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

LL


Very pretty!
 
Lost my flock to a predator last night.  I had taken my chickens up to the school's coop (which is enclosed but only with chicken wire) as I'll be gone for a week.  Came in this afternoon to check on them and all I found was a profusion of feathers.  I think I'm just numb at this point-too tired to even cry any longer.

If I have my way, the school's coop is going to be a freaking FORTRESS when I am through.  I sent out letters to a few companies hoping for hardware cloth or poultry netting donations.  I'll still help the kids out, but first we need to secure the coop.

On the note of my lost chickies: I didn't even stop at my house after discovering the slauter-went strait to the local greenhouse/feed store.  Here are a few new friends.  I decided SCREW THE CITY: I'm keeping a rooster anyway-with a "Pie-Hole" collar which I will make this afternoon. ( Pie hole collar= SHUT YOUR PIE_HOLE YOU STUPID ROOSTER!)  I also got a little duck friend. 



Ahhhhhhh man! I am so sorry to hear that!
 
My Serama started laying and I'm tempted to put eggs in the bator but I gotta wait
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Congrats!

Well I'm up to 3 Broodies now, so if I can't break the one not in the nests by Hal time I might set some under her 2.

I've got three broodies also. Two are due in the next couple days and I'm thinking of sharing their eggs with the other hen. I just have to make sure she has settled onto her own eggs or else she may not take to chicks.

I hatched a rainbow of chicks lol I should do a contest called GUESS THAT BREED lol
2 roosters a RIR and an Easter Egger, with my hens being 1 Plymouth Rock, 2 Marans, 4Jersey, 2 RHoad Island Whites
Nice breeds! I want some Rhode Island Whites, but just haven't gotten the chance yet. I love my Jersey Giants though.
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I did post this in Incubation and Hatching, but didn't know if any of you would have any advice?

This baby piped Thursday morning, she started to unzip about 11:00 pm and only got about a 1/2 " hole going and then she kind of stopped. Last night I helped her unzip a little of the outside shell and noticed that the membrane was very white. (No issues at all with humidity, she was my first pip and so far the rest are doing great 6 already born) I took some warm water and lightly moistened it and then placed her back into the bator. I got up this morning and she still has not moved from this spot, she is still poking out her beak and I can see her breathing, however she is no longer chirping. I don't know if I should just help her out st this point or just let nature take it's course and hope for the best. PLEASE help, I do not want to be the reason she dies but I do want to give her a chance.


If a chick seems too weak to break out then try picking the shell off in a full circle but leaving the membrane. If she doesn't push free try gently ripping the membrane and let her get out on her own. If she doesn't get out on her own she is very weak and needs some special care to help strengthen her to help her live. It may be a genetic problem, it could be physical. Whatever it is, offering her electrolyte water and keeping her warm and in a safe, small brooder by herself will help her build up her strength. My chicks that got assisted needed a couple days before they could walk, and during this time they were so weak they could barely lift their heads. It can take time, but they certainly can survive from it.

Its good to wait a while, chicks sometimes are slow hatchers, so you did the right thing. When they stop cheeping they are becoming too weak to hatch on their own and may suffocate. We learned this the hard way.
 
I lost my quotes while I was gone. I'm already collecting eggs to hatch. I'm going to do my first staggered hatch since my old bator just needs a hole filled with some foam. It was a good excuse to get a new one though. I haven't had any time to put it together. Today was my oldest niece's 9th birthday, so I absolutely had to be there.

I got the exact same one as what I already have. I know how to use it well and I love it, so why not?
 

Nice reason. Hunny I NEED a new incubator..... Ok they say.....Later. Oh yeah I need some foam as well please..... What for?.... To patch the tiny hole in the old one.
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She is out and so far perfect. Not too bad so far this test hatch 9-12 hatched 2 unzipping now and the other is pipped. Wouldn't it be great to get 12-12

Awesome, I'm glad she's okay. I've seen my momma hens help chicks and it is really cool to see. Sometimes they do it right and sometimes they do it wrong. I had one momma hen trying to help her chick up and she kept stepping on it. It was fine, don't worry, it was just funny to see her try so hard to be gentle and then forget where it was and step on it.
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I got my new bator.

Awesome!

First eggs in the new incubator, 4 each Swedish flower hen and Isbar eggs. Relocated my incubator to a closet in the guest room as I figured the closet temp will be more constant than the main room with the floor furnace in it where I used to keep the old incubator. Here goes nothing!
I suddenly like my post office. Stopped by and knocked on the back door earlier today as I will be out of town until next Thursday and figured the eggs would be here today. 2 hours later, a post worker knocked on my door and said that his supervisor had just found my package and wanted to be sure I got it
I put the eggs in right away but will wait to turn on the egg turner until tomorrow. Outside temp is warm enough here is that I don't have to wait.

BTW bellsouth hatchabatch app rocks

Congrats on the eggs! I love Swedish Flower Hens, I can't wait to see your eggs hatch.
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LL


I love SG's! And this is a very nice one! A bow tie, and look at those feathered feet!

He looks just like my Flo did! Flo was suppose to be a girl, but he turned out to be a rooster. Oh well, seems to be the way with my chickens. Prince is really Princess, Saprano is Mr. Dottie, and Precious was stuck with being Precious. : )
 

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