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

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

Today's lockdown right? Haven't been on in a while. Duck and chicken eggs looking good, turkeys are once again a wash. I'm about ready to give up on them.

 

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

I still have to go back and catch up on 400 posts, but I have one turkey pipping! little early? i guess i set them the earliest possible date to still be included. oh and two of the eggs from my birds are pipped as well, I had them labeled "silkie mix" initially but I have since found out that my standard sized frizzle cochin actually lays these itsy bitsy eggs, that apparently start pipping early so they are actually frizzled cochin mix. time to set up the webcam!





Haha edit to say that the eggs in the last photo are not weird shaped, the photo was taken through the lid of the incubator and it is a curved lid.

What's your turkey hatching secret? No matter how many I set I usually only get 2 to hatch.

 

[TJChickens]

What kind of cockatoos do you have? I've always wanted an umbrella cockatoo. Right now I have a beautiful sun conure.

They are crazy little Goffins. I used to have umbrellas but they are not as self entertaining

I have two sun conures that are special needs. Very beautiful, but they waddle around. Both legs on both birds were broken when I got them.

The cockatoo getting ready to hatch is still yelling in his shell! Sounds even louder this morning. I can hear him just by walking next to the nest box. I don't even have to open it. Even as babies, cockatoos have quite the lung power!

 

[ShelbyCoral]

Im hatching my very first chicks this year, 3 eggs first. Turns out, I'm getting 4 chicks out of 3 eggs.... And they are all growing! IM SO EXCITED!!! And I really don't know what this is. All I know is that its a bantam....

Don't know what this is either. Came from my Golden Polish Crested. I only have a Black Copper Marans Rooster around her... Should be interesting...

Twins here, Silver Laced Polish and Mottled Cochin... should be interesting to....
WISH ME LUCK!!!! Due April 28th

 

[angelobutter]

What's your turkey hatching secret? No matter how many I set I usually only get 2 to hatch.

no idea, I started with 6 and pulled one clear, and the remaining 5 seems to be going well. They are in a Rcom50, which seems to be very precise and doesn't fluctuate temperature or humidity at all, so I am sure that helps. the turner is really smooth as well. this is my first time hatching turkeys so we will see if the 5 all make it *fingers crossed*

 

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

Quote: What do you keep your humidity at? If you have good luck with that bator I might have to invest in one.

 

[Penny Hen]

One of my black spangled d'Uccle bantams hatched but is splay legged. As far as I know this chick was early and others have pipped and are working on it. I'm not sure though if its the incubator (this is the first time I've used the Incuvue) or just bad luck that the first chick wasn't right. And as seems to be the growing trend the little thing is now residing in the front of my shirt because 1. its easy to check on lol and 2. it positions its feet the right way under its body that way. Maybe It'll form better muscle development given a little time that way? well it doesn't seem like it could get worse anyway. He's got a day or 2 to work it out and if not he'll be donated to raptor rehab. Can I donate a chick to be eagle dinner after carrying it around in my shirt for a day or so? you might be wondering? Well that's what I'm wondering lol. It is cute as can be and seems very cozy.

You can use a bandaid to make hobbles to keep the legs under his body. My understanding is that it can take up to 5 days to see improvement. I haven't had to deal with it myself yet.

 

[angelobutter]

What do you keep your humidity at? If you have good luck with that bator I might have to invest in one.

It is preset at 45% and then at lockdown i bump it to 65%. they are hella expensive incubators, but I absolutely LOVE them. I got the Rcom20 here in the buy/sell/trade section used and after the first hatch where 12 shipped eggs (in way below freezing weather) all developed and all hatched- i was sold and went and bought the Rcom50 from www.uniqueincubators.com . I am slowly going to sell all my other incubators for money to buy another Rcom. I highly recommend them. However, get the fancy turners, the universal one is wonky, some of my eggs wind up pointy end up, everyone says thats ok because that happens under broodies, but I don't like it. but the fancy turners work like a dream!

 

[tommysgirl]

I was successful, with my H's help in moving one of my two broodies for this HAL into the broody box last night...On the advice of @PetRock and @Audio51 I first took some of the nesting material from her original nest and lined the broody box with it. Then I put in half her eggs. Then I put her in while DH shined a flash light on the eggs so she could see them in the dark. She settled in and then I brought her the remaining eggs. I also candled them all and I have 8/8 bouncing embryos.

Now I have a third broody who doesn't have eggs yet should I:

a) give her eggs if she is still broody after this weekend or
b) give her chicks if she is still broody after this weekend so that they will be the same age as the other two clutches
c) stop over thinking all aspects of chicken raising and just do what feels right on Monday morning

I am not going to give her any thing until after the weekend because I may need her to be a back up bator if the other girls get up before everyone hatches. If she ends up hatching their chicks it may may break her so my fretting about what to do may be useless...my fretting is usually useless.

 

[Cynthia12]