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

[jinks12333]

I agree with Cynthia .... try as a hatcher and if that fails then decide from there

Oh wow, glad you got your money back.  Someone may want it anyway, give it a try.  It may work better as a hatcher, instead of incubation..try putting some eggs in for lock down only?    Or would you dare??

 

[chicken pickin]

So I had set duck eggs the same day I set chicken eggs for this hatch a long, the duck eggs aren't due to hatch until late Fri night early Sat morn. Well I went to go turn eggs and candle and was going to move the duck eggs to the hatcher and well ALL the duck eggs are already pipped, THREE DAYS EARLY!!! Today is day 25 for them.

Im excited for these duckling because they are from my only duck who recently went missing this week. Now the drake is all alone.

 

[JennaLynn122]

Excellent Choice. Congrats Cynthia!

I belive she deserves it! She helped me SOOOOO much and even stayed up late with me helping!

 

[Sueg4332]

ozoxpat
I received eggs very nicely packaged shredded paper and each egg wrapped in bubble wrap
Send for Tenn. to California received in 2 days
Set number 19 eggs set
Number viable after 1st candling 19 at 10 days
Hatch number 18
How many you assisted 0
how many pipped but did not hatch 1
when did you start turning the day I sat them I let them rest from their trip 72 hours
how often did you turn auto turner in brinsea bator
best hatch I've had from shipped eggs

 

[Audio51]

OK my total count is 55 which kinda sucks if you start with my original 118, but not too bad if you start from the 79 i had once i pulled clears and you remember that almost all of them were eggs shipped during temperatures far below freezing.

SO not the best hatch rate, but I am ok with it. the biggest hit i think was the araucanas- I bought 25 of them but the package arrived severely smashed and only 4 of them wound up hatching.

What a beautiful box of color!

This is the hatch count from yesterday:


Hatch Count: ajohnso1 36; michaelf 2; mnhomestead 18; PappasMomma 6; Montanadolphin 48; D4wn 15; jbher 18; Pele 11; sbarab 7; CayuseRanch 61; foxvalleyfarm 9; ronott1 23; NaJoBele 17; JackieandChicks 8; Jorey 4; retiredwithchicks 40; watership 7; ShayBaby 0; jbenson 8?; Sclark73 34; roostereggs 9; BadgerHill 10; Marthab1953; sherlocklabs 6; Egghead_Jr 6; sillycmoy 29; MaryRose213 6; cwhittington 25; fernwoodj9 82; Caitlin_VT 9; JerseyHen 17; Loriemarler 6; hokankai 7; ozexpat 26; ocap 20; Reyvaughn 56; chiques chicks 6; Sueg4332 25; rrrmamma 10; Troll 18; gamesbirdsonly 2; jennalynn122 3; wondertwinpower 5; GaryDean26 0; Noncentzter 13; hockeydad6791 16; elorraine52 13; tnmommy 5; JDchicks 9

Great job!

Remember to post your hatch count on the thread.

So far today we have:

Hatch Count: Kismet 35; gracetonchick 7; Bhmathews 42; pickitfarm 1; chickenlisa 19; Scrambles55 4; curious penguin 5; Book 3; cpegram 15; Audio51 9; Ariell 3; Faraday40 14; Mr MKK FARMS 4; jbenson 8; AWlowry 15; fireman0298 15; JDchicks 9; angelobutter 55; Blarneyeggs 6; misbhaven 2; tnspursfan09 23; NoAFarm 9; knightie 2; Nomibear 9; cindynkidsd 27; Carriebain 24; sbarab 7; Marthab1953 36; Hayduke27 5; WindDancer 2; CackleJoy 32;

The HAL hosts need our hatch numbers for the total number of chicks hatched contest!

@ronott1 Please change mine to 12 after my 3 surprise chicks today

One more has hatched on day 24! Brings my total up to 3 now. Still holding out a little home for the others for another day.

Your patience paid off! Hope you get more hatchers...

Okay, so I broke a rule.

