South Carolina

[jenfarsh]

Hi to my SC chicken friends! I am brand new to all things chicken, I live in TR close to Tigerville. My baby chicks are expected to arrive 2 Jan I am almost finished with my Hen hotel and then I need to consider a run or free range by finishing my yard with fencing. If you live in my area, can you offer advice on predators while free ranging? Obviously the neighbor dogs are one major prob, not bad dogs but BAD owners... I plan to give all those free ranging dog owners a heads up! All advice welcome! Thanks!

 

[wekiva bird]

Hi to my SC chicken friends! I am brand new to all things chicken, I live in TR close to Tigerville. My baby chicks are expected to arrive 2 Jan I am almost finished with my Hen hotel and then I need to consider a run or free range by finishing my yard with fencing. If you live in my area, can you offer advice on predators while free ranging? Obviously the neighbor dogs are one major prob, not bad dogs but BAD owners... I plan to give all those free ranging dog owners a heads up! All advice welcome! Thanks!

Mine free range when i'm home and outside with them Hawks and coyote and wild dogs live around here.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
If it is at 103 the embryos are dead. If they were due to hatch and there isn't any moisture in there at all then they are probably unable to hatch. I know some folks do a dry hatch but this time of year with the furnace running and drying out the house's air it will make for a tough exit from a shell. I think you will need more practice in order to get good hatches. It is not unusual for a beginner to have a zero hatch rate! Practice, practice, practice! You will eventually get chicks once you learn what works with your bator in your home.

 

[HBruemmer]

If it is at 103 the embryos are dead. If they were due to hatch and there isn't any moisture in there at all then they are probably unable to hatch. I know some folks do a dry hatch but this time of year with the furnace running and drying out the house's air it will make for a tough exit from a shell. I think you will need more practice in order to get good hatches. It is not unusual for a beginner to have a zero hatch rate! Practice, practice, practice! You will eventually get chicks once you learn what works with your bator in your home.

Autopsy today. I'll let y'all know what we figure out. For this first hatch I used an incubator that was loaned to us for educational purposes by 4H. Looking back, the lady was complaining when I picked it up that the last teacher had a zero percent hatch rate. She said she thought she opened it too much. But, now I'm wondering if the thermometer that came with it is off. I'm hoping for better results in my newer unit. I admire my kid. She told me very seriously that she wants to be there when we crack the shells because she isn't learning anything if she only does the fun part of raising chickens. Which sucks, because I was going to make my husband do it alone, but I can't very well let my eleven year old do something I don't want to face! Oh well, then we will be candling our next set for day 7. I think it will be better this time as I have a decent candler.

 

[Avonshire]

So what did you find? I wimped out and just threw out the eggs. This was my 5th hatch. Mine have been all over the place in regards to hatch rate. I "think" one of the chickens might have developed up to day 14 or so but then stopped. With the dark eggs it is hard to know. It is sad because I was hoping for babies but it is definitely easier to not have any fluffy butts!!!

Autopsy today. I'll let y'all know what we figure out. For this first hatch I used an incubator that was loaned to us for educational purposes by 4H. Looking back, the lady was complaining when I picked it up that the last teacher had a zero percent hatch rate. She said she thought she opened it too much. But, now I'm wondering if the thermometer that came with it is off. I'm hoping for better results in my newer unit. I admire my kid. She told me very seriously that she wants to be there when we crack the shells because she isn't learning anything if she only does the fun part of raising chickens. Which sucks, because I was going to make my husband do it alone, but I can't very well let my eleven year old do something I don't want to face! Oh well, then we will be candling our next set for day 7. I think it will be better this time as I have a decent candler.

 

[HBruemmer]

26 dead in the shell (except for one which took a few breaths before bleeding to death, all fully developed. Spoke with Heidi, it was a humidity issue. It was heartbreaking.

 

[CarolinaChickenKeeper]

26 dead in the shell (except for one which took a few breaths before bleeding to death, all fully developed. Spoke with Heidi, it was a humidity issue. It was heartbreaking. 

Or temp spikes!!

 

[Avonshire]

I am sorry. I know in the summer I did not have as much trouble with keeping my humidity up like I did this hatch however I also had the temp spikes and the other issues!

 

[KPenley]

Really hard day...I lost two of my five beautiful Christmas Silkie chicks between last night and this morning. We stayed up with them trying to get food and water in by hand, but in the end I think they were just not strong enough to make it on their own. After burying them with the three eggs that didn't make it, I checked on my Legbars to find that my cockeral had flown into a window and died. He'd tried it a couple of times this week, but I thought he had learned his lesson. Like I said, really hard day.

But there's always hope. I still have a great Cream Legbar pullet, and will be picking up a friend for her this week. The window will be blocked with wire mesh tomorrow. And I still have these beautiful healthy Silkie chicks who will celebrate their one week old birthday on New Years Day!





btw they're eating fermented feed

 

[phoneman]

if you set the eggs on christmas eve,it is not time for them to hatch yet