a few good tries before calling it quits. I'll be setting a nest after this one for that time frame as well, just so I can catch the highest level of fertility on eggs and have one last hatch before it gets too late in the year.

I've set up a small wire arch under one end of the heating pad to allow some fresh air to flow into the chick while she is working on her shell. Am keeping the heating pad a little moist for this process, but not too moist...don't want to drown the poor thing.