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

[Quailsong]

I have you beat. Here is a 1 DAY old chick crowing:

That's what I heard. But a bit more gurgly, like a cricket's trill. Geez! Also it's cool how it looked like you totally weren't expecting it, zoomed in to inspect & then cut off at the end when it crowed (I assume you started laughing). Beautiful timing.

 

[LooseyGoosey]

Ladycluck - Leghorns have really large combs. I'd expect it to be larger in the first picture if it were a cockerel. I think it's a pullet. Black sex link is absolutely a cockerel.

PAchickenlover - the sex is determined by the hen when the egg is laid. So no, temps do not play a role in what sex. They can however kill off the pullets and thus you hatch more of the males.

Snort!

Congrats!

Great news on shipped eggs! If I had a basement, I would so have chicks in it!

It depends on how high up the pecking order your broody is. If she's pretty high up, then she'll stay put and the others will lay around her. If she's low on the pecking order, they could peck her until she vacates the spot. She'll return when they are done laying.

Little chocolate cutie pie!

I have you beat. Here is a 1 DAY old chick crowing:

Welcome!

BEST VIDEO EVER. What a cutie!!!

 

[chickenlisa]

Soo sweet! They are getting big fast!

Very sweet! When did their eyes open? Our foster babies are 1 week old today and 2 of them have the inner corners opened just a peek...almost like they're unsealing bit by bit from the inner edges to the outer edges...the other 3 look pretty tightly shut still. Here is one with them starting to peek open...

 

[Quailsong]

I'm just somewhat catching up on the newborn kittens topic here.

Years ago I had to raise a few litters of kittens from bad or first time mothers. Some were premature, others just outright abandoned at birth (including not removing the sac).

A big thing is making sure the kittens (and puppies) can relieve themselves at EVERY meal. Normally, they need the mother to lick their privates to stimulate them to pee. If not, then they will not relieve themselves properly which can cause internal issues that may kill them.

One way we replicated this was by using a soft damp cloth (warm water) & gently touched their private area below their stomach - to their anus. The key was gentle pressure & moist warmth. Imagine a cat's tongue - you need to replicate that feeling. We'd do this until they stopped peeing & their lower tummies felt/looked smaller. They'd pee & we'd repeat this before & after their next meal. After about a week they'd be fine to relieve themselves on their own.

In the first days, we'd feed them baby pablum mixed with slightly warm water or milk. A syringe (without needle) was used for the youngest, with little squirts at a time. Go slowly, as you don't want them to choke.

Then we'd move on to using our fingers to give them the food (they'd lick our fingertips, like nipples), thickening up the mixture as needed. Eventually we'd use a popsicle stick as it could hold more food (I'm sure a thin plastic spoon with soft edges would work as well). Within the couple weeks we'd move on to soaked kitty food, mix it up very good (so it's like mashed potatoes) and feed them off the popsicle sticks.

From there, we'd train them to eat out of a small & low bowl or plate. They'd be about 3.5-4 weeks old by then.

Slowly we'd moisten the feed less till it was basically moist adult cat food. At 5 weeks they'd be ready to rehome but only if they were eating on their own, running about & basically looking like normal kittens.

This was over 15 (upwards of 25) years ago that we did this. I'm sure there's a lot more info & better techniques out there, but this is what worked for us. A lot of what we learned was by chance/scratch - there was absolutely no info out there at the time & we didn't even know what 'Internet' was. So the method of raising may look really rugged or basic. Hopefully it gives people an idea or help to take care of their little fuzzballs.

Edit: for clarity.

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

What do you make of this? There was an embryo in there tho I never saw an eye spot. Not it looks like this.

 

[BirdyGirl7198]

What do you make of this? There was an embryo in there tho I never saw an eye spot. Not it looks like this.

I'd say that one is probably a quitter.. Maybe leave it for a couple more days, but it doesn't look promising. Sorry :/

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

I'd say that one is probably a quitter.. Maybe leave it for a couple more days, but it doesn't look promising. Sorry :/

I thought so. Eh... sucks but I still have 9 going strong. I'll give it till Saturday but then I need the space

 

[BirdyGirl7198]

I thought so. Eh... sucks but I still have 9 going strong. I'll give it till Saturday but then I need the space

I'm glad that you still have a few strong little chickies! Fingers crossed for a great hatch

 

[Cynthia12]

I'd say that one is probably a quitter.. Maybe leave it for a couple more days, but it doesn't look promising. Sorry

Agreed...

 

[chickenlisa]

I'm just somewhat catching up on the newborn kittens topic here.

Years ago I had to raise a few litters of kittens from bad or first time mothers. Some were premature, others just outright abandoned at birth (including not removing the sac).

A big thing is making sure the kittens (and puppies) can relieve themselves at EVERY meal. Normally, they need the mother to lick their privates to stimulate them to pee. If not, then they will not relieve themselves properly which can cause internal issues that may kill them.

One way we replicated this was by using a soft damp cloth (warm water) & gently touched their private area below their stomach - to their anus. The key was gentle pressure & moist warmth. Imagine a cat's tongue - you need to replicate that feeling. We'd do this until they stopped peeing & their lower tummies felt/looked smaller. They'd pee & we'd repeat this before & after their next meal. After about a week they'd be fine to relieve themselves on their own.

In the first days, we'd feed them baby pablum mixed with slightly warm water or milk. A syringe (without needle) was used for the youngest, with little squirts at a time. Go slowly, as you don't want them to choke.

Then we'd move on to using our fingers to give them the food (they'd lick our fingertips, like nipples), thickening up the mixture as needed. Eventually we'd use a popsicle stick as it could hold more food (I'm sure a thin plastic spoon with soft edges would work as well). Within the couple weeks we'd move on to soaked kitty food, mix it up very good (so it's like mashed potatoes) and feed them off the popsicle sticks.

From there, we'd train them to eat out of a small & low bowl or plate. They'd be about 3.5-4 weeks old by then.

Slowly we'd moisten the feed less till it was basically moist adult cat food. At 5 weeks they'd be ready to rehome but only if they were eating on their own, running about & basically looking like normal kittens.

This was over 15 (upwards of 25) years ago that we did this. I'm sure there's a lot more info & better techniques out there, but this is what worked for us. A lot of what we learned was by chance/scratch - there was absolutely no info out there at the time & we didn't even know what 'Internet' was. So the method of raising may look really rugged or basic. Hopefully it gives people an idea or help to take care of their little fuzzballs.

Edit: for clarity.

wonderful words of experience! Thank you! So far, our Foster Mama is doing all she needs to do for her babies, but in the event there is no Mama, this is all good advice and will help the babies survive and thrive. Thank you!