Author Topic: March 28th..... (Read 9107 times)

Jerrymac · « **on:** April 16, 2009, 06:37:30 pm »

..... that is when the egg was laid. By my calculations today April 16th, is 19 days.... Right :?

I had one of the eggs hatch today. Two days early.

She is a good sitter. Now should I remove the little one or leave it there for a while?

Natalie · « **Reply #1 on:** April 16, 2009, 07:25:16 pm »

You can usually leave all the chicks with her. She will raise and protect them from the other bigger birds, teach them how to do all the things they need to know.
You don't want to distress her by taking away any of her babies, she may leave the nest.
Just make sure the babies can reach the food and water at all times and it should be fine.
2 days early is fine to hatch, I have had that as well and they are fine. Alot of the time it depends on the temperature and humidity on if they hatch a little early.

Jerrymac · « **Reply #2 on:** April 16, 2009, 07:39:26 pm »

That is a problem about the food and water. It is about a three foot drop after climbing up the side of the box about six inches. :shock:

Then a stroll of a few feet. I'm not sure it would be a good idea to disrupt the whole nest to get them lower.

Cindi · « **Reply #3 on:** April 17, 2009, 12:55:37 am »

Jerry, chicks can go three days without food and water, they have that stuff stored up inside them from the yolk of that egg. Not to say that they CAN'T have food and water, but it is not imperative. So, just leave the chicks, the mother will get them down out of the nest, from what I've seen with chicks and ducks, once they have left that nest, they don't return......if it is a fair ways down to the ground, how about building something (making it out of a box or something) so that they can jump down level to level, smiling. Good luck, chicks are so much fun!!! Have a most wonderful and beautiful day, love our life, health. Cindi

Jerrymac · « **Reply #4 on:** April 17, 2009, 11:49:28 am »

Another one hatched last night. :-D

Jerrymac · « **Reply #5 on:** April 17, 2009, 06:10:53 pm »

And then there were three. :-D

Jerrymac · « **Reply #6 on:** April 17, 2009, 09:36:00 pm »

Three black and one red...

Cindi · « **Reply #7 on:** April 18, 2009, 11:34:27 am »

Jerry, very cute, I love the look of the baby chicks, they look like a little bobblehead with a beak. Beautiful day in our great life, health. Cindi

vermmy35 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 18, 2009, 11:38:42 am »

awh how nice lets name the back ones Dinner and the brown one Lunch :evil: :-D

Jerrymac · « **Reply #9 on:** April 18, 2009, 12:13:38 pm »

Today there are seven. Three eggs to go.

Jerrymac · « **Reply #10 on:** April 18, 2009, 06:31:19 pm »

I now have eight little chicks.

Just wondering... if the other two eggs don't hatch tomorrow should I remove the eggs? Will she then think they all hatched?

Natalie · « **Reply #11 on:** April 18, 2009, 07:20:31 pm »

Hey your hatch is going awesome.
What breeds are you hatching?
Usually though they know if the egg is not going to hatch and will either push it out of the nest or just get up and leave them.
I don't go past day 23 when I incubate but you never know I guess, if you really wanted to take them she would probably let you if she is preoccupied enough with the chicks.
See how she is, they usually know when they are done though.

Jerrymac · « **Reply #12 on:** April 18, 2009, 07:39:52 pm »

This is the same hen that sat on one egg for 38 days before I gave her these ten eggs.

Jerrymac · « **Reply #13 on:** April 18, 2009, 07:45:40 pm »

Quote from: Natalie on April 18, 2009, 07:20:31 pm

What breeds are you hatching?

I had started with Rhode Island reds then I ordered the multi-color layer package from Estes hatchery. So I have the RIR some rock bar, I think, and Ospray (sp?) then some other chicken that looks sort of like the RIR but not as big a comb, Then the ones that lay the blue eggs. Then the roosters have their way with all of them so there really is no telling.

I really don't get too hung up on breeds. They are chickens :-D

Right now I have 5 black chicks with white spots and three redish chicks.