I don't believe in helping breeder chicks hatch. I think you are taking vigor out of your flock if you do. I don't mind if it is a layer, or a meat bird, but not with a breeder.

My Easter hatch went well. They started piping on Friday morning, early, and by Saturday afternoon I moved the chicks to the brooder. I always try to leave unhatched eggs in the bator for a few days in case I have some late hatchers. I needed the hatcher cleaned out for another batch, so on Sunday evening, I took an unhatched egg out of the bator and just as it was about to be tossed, I heard a faint peep. It is from my breeders, but I just couldn't stand it. I candled to find the air cell and opened a hole. The chick had internally pipped, the membrane looked good but the chick was not moving. To make a long story short, I stayed up till 2am working the little booger out, thinking the whole time that I would end up culling it because it wouldn't help at all. Whenever I touched it, the chick would peep, sometimes loudly, but it wouldn't try to get out. It never kicked, it never pecked, it just sat there waiting for me to get it out. I finally was able to free it from the shell. The yolk was fully absorbed, it was sticky, but the bird was well formed, physically. It was a bit "mushy" but otherwise looked good. I gave it a bit of physical therapy (gently stretched it's neck, wings, legs, etc.) and some PolyViSol. I put it in a cup with it's legs under it and left it in the bator. When I got up Monday morning, the chick was out of the cup and walking around the bator! I moved it to the brooder and if it weren't for the blue food coloring I put on it's back, I wouldn't be able to tell it from the others. Now, I still won't use it for breeding, but I have to admit that I am glad that I didn't toss the little darling.

What the heck, I guess I'm just an old softy, afterall...........

LOL!!! I can think of a lot worse things to be.....

Both of the special needs chicks that hatched died today.

The silkie/polish wasn't a surprise. Found it dead this morning...surprised it lasted as long as it did.

The other one who kept kicking her legs back and over her head was a surprise, though. She was talking up a storm when I got up this morning. Went to feed her two hours later and she was gone.

At least I have 46 healthy babies, though!!!

Awww....so sorry to hear that.

 

[apteryx]

Total of 9 hatched, but two died soon after hatching. They were under a broody and so I suspect they got crushed. All if the chicks that hatched in the incubator are doing great. I am going to let the broody raise them all.

 

[JennaLynn122]

Id just like to share that I got my mean rooster to behave and not flog me (even with my back turned)

 

[ddhyland]

Id just like to share that I got my mean rooster to behave and not flog me (even with my back turned)

How? Mine is about to be sent on a trip to freezer camp.

 

[JennaLynn122]

How? Mine is about to be sent on a trip to freezer camp.

Put 2 pair of jeans on so it doesnt hurt THICK JEANS! Boots, again so it doesn't hurt. Go out into the pen, DONT JUMP OR BACK DOWN and flog his butt back (kick him back with the side of your foot) but not hard enough to hurt him just enough to knock him back or off his feet. Keep doing it til you can turn around and walk away without being attacked. Im doing this every time he even threatens to come at me.

 

[misschickenlittle]

Haven't been able to participate on the thread as mich as I had hoped. But I did learn a few things! Like the wry neck that is to the side not backwards... I have one like that but afraid it may be too late. She's a week old. Has had vitamins since day 1 but can I still brace it or are the bones too hard? She seems to be getting along fine...

On to hatch results:
Chicks were about 12 hours late coming due to the 12 hour power outage I imagine! But I have 15 out of the 31 that went to lockdown. There are still 3 in the bator that were set on Monday after the Saturday start date. I am pretty sure 1 will hatch as I candled it and here was still movement. The other 2 I am doubtful. So I may have 16 or 17 by the time this is totally over.
On a sad note, 1 of the cuckoo orps had and extruding belly. I was hopeful it woul shrink but it did not in 24 hours so I decided to cull. I also had one of the cochins get smothered I think. It was back in a corner of the small brooder and stone cold tonight when I got home.

I will post official hatch tomorrow. Night all!!!

Oh and congrats Cynthia on the award!! From what I was able to read and keep up with you definitely deserved it!