The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[chickadoodles]

Awww chicken your chickies are soooooo cuteeeee!

 

[Adalimbi]

Quails = 67 fertile 46 hatched
(all were 4 week old eggs so not bad!)
chooks = 2 fertile 1 hatched

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: Tap on them and listen for cheeps, but this only works if they are internally pipped. Sometimes you can feel movement through the shell. How long ago did the last one hatch?

Some of my best lookin' chicks

Cuties!

Time for me to call it quits - 0 of 4 hatched.

They were probably not fertile. Broody mama is still sitting tight. I haven't decided whether or not to give her more eggs. It would be an awfully long time to sit.

I'm sorry.

My duck eggs with external pips

Nice! C'mon ducklings!

Quote: EE's can lay any color egg.

Not remotely. We got lucky enough that hatch day coincided with feeding day. Snakes love newborn chicks of all sorts of different species. We actually try to line up hatch day with feeding day with the quail so if we have too many for the brooders, we can feed them off. Or any weak ones, ones with deformities, etc. I don't try to save weak chicks. If they aren't going to survive, breaking their neck and tossing them to one of the boas for a nice treat is better than floundering around and getting stomped on for a few hours.

I absolutely have no more use for cockerels as I have six roosters already. It sucks that they were almost all male, but that's what you risk hatching your own. And I'd rather they were fed to snakes that need a meal than go down a meat grinder chute *shrugs*

No different than growing them out for the freezer.

 

[JoyfulPromise]

Ok...shhhh..won't say a word...but, I AM HATCHING! More silkie eggs..shipped.. and marans that a guy that lives just an hr. away from me, and comes to work here in town, brought them bright and early. Here I go again. Didn't think I would this soon, but will just this once.

Oooh Cynthia! I am hatching silkies & Marans next too!

The silkies are from my own Partridge Silkie hen and Blue Partridge Silkie Roo, and the Marans are from E-bay - REALLY nice dark Blue Copper eggs to help boost my flock egg color!

I actually set them last weekend in my second LG styrobator, and I can already see little spiders in the silkie eggs!

 

[chicken pickin]

I have a customer that would like to pick up half of my chicks today, they are about 2-3days old. They are driving a long distance to come get them which means the chicks would need to drive a long distance to get to their new home, est drive time is 2.5-3hrs. I don't know if I have had someone drive so far for chicks before. Will the chicks fair well enough if they keep the car warm with the heat on and hand warmers are in the box with the chicks, 15 chicks total. I feel they should do ok but wanted to ask for any suggestions on transporting day olds and keeping them warm.

 

[dheltzel]

I have a customer that would like to pick up half of my chicks today, they are about 2-3days old. They are driving a long distance to come get them which means the chicks would need to drive a long distance to get to their new home, est drive time is 2.5-3hrs. I don't know if I have had someone drive so far for chicks before. Will the chicks fair well enough if they keep the car warm with the heat on and hand warmers are in the box with the chicks, 15 chicks total. I feel they should do ok but wanted to ask for any suggestions on transporting day olds and keeping them warm.

Skip the hand warmers, the chicks generate enough body heat and those things actually consume oxygen and could suffocate the chicks.
Put them into a small enough box (something about 10 inches square would be ideal for 15) and they will be fine in the car. If it's super cold (sub-zero), have the car pre-warmed for them, but I can't imagine that being an issue now.

 

[chicken pickin]

Skip the hand warmers, the chicks generate enough body heat and those things actually consume oxygen and could suffocate the chicks.
Put them into a small enough box (something about 10 inches square would be ideal for 15) and they will be fine in the car. If it's super cold (sub-zero), have the car pre-warmed for them, but I can't imagine that being an issue now.

Thanks. I figured they could make the trip I was just a little nervous they would get chilly. I do have small boxes they will fit nicely into. So no hand warmer?

 

[dheltzel]

Thanks. I figured they could make the trip I was just a little nervous they would get chilly. I do have small boxes they will fit nicely into. So no hand warmer?

I never mention it to my customers, I understand their concern, but it they have a hand warmer, I remind them to open the box in the car as soon as it is warm.

We regard chicks as small needing to be kept at 95 degrees, but in fact they are quite capable if withstanding a lot of cold for some time. I suspect (but don't recommend) they would survive a 5 hour trio in the trunk with no extra heat, even in winter. They are just much tougher than we think, especially for a 5 hour trip.

 

[birdmansmom]

Happy Thursday morning-

I am proud to announce that out of 12 eggs I hatched 9. This was my first time at hatching and I am so glad I did. They are so cute and growing so fast. Out of the 9, I hatched 2 polish and they are absolutely adorable.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have a customer that would like to pick up half of my chicks today, they are about 2-3days old. They are driving a long distance to come get them which means the chicks would need to drive a long distance to get to their new home, est drive time is 2.5-3hrs. I don't know if I have had someone drive so far for chicks before. Will the chicks fair well enough if they keep the car warm with the heat on and hand warmers are in the box with the chicks, 15 chicks total. I feel they should do ok but wanted to ask for any suggestions on transporting day olds and keeping them warm.

I'd skip the hand warmers. I'd put them in a small box (do not close it) and have the customer put it on the floor of the car with the floor heater on. They'll be nice and toasty down there. I'd also remind them to look for pasty butt in case they do get chilled.

Happy Thursday morning-

I am proud to announce that out of 12 eggs I hatched 9. This was my first time at hatching and I am so glad I did. They are so cute and growing so fast. Out of the 9, I hatched 2 polish and they are absolutely adorable.

Good job!