The 7th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long!

[cree57i]

So this is my brooder setup now. Firstly, its outside in my unheated greenhouse, so I am very concerned about the water freezing. I'm hoping that the heat plates and chicks are going to keep at least some of the water unfrozen.

My other concern is whether the chicks will be able to drink from the waterer at all. There's not a lot of space between the top of its lip, and the bottom of the plates lip. Anyone with experience here that can offer me some suggestions?

On the premier one heat plates you can have 1 side higher and the other lower. That is what I do so they can get to their water on the higher side or run to the lower side and get more heat. That looks like a good set up. Are the sides enclosed so there isn't a draft? I've used cardboard before for that.

I blinked and am 15 pages behind...I may never get caught up already!

 

[KYTinpusher]

Does anyone have any remedies for low sperm count in a cockerel? I know he CAN do the job because I have 1 egg in the bator developing and 2 more that were cracked

to check were fertile (from 2 different hens), but the other 36 that have been incubated (before and after the fertile ones) have not been fertile.

He is a project cockerel and I don't have another with the same parentage, though I have another full trio from different parents that are producing nice chicks. So all is not lost, but I was hoping to have more diversity in this project.

BTW, he already goes commando, so boxer shorts, cool packs and loose-fitting pants are not the answer.

 

[chattery41]

I am committed now, and with

hope I have not made a catastrophic mistake. 25 chicks are in the greenhouse under the brooder plates. They are less than 20 hours old, but were completely dry when I put them out. Its 23F atm, and the forecast says it will get warmer overnight (not dramatically, but at least warmer). I can see nothing but the plates, my brooder walls are higher than the plates so I cannot check what's happening under them without removing the plates. That seems counter productive, so I will do that only once a day at mid-day. I put a thermometer on top of the water bottle which is ~8" above the bedding, and it is reading 43F, so that's a good sign.

But since this is my first time brooding outdoors in winter, I am very worried I have condemned them. Like me, keep my chicks in your thoughts tonight. This is the closest thing to a real broody I could do, and more importantly, if these chicks thrive it means I have genetics that can withstand my climate, part of my breeding goal...but I don't want to be the cause of the demise of such pretty chicks either...

Right now I kinda feel like Washington at Valley Forge..."if I could do anything else, I would"

I will be pulling and praying for you and your babies.

 

[ppetsch]

I am looking for polish bantam eggs to hatch does anyone have any to sell

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I have pips in the bator! I should wake up to some babies tomorrow

 

[Lozuufy]

I have pips in the bator! I should wake up to some babies tomorrow

 

[ppetsch]

Welcome! e

And welcome to BYC too!

 

[KYTinpusher]

I am looking for polish bantam eggs to hatch does anyone have any to sell

I don't know anyone who has them, but if you don't find some soon, try PMing @XxMingirlxX She keeps up with who has what.

I have pips in the bator! I should wake up to some babies tomorrow

 

[chattery41]

"My kingdom for a sign ! !" Is that random enough ?

 

[draye]

Does anyone have any remedies for low sperm count in a cockerel? I know he CAN do the job because I have 1 egg in the bator developing and 2 more that were cracked  to check were fertile (from 2 different hens), but the other 36 that have been incubated (before and after the fertile ones) have not been fertile.     He is a project cockerel and I don't have another with the same parentage, though I have another full trio from different parents that are producing nice chicks. So all is not lost, but I was hoping to have more diversity in this project. 

BTW, he already goes commando, so boxer shorts, cool packs and loose-fitting pants are not the answer. 

Rooster Booster. You can find it at most any feed store. I have never used it myself but, according to what I've read it does work.