1reb · « **Reply #14 on:** April 18, 2009, 08:13:36 pm »

80 % hatching rate is great
Johnny

Natalie · « **Reply #15 on:** April 18, 2009, 08:52:04 pm »

Hey mutt chickens are great, I was just wondering what the black ones were, they look like they could be barred rocks or cuckoo marans.
38 days huh? Yeah, you are going to have to pull those eggs if she goes too long on you will have a mess on your hands.
I usually go to day 23 and call it quits.
If you wanted to make sure you weren't tossing a viable chick out then you could candle the eggs with a flashlight and see inside if its clear or dark.
Clear is a no go, dark all the way through is a developed chick.
However, even a fully develop chick can fail to hatch, I just had some recently that died in the shell.
Just do whatever you feel is best for the situation, its a judgement call.
You had an excellent hatch rate.

Jerrymac · « **Reply #16 on:** April 19, 2009, 10:50:04 am »

Today there are nine little chicks. :-D

One egg to go

Natalie · « **Reply #17 on:** April 19, 2009, 11:22:22 am »

You are doing awesome Jerry.
How old are the oldest chicks now? 3 days is about the longest they can go without food and water so if its been that long you may need to get them set up with some food dishes.
They absorb the yolksac for the first couple of days but after that they can start to have problems with dehydration.

A broody hen is the way to go for hatching eggs, much better than an incubtor.

Jerrymac · « **Reply #18 on:** April 19, 2009, 11:43:10 am »

The first one was three days ago. I found a dish the kids had for their pet iguana from a few years back. Sort of rock shaped and fits in the corner of the nest nicely. I am using that for water and I put food in there for them. The hen starts clucking and pecking at the food showing them where it is and how to do it I guess. Also have a small lid with some sand and parakeet grit in it in another corner. They are set up nicely now.

Natalie · « **Reply #19 on:** April 19, 2009, 01:43:39 pm »

aw, you are a good daddy ;)

Jerrymac · « **Reply #20 on:** April 19, 2009, 07:43:35 pm »

Well the other egg was dead. There was a partially developed chick in there. It seemed she had lost interest in it as it had felt cool all day as though she had bot been staying on top of it to keep it warm.

Natalie · « **Reply #21 on:** April 19, 2009, 08:53:12 pm »

She probably knew it wasn't going to happen. Its a bummer when they start to develop like that it then quit.

I am happy for your hatch rate and how well it went. Congratualtions!! Lets hope they aren't all roosters now. ;)

Jerrymac · « **Reply #22 on:** April 20, 2009, 11:23:29 pm »

If one of the little ones got out of the nest would the others have disposed of it? I am missing one. Gone without a trace.

Natalie · « **Reply #23 on:** April 21, 2009, 12:22:08 pm »

jerry, really look around hard, they are so tiny its easy to miss them hiding in corners.
But, yes the other older hens from the flock will peck a chick to death for no reason at all.
Are they in the same coop as everyone else or are they isolated?

Jerrymac · « **Reply #24 on:** April 21, 2009, 02:46:46 pm »

After figuring out the little guy must have fallen out they are now in a water trough with the hen. With a screened top. I am wondering if I should let the mother out and put up the heat lamp. Relieve her of the motherly duties.

Natalie · « **Reply #25 on:** April 21, 2009, 06:39:27 pm »

I would go by her behavior but they usually raise the chicks for a while, your hen really wanted to be a mama so she will most likely want to raise her babies.
She may want to get out and stretch her legs or gossip with the other hens on occasion.
I doubt she will leave her babies too long though.
Eventually she will show her babies around the coop and yard and the ways of the chicken world until they are old enough to do their own thing.
When they feel the babies are old enough to handle life sometimes the mother will start chasing them off when the younguns cling to much.
Did you ever find the little one that fell out?

Jerrymac · « **Reply #26 on:** April 21, 2009, 06:41:12 pm »

Nope. That one is gone. :'(

Natalie · « **Reply #27 on:** April 21, 2009, 06:54:35 pm »

Bummer, even if the older chickens don't get it the poor thing will freeze without its momma.
Well, you can't win them all and you have had awesome luck with this hatch so far.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #28 on:** April 22, 2009, 02:50:45 am »

Quote from: Jerrymac on April 20, 2009, 11:23:29 pm

If one of the little ones got out of the nest would the others have disposed of it? I am missing one. Gone without a trace.

Snake, rat, or raccoon. All will steal an egg or young chick right from under a mother hen. I've had it happen a few times with my pigeons. The rats will climb over 10 feet in the air to steal a baby bird for dinner.