The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Sueg4332]

RamblinRooster. .It is upsetting Ive never added the $ in hatches ive lost up ....scared too! All i know is ive got sone pricey chckens running in my yard haha and you have 2 $60 chicks! At least you have 2 that hatched.The first $50 or more i spent first 2 hatches i got zero chicks from

we have all had terrible shipped egg hatches. at least you got 2 now pray for a rooster and a hen....
last year I had numberous shipped egg wrecks But guess what??? I now have 3 different groups of chickens and 1 turkey at POL (point of lay) to hatch chicks or sell eggs from cross the country. Plus many new friends. I swore I would hatch or buy eggs again. Boy did I lie to myself. I keep looking at the brahmas, they are so beautiful would love to have a pair of them running around my yard.....and the show girls are so cute..I already have 10 or twenty 1/2 bantam cochin/NN hatched.
If you were smart you would quit this addiction before it grabs you and won't let you go... like me LOL but it is just too much fun.....!!!!!!
Really it will get easier

 

[SilkieSensation]

Question. What do you feed your chicks? Do you give them the non, or medicated chick feed..or, do you give them chick feed at all..just start them on what you are already giving the flock.
Would be interesting to see what folks do. I hear some say they do not believe in medicated feed for their babies.
Broodies, may be different, as they are most always out and about finding the food for their little ones, unless, you have them in a run. Then what do you feed the babies. I've already seen egg added to feed for the broody mom and babies..great idea!
I personally do believe in the medicated chick feed.

I don't ever use medicated feed. I raise so many different types of birds that I have to have something they can all safely eat. My mill makes what they call Turkey Fast Grow. It's non-medicated & 20% protien. I can use it for chicks, ducks, poults, keets, quail, & goslings and not have to worry about anyone getting something they aren't supposed to. It's low enough protien for the chicks & goslings but still high enough for the ducks, keets, quail & poults. Poults & quail could use higher, but they just grow a little more slowly this way & it gives the poults time to develop stronger legs, especially on broad breasted. My meaties are also on this feed & I have not had any leg problems there yet. The oldest batch is 7 weeks & the younger batch is 5 weeks. Last year I fed a higher protien & had leg problems on BB poults & meaties both. I also ferment my feed (weather permitting) so that actually increases the level of usable protien in the feed as well.

 

[BirdNerd101]

HAPPY EASTER!

I have 2 turkeys hatched this morning. Duckies are pipped. Looks like my hatches are running a day or 2 behind the expected dates, but still not bad. I'll get a total count once the last batch (due Mon 21st) finishes hatching.

my ducks are running behind too. Just pipped today

 

[Audio51]

Man oh man.... This is the only chick I could get out of the nest. Rumples had a fit when the chick chirped. This is #3 for now. The second chick had more yellow in it. I thought I felt a cracked egg when I had my hand in the nest.

That is a beautiful chick! I love that color.....

Quote:
I meant if they were stacked the warmer air might not have made it to all the ones underneath. I know still airs can have problems with hot and cold spots....
Which is why I wired a computer fan in to my still air LG . . . . and it is now stacked.

To make room for todays hatchlings to run around-- that makes it ok , right?? lol

Just for clarity, a still air is a misnomer. Just a designation to distinguish it from the fan model. Air actually does circulate to some extent as the holes in the base and the holes in the top allow for movement of fresh air. Perhaps nearest those holes are the cooler area . . . just a theory. I move my eggs all over, or rotate the lid.

On top of the eggs is the 102 temp. SO the TOP varies by the size of the eggs, and if on a turner vs laying on the sides. Makes it rather complicated depending on the model and flexibility of how the eggs are set. ( Yah, I've been hatching too much. lol)
I have an ancient Hovobator from the 90s that is still air and wafer thermostat that I am using to hatch in right now. I really want to add a fan (and would love a digital thermostat too), but have no idea where to start with adding them. I have also heard of someone that put the fan in upsidedown and the air was being drawn the wrong direction. It was causing problems with hatching.

