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

[jinks12333]

Just a reminder.... Everyone please remember to check your chicks a few times a day for "Pasty Butt"!!! I check at least three times/day and it can happen quickly and be just as deadly. I checked last night before bed and first thing this morning.... About two hours later I found myself down in the basement by the brooder (had to get something out for dinner) and I saw a little build up on one of my chicks..... I re-checked everyone and ended up taking three upstairs for a bath and Vaseline!!! They are currently drying as I write this reminder that a simple check a few times a day could possibly save your chicks life. <3

 

[Happy Chooks]

I don't know how you thinned down the entries, there were so many fabulous photos entered!

We have a very extensive process to make it as fair as possible. And an odd number of judges, for the intention of not having a tie, but we still have ties every now and then!

This has been the second most depressing hatch I have ever had... Three on day 21, funnyfeets on day 23, then three that pipped & died, followed by a normal but small chick on day 24. Candled everything left on day 24 after the last chick fluffed up, and they were still alive - two hadn't even finished drawing down. I figured I'd better get miss feet and her new roomie out of there and sprayed the feet - Blue-kote did not help the attention paid to the feet, it intensified it. So, miss feet went into the mini brooder, and the others went into the last empty battery brooder... but I forgot to adjust the gate and the new one was small enough to get out into the feed tray and then jump/fall to the floor - where of course she found her way to the sump pit.

. Today five more have pipped internally, then died without an external pip, two died after external pip.

Because I have a kitten in intensive care with a respiratory infection, our calving season officially started today (thank you, #182, your daughter is beautiful) and a customer coming to pick up twenty flats of plants tomorrow that had to be moved by hand, I'd decide that it was time to pull the plug tonight & post my four survivors. Didn't have time, because a neighbor called to let us know Jake (my tom turkey) was on the road down by their house. DH drove me down, hefted giant bird over fence, & I walked him across the pasture back to the barn... where he promptly hopped up on the fence by the hen house and went to sleep before he could get scolded.

Then I came back to the house... and heard cheeping coming from the incubator! My sole 'rock' egg hatched! It's a BR/WR cross, didn't really want the cross, but I hadn't set any of her eggs before and wanted to know if it was viable. Couldn't have faulted her if it didn't hatch - but I can't believe it did! It looks healthy and this is day 26!!!

Now it's nearly midnight & I need to make dinner - if baby is fluffy by the time I'm done, I'll candle again. Now, I'm not giving up on anyone that moves!

I'm sorry that your hatch didn't go as well as you had hoped. Good luck with all of the other critters!

Update on my ducklings hatching. One finally zipped out of its egg late last night and one hatched this morn.

Adorable!

Final numbers
2 welsh harlequin ducklings (11 eggs set)
9 mixed heritage turkey poults (13 eggs set)

FYI ducks should not be turkey tutors, the poults are following the ducklings into the water dish and take FOREVER to dry.

Congrats Sheriff and Chicken Pickin, nice photos.

Out of my Wednesday hatch, set 11 and 11 hatched. Happy happy, those were in the Brinsea the whole period. I love the Eco 20 although I hear alot of you have problems with them here and there on BYC. Not sure is it's because mine is older or what the deal is but I add eggs close and 18-21 days later I have chicks. I'm still working on tweaking my 2 home made incubators but I'm still happy with the percentages considering I'm just throwing things together to build them. I set another 48 BYM, 18 Speckled Sussex, 7 BLRW, and 8 EE due to hatch on May 15th. I have another batch due on the 4th, 9 EE, 7 SS and 6 BLRW. I tore apart the Hova-bator and put the guts into one of my homemade incubators along with the turner because the styrofoam on the Hova is all chewed up from what I can tell looks like rats or something, I got it from our BoyScout troop leader as he wasn't using it anymore.

And now for the pictures, I love sharing them hope they aren't annoying.

Updated incubator made from a steak cooler.

Home Made from a pop-up campers cooler fridge, with rigged turner.

And of course the Brinsea

All are packed full, set lastnight.

4 BLRW hatched yesterday.

Chicks from the HAL and hatched this week. BLRW, SS, EE

BLRW Hatched a few weeks ago.

Congrats! I have good luck with my Brinsea as well.

