The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[misskeeter]

My sweet chicks went to go live with their new mommy today.

I set 52 eggs, and I got 28 chicks total... I left the unhatched eggs in the incubator at school. I'm doubting anything will happen, because not opening it at all for 24 hrs once they started hatching made the humidity get too high at the end. live and learn I suppose...


I did take pictures of the cuteness from here at home before they left me. I'll post those in a bit.

Three of the chicks are still here at home with us. I kept the three in my "sick chick box," because I don't trust anyone to take care of them the way I know I will. Spraddle leg cutie looks like there is ZERO progress right now. Still hoping though...


I did go visit a chick today from my classroom hatch a month ago. The student who took her home wanted one from this hatch too. (I made them all take two so there would be no lonely chickens... she only liked one from the last hatch, but wanted a blue egg layer so bad she couldn't see straight, so we made a deal.... One of the other students who took two kept this one until very recently so it wouldn't get lonely before we could add this one... they are starting out side by side where they can see each other but not get to each other until the new baby doesn't need the heat lamp anymore and they know they will get along... )... anyway, the sweet little Polish REMEMBERED me... it heard my voice when I walked in and started freaking out.. they went over to let it out to see what was up, and it FLEW toward me screeching... I slammed into my chest and proceeded to nuzzle me under the neck. Then it climbed into my shirt and refused to come out the entire time I was there. When I left it started cheep crying... I had no idea that could happen... It's been two weeks since I've seen it...

 

[angelobutter]

ok so a while ago i posted pictures of my white faced black spanish chicks and at the time only 4 had hatched. almost a full day later the 5th chick hatched and was noticeably smaller than the other four, at the time that made sense but they are a week old now and he is still very noticeably smaller than the other guys. could one day later still be making a difference or do you think i somehow got one chick in the bantam version of the breed? male vs female? any other ideas?

 

[WilderWoods]

We have 30 eggs in lockdown! We have shipped eggs and a handful of our own partridge silkie eggs as part of the group. We didn't expect the shipped eggs to do very well, especially a shipment from Illinois - the box was smashed on one side, a hole in the other side, one egg cracked and the whole group very, very cold when they arrived. Their air pockets are very odd shapes, but out of 14 eggs, only 4 were bad, so we have 10 of them developing and hopefully hatching! You just never know with eggs!? We also received some Olive Egger eggs from Florida - these are amazing eggs and ALL of them were fertile and developing! We were amazed! They pictures from the breeder of the birds were great too, so we are really looking forward to seeing the chicks! Most of our silkie eggs developed too, so we ended up with two full incubators (Brinsea 20 Advance) and then we received our duck eggs (Anconas from Worth It Farms), so we ran out of space - so we quickly ordered a 3rd incubator (we are going crazy here!!) and we have a broody silkie, so all chicken eggs have a nice spot to hatch, and the duck eggs and keep turning for a few more weeks! Looking forward to Saturday and Sunday for the hatch!!! I think this is so great to be part of such a community event!

 

[WilderWoods]

We had a late hatching bantam cochin, seemed fine at first, but then did not thrive. After 3 days, this chick started to pant continuously and chirp loudly, like it was in distress. We determined that we think it had malformed lungs, or heart, or both. After 7 days, it died. I hope this isn't the situation with your chick - it seems healthy in the pictures! I have never heard of a "runt" in chickens, but is it possible it came from a smaller egg, or from a hen that may not be the healthiest of hens? Maybe the internal egg nutrition was incomplete in some way?

 

[misskeeter]

I'm gonna post pictures in separate posts so it won't be really long... Cute chickie babies!

 

[myfivegirls]

Okay, here's the pics I promised. I looked at the times on camera, and it took four hours for this little chick to hatch from pip to totally out of the shell. It's a strong little guy (I keep calling it a "he" - even tho there's no way to tell). It has hardly rested, mostly peeping and stretching its legs and trying to jump out of the little drawer organizer.

There's also two more pips - small ones.

 

[misskeeter]

 

[angelobutter]

We had a late hatching bantam cochin, seemed fine at first, but then did not thrive. After 3 days, this chick started to pant continuously and chirp loudly, like it was in distress. We determined that we think it had malformed lungs, or heart, or both. After 7 days, it died. I hope this isn't the situation with your chick - it seems healthy in the pictures! I have never heard of a "runt" in chickens, but is it possible it came from a smaller egg, or from a hen that may not be the healthiest of hens? Maybe the internal egg nutrition was incomplete in some way?

ya he seems 100% fine- runs around with the big chicks and seems healthy. I am wondering if maybe the person i bought them from has bantams of the same breed and a rooster got in with the large fowl so it is half bantam? Maybe i will email the seller see if that is a possibility

 

[angelobutter]

ok that chick is WAY too cute!

 

[misskeeter]