Chicks

Two little blue eggs pipping tonight. They are two days ahead of schedule as I only put the water in today.
Looking forward to the result of these as they are lavendar Araucana x silver laced barnyard special.

Ohhhh photos soon. Can't wait till spring here. I have a broody silkie at the moment, but she can hold off till spring I'm afraid. Heaven help me if I had an incubator!

2 chicks hatched, another egg pipped.

4 chicks hatched, 2 eggs pipped, 2 eggs still to start, and none of them due until tomorrow!

Any still left to hatch?

Deanna;492766 wrote: Any still left to hatch?

Only 1 not pipped yet. Am hoping for 100% 1 hatched this morning and one almost there. One just begun to pip. First 4 already eating and drinking in brooder box. 5 Blk & Creams and 1 red & cream. I so hope they are not sex linked, otherwise it may mean I have mostly boys unless the red one is a boy, but that isn't so likely.

Ok so I missed the 100%. One died pre hatching but fully formed.It was very wet, I hate it when that happens. My % is 87.5.
Pretty good considering my last hatch was very poor.

Anyway, in consultation with the jonquils that are out,
I have declared it "Spring"

My first attempt at this - we have three brown shavers that haven't gone broody in two years and an Aracuna rooster who is defintley getting the job done. Six eggs in the incubator, three didn't do so good (one started sweating a couple of days ago and nearly exploded - luckily I got it outside!) one hatched on Sunday (two days early) and still no action from the other two - hopefully something happens or one poor chick is going to be incredibly lonely!

Oh dear George! My Shavers haven't gone broodie either and I'd be annoyed if they did.
Did you candle the eggs at any point? Thankfully you did get the bad one out in time. We had a lone baby duck and fetched her a chick for company, it worked well. Yours will think your are its mother, fun fun!

Curious George;492966 wrote: My first attempt at this - we have three brown shavers that haven't gone broody in two years and an Aracuna rooster who is defintley getting the job done. Six eggs in the incubator, three didn't do so good (one started sweating a couple of days ago and nearly exploded - luckily I got it outside!) one hatched on Sunday (two days early) and still no action from the other two - hopefully something happens or one poor chick is going to be incredibly lonely!

George, one of my hatches from last season yielded only one chick and it has deformed feet. (Incubator issues) Although mine was on its own for three weeks, i had put more eggs in the incubator and had a better hatch second time round. The older chick was so pleased of company that she took over the "mother" role to them all. If you are not planning any more hatches for a while, a small mirror in the brooder is a good alternative for company for the chick.

Hi Deanna - I did have a go at candleing the eggs - funny story though. I marked them on day 18 with the ones I thought were going to hatch and the ones I thought weren't going to. My partner convinced me that I should leave all of them in the incubator though - luckly for me I listened to her, it was one of the ones I didn't think would hatch that did! It would appear I need lots more practice at it, even when comparing what I had with google.

Stikkibeek - I have purchased an external hygrometer as my little incubator doesn't have one and am looking forward to another round of eggs going in soon - timed to hatch during the school holidays. With any luck, my girls will get to see some baby chicks hatch and grow while they are staying with us. At your suggestion, I've put a mirror into the brooder with the chick - the result was almost instant! The chick is chatting away to it's own reflection rather happily - thanks!

Ha ha, go Stikkibeek.

I probably wouldn't be any better than you George, I have bought a candler, but am still awaiting the scope, as they were out of them, then the overseas order arrived without them. So months and months later, no scope. I'd be scared to make a mistake too. Though I only use broodies so far, so no biggy. Glad chickie is happy.

I just use a fairly powerful torch. Just be carefull to shield the egg from directly on the lense (They can be hot)I make a circle out of thumb and forefinger, put the base of torch on bench and lense beneath circle, and then gently rotate egg on top of fingers. If you are not sure of what you are looking at, compare a fresh egg preferably of same type, with the ones you are incubating. I don't usually candle for the first time until about day 6. Then again on day 17 to make sure the air cell is "growing"

Chicks are two weeks old today and feathering out their wings pretty fast. So far, I think I have 5 girls and two boys. They are trying to fly out of the brooder so I will have to make a lid for it soon. The last one to hatch had an umbilical hernia which resulted in the yolk sac not absorbing properly.
Most of what I read recommend euthanasia, but it was such a fiesty chick I thought it deserved a chance, so this is what I did.

First of all I wrapped the chick in glad wrap to stop the last of the yolk sac drying out. That gave it about 6 more hours before it kicked itself free, and the yolk sac shrank to about medium blueberry size. Then, with other half holding the chick to immobilize it, I tied off the sac with a double overhand knot so it wouldn't slip, and completed the tie with a single overhand knot on top, using strong fine cotton. I then clipped off the ends of the cotton so the other wouldn't see it and become attracted to pecking at the sac.
Today the protrusion fell off, and it all looks very clean and healed underneath.
The chick is a little bit smaller than the others, but then it also hatched several days behind them as well.
I'm sure these chicks were piranhas in another life. If I poke my hand into the brooder, they attack it straight away and their little beaks are quite sharp. It will be interesting discovering what their adult plumage will look like..

That's some impressive surgery! Even better that it has come through for you!

Nigella-no-mates will be two weeks tomorrow and is growing rather quickly. Her wings have feathered up and she is starting to grow a tail now. We have another batch of eggs in the bator so hopefully she won't be no-mates for too much longer!

As can be seen, when I take the lid off the brooder, she hops right up onto the top of the heat-pad to say hi.

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