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

[Cynthia12]

I got 21 out of 24! The hatcher is already cleaned and has a new batch hatching!

 

[Scrambles55]

Very true! This girl didn't have a vaulted skull, but boy she got a nice crest..and beard!

WOW.. What a beauty!!

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Anyone want to see more fluffy butt pictures?

 

[Cynthia12]

Thanks guys..she is pretty, but now I have to share another beauty..and yes silkie, some prefer the bearded, and I am one of them!

Ah shucks, have to show of my blue splash I had too..

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Thanks guys..she is pretty, but now I have to share another beauty..and yes silkie, some prefer the bearded, and I am one of them! Ah shucks, have to show of my blue splash I had too..

I want the splash pretty please.

 

[Cynthia12]

Me too fox, I am working on getting another one right now..in my bator.

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Me too fox, I am working on getting another one right now..in my bator.  

Good luck with it. What's odd about me wanting it is I'm not a huge fan of silkies

 

[HappyAcresKY]

Anyone have advice for hatching ducks? These are our first and it doesn't seem to be going well for them. We had 11 duck and 13 turkey in the same incubator. So far 2 duck and 10 turkey have hatched, no more pips. Today is day 28 for the ducks. I can hear one chirping, how long before I should see an external pip before I worry? We have 32 more due to hatch early May, what can I do to ensure that's a better hatch?

Our son named his poult Love Spot, Love because he loves it so much and Spot for th black spot on it's head. We are on night 2 of bedtime snuggles

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have been MIA for a few days. Chicks hatching... chicks grafting.... Building a broody pen... moving Rumples and her chicks.... and today a dead chick. It looks like it may have gotten trampled.

one the good side... the oldest chick was scratching away just like Momma taught it.

I'm sorry you lost one.

QUESTION.... How do I treat my broody and her chicks for lice? What is safe for 4 day old chicks? Should I just dust Mom with DE and the chicks in a week or so? I am almost positive that they have lice, because one of my hens had them and I treated her with DE. Broody and the chicks are in a separate pen, but they were in the same coop as the others until hatch day. Coop is dusted... broody pen was dusted. Thanks...

I have used poultry dust on young chicks and mama's. The key is to redust every 10 days and do a thorough cleaning of the coop and nest boxes. I've used Ivomec (Ivermectin pour on) on older birds, but not chicks. It's great and cured the lice issue fast!

 

[TJChickens]

After I waited the 24 hrs. I peeled enough shell and membrane away to be able to wet the inner membrane with a Qtip to get a view of the veining. At that point all had receded except for 1 big fat vein, so I put it back and waited a couple more hours. By then it had turned to a hairline, so I started zipping. I tried leaving the lid on so baby would make some kind of effort, but it didn't. I pulled it's head out and left the rest in the shell hoping it would kick out...Nope. It made absolutely no effort at all. I finally pulled it the rest of the way out. This took hours, as I was trying to give it every opportunity to take over. Once free though, within an hour or so it was up and running.
Baby #2 that pipped didn't make it. I'm sure it drowned, its face was covered in goo even though the bill was free.

I agree on the x-ray's. Wouldn't hatching be so much simpler, lol!

Ugh... This is so hard! The ones that should be hatching today are not doing anything. Air cells have not drawn down, some are dead just as of today. I made a little hole on the air cell end of one egg to see what was going on. I expected a malposition. The beak was right there under the membrane as if he should be pipping through, but not doing anything. Alive but not moving much. Still a few good veins so I didn't want to risk getting his beak through the membrane. I was sure he would do it himself. It definitely looked like he should be pipping. He died a couple hours later and so did another one that I hadn't messed with!!!

Here are pictures of the one that did get through the membrane that I'm trying to help. I just now chipped away more shell. No blood issues at all. Not sure if I should proceed further yet. Probably should wait a bit. He looks pretty ready and is gasping a bit. No cheeping. I am just trying to make sure he doesn't drown or suffocate. His nose looks clear and clean. Membranes are white and I put water on them to make them clear for the pictures...some small veins.