Bob hasnt seen them yet. I wanted this second one to get moving a little better before I introduce them. I just got several emails from folks I had been working with. I guess several people just walked out yesterday in protest, and they are VERY upset that I was let go. They did a good job making me feel better too. :) ONe of my programmers even told me I was SO overqualified, and that I should have been a programmer with them instead of a Business Analyst. Oh...I feel loved.
AND it is snowing again!
My homeade bator!
Hello again,
After seeing your brooder it brought back memories of mine. I didn't have towels like I had said before. I just had newspaper layed flat. They are able to get around better on something flat and it's easier to change once soiled. They may have a hard time getting their much needed exercise with the towels.
Isn't it neat how they will turn their heads to one side and look up at you when you approach the brooder?
JB
Edited for spelling
This message was edited Jan 23, 2008 5:03 PM
I decided to use the towel after reading a lot about newspaper and splayed feet. They are actually getting around very well, and hopping up and down quite a bit. They have also been snuggling in with each other which is REALLY cute. I wish these other three would get on the ball!
Ok,
Now I think I do remember reading about splayed feet but I never had a problem. Have they started to drink or eat yet? I read somewhere someone said you may have to teach them to drink. I thought that was the funniest thing I had ever heard of. I certainly didn't have to teach mine how to eat or drink. But with some breeds I guess it's possible. Still thinks it funny though.
JB
No 'training' them to eat or drink. I just needed to show them where the water was and then they figured out the rest. I am REALLY hoping the other eggs hatch. What happens if they dont hatch in time? Can they starve inside the egg? Or suffocate? The one that started a hole at 6 this morning hasnt made it any farther...and the egg that was wiggling around last night hasnt even gotten a hole yet. I am worried the shells may be too thick on those eggs.
I never had one start to pip and not make it. It does seem to be a long time for the one that started. I never heard of starvation, suffocation, or shells too thick.
Tamarafaye is doing 90 maybe she could be some help.
JB
Mel,
I just D-Mailed TamaraFaye and asked for some input.
JB
Wonderful, thanks JB. The one that started that is still in the bator is doing good...just slow. The other two arent doing much. I will just keep waiting.
'Whos the man??...SHAQ! I mean....Melissa!' Hahaha...so here I was all worried that ALL my eggs would not hatch as I had originally expected. WELL...they are! The red sexlink chick finally broke through the shell...and it is a big breakthrough. The last RIR is still going slow...but going. And the Black Sexlink is shaking in the shell! I think he is getting into position finally.
YEAH!
Hoorah!!!!! c'mon chicks! I am glad your ex coworkers
could lift your spirits. That is good news. Also, your new
babies are doing a great job of lifting them, as well.
I have read that putting down pine shavings, then
paper towels on top for a few days is clean and a good
start for them. The teaching of drinking makes sense if
they have never seen a water station before. Just a dip
of the beak in the water, they know where it is. Sprinkling
the feed around on their walking surface til they know how
to find it at it's proper place have been put out there in
books and websites. However, your chicks sound as if
they are getting such a good start. Good Job, Mama!
I did do those things also. I dipped their beaks into the water to show them what it was, and I have the started feed sprinkled around. My cat went in by them and tried to lay down and push one of the chicks under her belly. This cat is afraid of mice, and wants to be mother to everything. DOnt worry...I would never leave her unsupervised even though I know this cat woudl never hurt anything. She raised Bob the duck, and I have some great pics and videos of the two of them on my site.
oh, tha tlooks liek my cat! i have to type quietly so i don't wake the baby.
congrats on a great hatch. i am down to 89 eggs now. ;-(
we were gone to pick up our balck australorp pullets. i really recommend anyone reading this consider getting breeds that are considered threatened and hold history with our nation:
http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/wtchlist.html
click on poultry to scroll down quicker
i am so thrilled for you on your babies and proud that you were so valued at work by most people :-)
i really wouldn't use the towels, i have heard of them getting their little nails causth in the loops. try shelf liner, a roll is a buck at the dollar tree.
red lights are best, try using a clip and moving the bulb further from their box. of ocurse, they would be just fine left in the incubator for a couple of days, but you know that...
got to check dmail and get to bed, thanks to JBG fo rthe heads up. HA, she {mccamden} is more experienced than I am, but thanks for the vote of confidence. i hope to find those cales to my new camera before mine start to hatch so i can share too.
night!
tf
So, momma???? What's the news today???? Everyone born? or is that hatched??