All these photos of lots of chicks are making me sad I had a terrible hatch. Out of 28 eggs totaling $130 I only got two Cochin chicks, which are the same color. Blessed to get those two at least. Don't think I will be hatching any more eggs for a long time.

RamblinRooster. .It is upsetting Ive never added the $ in hatches ive lost up ....scared too! All i know is ive got sone pricey chckens running in my yard haha and you have 2 $60 chicks! At least you have 2 that hatched.The first $50 or more i spent first 2 hatches i got zero chicks from

happy Easter 96 set 82 hatched for our entry in the hatch along

[/URL]first two guineas that hatched became mom for quail! Others are mean to Quail. Still have Quails hatching.

I have 5 pips and 1 hatched out of 6. My very first hatch I'm so excited!!! Must resist opening the bator.

Day 22-27 out of forty eggs so far. Candled remaining and there are still five with movement. Rest were clears or early quitters. A doz were in a friends incubator and didn't get candled but hatched 6 of those so far (included in 27). First Hatch-I'm thrilled! Couldn't have done it without y'all though. Had two out of really big eggs that were bleeders and 1 sticky. Everybody doing great though so far!

Quote: Will it eat or drink on its own, or is unable because it falls over? You can try the sav a chick, might need to use an eyedropper to feed it. If its wry neck the baby vitamins is the treatment
MontanaDolphin...are you close to a drug store or even a grocery store you could run to and puck up some PolyViSol without iron?

 

[Wrightsx4]

It's final - 11 out of 12 for my hatch.

 

[ronott1]

On the splash-- are you saying white down with flecks of black on hatch day makes it a splash . . and if not flecks it is a white??

THis is driving me crazy to get my head around!!



When hatched splash have black dots on white/ yellow down??

Delawares and EO Maraduna Basque are two examples of yellow chicks that change colors later and are not white or splash. The splash I have is a part of Blue genetics, so you get Blue, Black and Splash based on what you cross them with and then there is a percentage. Splash from blue genetics will have yellow with blue or black marks on it.

Bresse and white leghorns start yellow and turn pure white. You will have to watch the yellow chick to see what feathers come in over the next couple of weeks. You could even have wheaten!

 

[jinks12333]

I have two out.... 8 more pipped and 4.... doin notta. One of the ones that is out seems to be...... underdeveloped? its still drying and i don't want to open the incubator to find out.
Question.... what defines a "sticky chick"?? I have had one "drying" since 12 noon and its now 9 and not dry or fluffy... help?

 

[quailtrail]

My final #s 2/20. 15 were shipped and nothing But I do have 2 cuties

♡

Thank you everyone! !! I have learned so much during this HAL. Congrats to all that hatched! !! Hugs to those who did not.

 

[Cynthia12]

I don't ever use medicated feed. I raise so many different types of birds that I have to have something they can all safely eat. My mill makes what they call Turkey Fast Grow. It's non-medicated & 20% protien. I can use it for chicks, ducks, poults, keets, quail, & goslings and not have to worry about anyone getting something they aren't supposed to. It's low enough protien for the chicks & goslings but still high enough for the ducks, keets, quail & poults. Poults & quail could use higher, but they just grow a little more slowly this way & it gives the poults time to develop stronger legs, especially on broad breasted. My meaties are also on this feed & I have not had any leg problems there yet. The oldest batch is 7 weeks & the younger batch is 5 weeks. Last year I fed a higher protien & had leg problems on BB poults & meaties both. I also ferment my feed (weather permitting) so that actually increases the level of usable protien in the feed as well.

I also use a feed from a big mill here in town. It's 19 percent. I use the medicated for about two days only, then about a week on regular, the straight to the mill feed. They have done well throughout the years, so it must be fine. They aren't on baby feed for long.

BYW, so many of those eggs are still viable! I just have to worry about the air sacs on a few of them now. I go into lock down on Wed.

 

[Scrambles55]

So far I have a 4/7 hatch. There is one egg in the nest, but Rumples is ignoring it.