Just a reminder.... Everyone please remember to check your chicks a few times a day for "Pasty Butt"!!! I check at least three times/day and it can happen quickly and be just as deadly. I checked last night before bed and first thing this morning.... About two hours later I found myself down in the basement by the brooder (had to get something out for dinner) and I saw a little build up on one of my chicks..... I re-checked everyone and ended up taking three upstairs for a bath and Vaseline!!! They are currently drying as I write this reminder that a simple check a few times a day could possibly save your chicks life. <3

Good tip, do check for pasty butt!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I justrecieved my Brinsea Spot check in the mail. But its not reading a temp it just has a letter L and the f for fahrenheit in the upper right corner is flashing. Im not sure how to get it to read the temp lol.

A few degrees high and it will just have an H. A few degrees low and it will just have an L.

...

I have been ridiculously busy still, barely time to read every 3rd or 4th page and try to keep up with most of what's going on. It is my own fault of course, as DH would say, took on too much at once, but I would rather be busy than bored. Lots of projects to do, all are behind

I just moved some eggs to the hatcher early this morning (about 8 hours later than I planned), 15 Salmon Faverolles, 7 of 9 shipped White Bresse (!), and my first two home-bred Ameraucanas - I didn't select the pair, I asked the breeder to select for me, and I love the birds - cannot wait until Friday!
...

X2

//////////////////////////

I'm late to the show and I didn't have nearly as good of a hatch this time. I set the eggs 28 hours later than most. Then I had a really protracted hatch, which is weird since all the eggs were within 3 days of being laid and all about the same size. That's because my wife cooked all the eggs I had been collecting and planned on using.
I did start them off in the LG for a few days so there may have been cool spots giving some a slow start.
One egg hatched right on time and the rest took 2 full days.
I was also really busy and rarely checked on the eggs. Ijust set the incubator and forgot it. It was probably a little cool for part of it. I'll be replacing the controller before next time.

30 eggs set and 11 hatched but 2 of those didn't make it so I'm down to 9.
4 Ameraucana/Black Penedesenca cross
2 Jaerhon/Black Penedesenca cross
3 Black Penedesenca

The 2 that died were the only 2 eggs I set from the Pene hens I got from someone else. I've tried hatching their eggs several times now and I still don't have any birds from them. I've had 3 different roosters with them. The other 3 hens in that pen are putting out good chicks.

 

[ChickenFox]

Just a reminder.... Everyone please remember to check your chicks a few times a day for "Pasty Butt"!!! I check at least three times/day and it can happen quickly and be just as deadly. I checked last night before bed and first thing this morning.... About two hours later I found myself down in the basement by the brooder (had to get something out for dinner) and I saw a little build up on one of my chicks..... I re-checked everyone and ended up taking three upstairs for a bath and Vaseline!!! They are currently drying as I write this reminder that a simple check a few times a day could possibly save your chicks life. <3

I check a min of 4 times a day plus anytime I happen to get up in the middle of the night. I'm a worry-wort. lol

Thought I would finally post a pic of my HAL babies.

Minus the 3 my MIL took home the other day.
3 Bantam EE's and 5 BCM



It's a bit dark. I wasn't really thinking about how well black chicks would show up on black background.

 

[Junibutt]

Some of them basking in the sunlight

What a cute picture, congrats!

Thanks @Sally Sunshine

 

[ShelbyCoral]

WHO LOVED THIS HAL? I DID! I DID!

I watched it last year and I wanted to join so bad! But I didn't have an incubator and no broody... Also I wasnt really into the whole chicken thing as I am now!

I LOVED THIS HAL!!! EVEN THOUGH I ONLY HAVE 1 EGG HATCHING AND ANOTHER NEXT WEEK! Ill be prepared for the next one. Yes, I will do the next one.

BTW

 

[ShelbyCoral]

I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH! I learned about hatching and incubating! Not to mention friends

 

[ShelbyCoral]

Ive made this with my two last polish girls. The cream one is the daughter of the polish I just lost to coyotes. And the other is just Winter...
FOR YOU GUYS!

 

[bantambury]

sally, I loved this HAL! it was so nice even when I didn't hatch! marshie's chicks are due to hatch in 4 days, so I will post pictures and replace pictures for the baby contest!



I had one question....there are so many contests right now that has pending winners.....do you know off the top of your head which ones are?

I was so confident id win a contest this hatch, but there are so many good contest entries! thanks for all your help!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Happy Chooks is adding the winners to the op as we go, perhaps you can keep an eye on whats remaining? There were tons of entries this year, "holy molty" tons and tons! and the final three have even more than the others! Its very hard to judge so many, we take our time and make sure they are judged as best as they can be. I wish everyone luck!