The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Is yours acting off, hunching up in corners, etc.? Sometimes there can be some "yellowish" in the poos and it isn't yolk.

 

[gevshiba]

I'm about 2500 posts behind on this thread and it's not likely I'll be catching up, so I'm jumping in here. I've missed this thread, but needed a break.

I never thought I'd ever own an incubator, but... So I have 2 chicks, 5 weeks old that I hatched. I tried to hatch my turkey eggs, but although they are fertile, they aren't viable for some reason. I've tried twice. That's the extent of my hatching experience. I just butchered my tom, so I thought I'd give the turkeys one more try, so they're in the incubator. Meantime, my friend and I ordered hatching eggs. She got Lav Orps and I got Speckled Sussex. The eggs came today. The Orps are fine, but there was a mix up and I only got 1 SS egg. The rest are Silkies! Sizzles & Frilkies (whatever that is). So I've read on here in the past that Silkies are hard to hatch. They will hatch before the turkeys. Right now there are a few detached air cells. How long should I give them to try to re-attach? My eggs will lay on their sides, so should I even put them in if they don't attach? What else do I need to know about hatching Silkies? My main concern is my friends Orps. She'll be taking the Silkies too, although I might keep one for awhile if my turkeys don't hatch and my lone SS does. I'd appreciate any advise on this. Some of those eggs are soo tiny! Can't believe a chicken will come out of that.

 

[ki4got]

ok, well, re: ms balloon, I popped her, and now she's gurgling some when she breathes. I'm thinking when she dunked she may have aspirated some water, which is causing the respiratory issues and ballooning.

I popped her in several spots. back of the neck, both sides of her breast and both legs. there are some areas that won't 'burp' but i feel if i can just get the worst of it and make her more comfortable... *shrug*

fortunately (in an odd way) her skin is so tight you can see the blood vessels clearly, so I missed those and actually used a turkey basting needle (something around 10 or 12 gauge, but she didn't complain much) but the skin seals itself so well that I had to re-pop a couple spots more than once in just 10 minutes. if I'd had some small gauge surgical tubing, I might have just inserted those to keep the holes open sort term, but I don't.


she's eating and drinking fine now tho. I did treat her with ivermectin, since I saw mites on her too. I do NOT want them spreading to the chicks I have in the house... I check every pen (can't check every bird) at least once a week, and hadn't seen any till now, so not sure if I should treat the whole pen or just keep checking periodically.

 

[CoopChick719]

Is yours acting off, hunching up in corners, etc.?  Sometimes there can be some "yellowish" in the poos and it isn't yolk.

Yes to all.

 

[delisha]

I'm about 2500 posts behind on this thread and it's not likely I'll be catching up, so I'm jumping in here. I've missed this thread, but needed a break.

I never thought I'd ever own an incubator, but... So I have 2 chicks, 5 weeks old that I hatched. I tried to hatch my turkey eggs, but although they are fertile, they aren't viable for some reason. I've tried twice. That's the extent of my hatching experience. I just butchered my tom, so I thought I'd give the turkeys one more try, so they're in the incubator. Meantime, my friend and I ordered hatching eggs. She got Lav Orps and I got Speckled Sussex. The eggs came today. The Orps are fine, but there was a mix up and I only got 1 SS egg. The rest are Silkies! Sizzles & Frilkies (whatever that is). So I've read on here in the past that Silkies are hard to hatch. They will hatch before the turkeys. Right now there are a few detached air cells. How long should I give them to try to re-attach? My eggs will lay on their sides, so should I even put them in if they don't attach? What else do I need to know about hatching Silkies? My main concern is my friends Orps. She'll be taking the Silkies too, although I might keep one for awhile if my turkeys don't hatch and my lone SS does. I'd appreciate any advise on this. Some of those eggs are soo tiny! Can't believe a chicken will come out of that.

Turkey eggs and silkie eggs are not a good combo to hatch together IMO. They have different needs.
Since you have no choice you will need to keep everything centered.
Humidity 40% and no more or less
temp 99.6-100 no higher or lower
reattaching may take place by letting the eggs sit with out turning the first 24 hours. You need to let the eggs adjust to your home humidity and temp..and rest for 12 hours after shipping before putting in the incubator.Than setting in the incubator with out turning for 24 hours. Reattachment simply does not happen in many cases. You can stll have a rewarding and fun experience hatching eggs if you are gentle and treat them like fragile eggs. Try not to handle them..try not to adjust the incubator..make sure it is working properly before setting.
Silkies are not hard to hatch if you know how to hatch them..they are actually quite hardy. They have problems in the last few days..They can't be move until internal pip or they drowned. They hatch better in cartons or in the turner.

 

[Kassaundra]

I have chicks, they hatched yesterday

 

[lalaland]

I have chicks, they hatched yesterday

oooooohhhhhhhh! funny jalopeno sign/box behind them too!

 

[misbhaven]

I am incubating duck and chicken eggs together right now in a very staggered hatch don't ask i had some shipped shipped early..I have a dorking eggs zipping as we speak I have timed it chicks, hen 10 days duck... dip in humidity then lock down for chicks then ducks again..but i have a yellow Chinese incubator 48 eggs with turner so i removed all but 2 rails...still have 2 egg cartons, and a little basket with paper towels in it for the six dorking eggs to hatch....

 

[delisha]

I am sorry to read about everyone having hen and chicken problems..



I am concerned about medical advise about drugs being dispensed on this forum lately. We are not Vets and it is difficult at best to give suggestion with natural preparations..To give advise to give drugs for animals we do not see is risky. Not many Vets would do it with many years of experience....there are other forums for drug dispensing..this is a natural forum..I understand sometimes other means are necessary..I hope we do not loose sight of the original intent of this forum (I am also guilty) can we please first suggest a more natural way to treat before we go selling drugs? Please.

 

[lalaland]

Wait delisha, what no puppy report?