The 9th Annual BYC Easter Hatchalong!

[JaeG]

Now that looks like a lot of work!
They can't walk around and eat/drink by themselves like chicks and ducklings, right?
How much time daily would you say they need?

A lot of work! They really are still just a little foetus. Initially hourly feeds and I'd leave them 5 hours overnight. Only half their crops are open to start with but that slowly opens up so they can eat a little more. As they grow the time between feeds gets longer but even as older chicks almost starting to wean they still need 3 hourly feeds. The Javas are a bigger finch anyway so much easier to keep alive than the tiny ones. But they are very sweet so it was well worth the effort.

 

[pennyJo1960]

think I will sit with just my chickens here

 

[JaeG]

think I will sit with just my chickens here

Wise lady!

 

[Cynthia12]

A lot of work! They really are still just a little foetus. Initially hourly feeds and I'd leave them 5 hours overnight. Only half their crops are open to start with but that slowly opens up so they can eat a little more. As they grow the time between feeds gets longer but even as older chicks almost starting to wean they still need 3 hourly feeds. The Javas are a bigger finch anyway so much easier to keep alive than the tiny ones. But they are very sweet so it was well worth the effort.

Mama bird took care the ones I had. Why are you feeding them? You hatched them??

 

[lomine]

I was planning on setting some chicken eggs for a spring hatch so I will join in. I didn't have a lot of luck last year with hatches; with help from some BYCers we narrowed my problem down to being at high altitude. I've a got new plan for this next hatch that will hopefully give me more success.

 

[ronott1]

View attachment 1273702

I was planning on setting some chicken eggs for a spring hatch so I will join in. I didn't have a lot of luck last year with hatches; with help from some BYCers we narrowed my problem down to being at high altitude. I've a got new plan for this next hatch that will hopefully give me more success.

I hope you have a great hatch!

 

[aliciaplus3]

I was planning on setting some chicken eggs for a spring hatch so I will join in. I didn't have a lot of luck last year with hatches; with help from some BYCers we narrowed my problem down to being at high altitude. I've a got new plan for this next hatch that will hopefully give me more success.

It took me a while to get my hatching figured out, I am at 6000 feet in Colorado and discovered that I have to do things differently than someone closer to sea level.... humidity seems to be the biggest change for me.... I did discover by accident that Very Dark Brown eggs do well at a much lower humidity than lighter eggs. I also had pretty good luck with shipped eggs when I kept the humidity at 50%.
best of luck with your hatching!

 

[chonsey]

Hoping one of my hens get broody & help out, wanting to hatch out some Aruacanas. I have one roo & three hens. Getting two blue eggs a day. Need a couple more hens. Can't find any local.

 

[lomine]

It took me a while to get my hatching figured out, I am at 6000 feet in Colorado and discovered that I have to do things differently than someone closer to sea level.... humidity seems to be the biggest change for me.... I did discover by accident that Very Dark Brown eggs do well at a much lower humidity than lighter eggs. I also had pretty good luck with shipped eggs when I kept the humidity at 50%.
best of luck with your hatching!

I'm around 6,800, so very similar to you. This go around I plan to try dry incubation and I'll be tracking the weight loss so I can make adjustments as needed.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I'm around 6,800, so very similar to you. This go around I plan to try dry incubation and I'll be tracking the weight loss so I can make adjustments as needed.

weight loss or watching air cells was very helpful to me..... of course we live on the dry side of the mountains so that didn't help lol