Anxious for more pictures!
WAKE UP!
get up, get out of bed! we want to see more chicks!
I'm waiting too! Wake up!
I love your kitty's 'snowshoe' feet. I also really love the
not often seen friendship between animals. Makes me
go AAAWWWW.
Wow...its amazing how late you can sleep when you dont have anywhere to go! Ok. We had a third RIR chick hatch at 3am. That means that all the RIRs were the fastest out of the starting gate. The Red Sexlink is withing about 2 hours or so of hatching, and the black sexlink (the one I was MOST looking forward to seeing is probably not coming til this afernoon. But I can see his beak in there. I am just curious what the BSL and Buff cross will look like. I will get pictures of all three little pigs as soon as I get woken up a bit.:)
Also, we are only using the towels until they are all hatched. I wont use anything smooth because of all the things I have heard about splayed feet. Even Bob walks a little splayed from (what I blame) is walking on the wood slick floors. I will switch to some form of shavings after another day or so.
What is the BSL again? I am looking forward to more
pictures.
Black sexlink. it is a barred rock hen crossed with a rhode island red rooster.
From the Whelps site: Black Sexlink Chicken - Baby: can be color-sexed. Males have white spot on top of head; Females are completely black on top of head. Mature: Black with orangish-gold coloring on the neck, breast and tail area. Quiet bird. Good layer of brown eggs.
Also known as Red Rock and Black Star.
Weight: Females 5.5 lbs.
Ok...here are the first 3 RIR/Orpington crosses
Oh my goodness, they are gorgeous. What a difference
a day makes. How are the others coming along? Have
an ETA yet?
The Red Sexlink is within about 2 hours or so of hatching, and the black sexlink (the one I was MOST looking forward to seeing is probably not coming til this afernoon. But I can see his beak in there.
I guess you'll know right away what the BSL is when
you see it. Are they noisy, or resting a lot?
They were all VERY noisy when they first hatched, but now they are quiet. They are funny...get one and run around and jump over each other...then 10 seconds later they all pile together and fall asleep. 10 seconds of activity seem to be all they can manage.
I LOVE them. They are so cute. I wish I could hear their little cheep, cheep.
Thanks so much for sharing with us!
If you go to my site...AND can get the video to work you can hear them. :) I may try uploading a better video a little later when they are all out and chirping. You have to click play twice.
http://www.freewebs.com/ryanandmelissa/thechicksbirthday.htm
#4 just got out of his shell...but his eyes arent opened! The other three all came out with open eyes. JB...is this normal??
Melissa
They need increased humidity when hatching. If
they have all developed properly, pip, then are slow
to hatch, it could be due to a decrease in humidity
and temp.
Oh, I think I'm gonna cry! I watched it 3 times! How sweet is that?
PS That badger is one ugly booger.
Adorable!!! My cat came running when she heard it...lol!!
Where did I miss the badger?????????
And just a quick note: Even though they are rare to see, we saw one come out of the corn field across the road from our farm one time. One ugly looking creature!!!
I increased the humidity the last three days, and the temp has been consistant. The humidity is high enough that it is condensating on the glass, but maybe not high enough?
The badger was on a link to the left of that page. It was called Sweet Revenge. That was a thread from last summer when all of our first flock was killed by that one badger. We raised them from day old chicks, and one day we went out and found something had burrowed over 2 feet down, and 2 feet over to come up on the inside of the coop. I had taken every precaution possible...but he still got in.
Anyway...after a few nights of not sleeping and staring at the monitor of a night vision camera I finally caught him when he came back to eat our duck Sam who he had burried just on the other side of the run. We had no idea he killed all our birds and then burried them.
Anyway...I got him. Our current rooster is the only survivor from that horrible tradegy. I also spent a few months reinforcing that coop. It now has 4 inch concrete burried all the wall around it, and going out about 2 feet as well as down. I also have added barbed wire and chicken wire. If anything gets in now it will be because it found a key to the steel gate...or the deadbolt on the steel front door.
looking great! you might want to fix that middle RIRs feet now. Bob may just seem splayed because of the Muscovy in him, they waddle really funny LOL i recall something somehwere about using twisty ties from bread, but let melook and see what home remedy i can find to help correct his feet...
OMG, that was fast, i went right to it, and just in time, i'll be neding this info... the ortho link at the guinea site...
http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/problems/
tf
If you have some condensation on the glass, I would
think that would be enough. Some say improve ventilation
after all have hatched, reducing moisture helps them to dry.
But, your situation is unique in that they are staggered in
their hatching. Poor little guys! Has the one opened his
eyes yet?
don't fret, a momma hen would just sit on the hatched ones while waiting on the others, as long as three days...
He is doing good now. His eyes are open, and he is moving around well. I put him in a plastic bin in the brooder with the other chicks. This way he can dry out while seeing them, and without them picking on him. None of these chicks have splayed feet. I was just saying that that was why i didnt want to put paper under them. Bob is fine I think. He can fly around, and runs after the cats just fine. I just got done giving him a bath, (which he LOVES) and now he is sleeping again.
I am surprised that even though these chicks are 3 different cross breeds...they all look identical! The buff rooster must hold the dominant genes. Maybe they will change as they get older.
Still one chick left to go...he is just staring at me now. :)
Thank you TF...Three years ago, we got some day-olds from our local mill. They ordered them from a hatchery. When we got them, some of them had feet so crooked, I don't know how they were able to walk on them. One araucana hen (at least that was what she was supposed to be) had feet that were curled into almost balls. She was able to walk, but had I know about the chick shoes, I could have maybe straightened them out. My Rocky has one crooked toe which is why I decided to keep him when we were culling the roosters from the flock. BTW, none of the austrolorps from McM have crooked feet. I will certainly keep that link in my files to go to if I have any trouble.
Before I forget, mcamden, I wasn't able to get the video to work past the first peeps. It went back to the original page then. My puppy (Penny) started barking when she heard the peeps, so maybe it's a bad idea for me to play it. She is the barkingest dog we've ever had and I don't want to get her started. Again.
Hi Mel,
I just got home. You're really doing great. When they get their real feathers you will be able to see their colors.
JB
Off topic question comming up.
How do you cook a chicken you have raised? I tried it one time and it came out tougher than shoe leather. Even the cat wouldn't eat it.
JB
I am hoping they do get color as they get older. Our first chicks at one day old all looked completely different. I guess we will see. They are still cute as heck.
As far as cooking the chickens I am not sure, but i can tell you what I have heard. If the chicken is under about 6-8 months old then you should be able to cook like just like any other. If you are thinking of cooking your retired layers (5-7 years) then I think boiling for soup is about the only option.
i cooked one testerday, after soakin it in fermented brine for 24+ hours.... good flavor, slightly tough [he was going on twop years old] anyhow, have two hanging i will do the same with. we have some leftover ham, so we plan on a combo pot pie.
oh, i cooked him in a large stainless steel heaby duty 6 qt pan, with a little brine in the bottom, at 325 degrees for 3-4 hours
but the cookbooks say he should have been boiled and slow cooked on the stovetop to make soup, whatever...
just try one one way, then if it doesn't work out you still have catfood LOL, try the next one another way. don't forget to boil down the feather to fertilize your garden...
sorry for the off-topic Mel, how are those babies? the middle one looked like he was at-risk to splay, he has sduch a wide stance is all...
tf