Our favorite hen Lyle was killed and we saved her last few eggs and made a homemade incubator. We thought the eggs weren't viable (last time my husband checked, a few days ago) but just now I heard cheeping and we have a chick!
What now? We can run over to tractor supply, they have teramycin (sp) to add to the water....
Right now the chick is laying in the tupperware container with the other two eggs- should I move him to a box with pine chips or leave him?
Thanks- I know I'm unprepared but we really didn't expect anything to hatch- Mom was a Sultan and Dad is a Bantam.
Help! What do we do now that it's hatched??
Congratulations!
No need for medication in the water...They do not need any water or feed for 24 hours.. if you leave the chick in with the eggs, it will encourage the others to hatch.
You shouldn't put them on shavings till they know what food is.. and where the water is.. (so they won't eat shavings)
Here is a link for some info..
edited to add the link!!
http://www.pekinbantams.com/hachingchicks.php
This message was edited Mar 22, 2009 12:55 PM
Thank you! And thanks for the link. Of course I read "don't turn the eggs the last 3 days" right after DH turned the other 2 eggs.
You don't ever give them the starter medication?
L-R Lyle (before we knew she was a girl), Henry (probable dad) and Rosie (RIP)
I'm so excited and Happy, Lyle was such a funny, nice chicken. Nice to have some babies from her, I hope they make it!
Oh this is so exciting! Lakesidecallas, I had a pair of Sultans and Never got viable eggs! I even put my hen in with a banty rooster and the eggs just fizzled. My Sultans were so gentle and sweet, I wish your new baby all the luck in the world, good goin' Mama!
What an exciting event!!! I am so happy for you. ZZs right, no wood chips til they can tell whats food and whats not. I use paper towels at first. Dip the little beak in water a bit so it knows where to drink. It can last up to 3 days without food though. Thats how they ship them. So it will be fine if you leave it in with the other eggs to see if they hatch. Keep us updated!!! EXCITING!!
Well, the first one is dark with a light patch on it's throat, dry now, slept a lot this afternoon, and is much more perky now. The other two eggs have (had) cracks in them, one went from a tiny hole to fully hatched this last hour, is light colored. You were right, 1st born helped crack the egg. I'd take a photo but don't want to blind them with a flash! The last egg has a crack and is rocking, so I feel optimistic.
Yes, we heard Sultans weren't good layers or mothers, but ours laid an egg almost every day. They are so cute the way they run- almost like Penguins! Yours are so cute!
We never thought of trying to incubate eggs until she was killed suddenly. The eggs were never brooded, is that the right word?
Last March my husband brought home 6 bantam chicks from Tractor Supply, ended up 2 little naked legged roosters, 3 feather leg roosters, and Lyle, who was discovered to be a Lyla last Dec. Our dog killed one of the feather legs, and some unknown predator mortally wounded Lyle while we were at the grocery (we free-range).
We had about given up on the eggs, my husband thought they were dead, so YESTERDAY we got 6 more chicks from TS, this time pullets, said to be Rhode Island Reds- we'll see!
So, now we are real chicken farmers!
Tomorrow I'll get some photos.
THANK YOU so much for your help and knowledge and support, it is much appreciated!
I cant wait to see pictures!!!! I am really happy for you. Especailly after your loss.
You are indeed Chicken Farmers!! woohooo!
I thought about this all day.. You are so blessed to have your favorite chicken's babiez!! That is just soooo cool.
AND to get 100% hatch! Good Goin!!
They will be wobbly and sleep a lot.. they will fall and stumble a lot.. don't worry.. they will be fine.
You can sprinkle a little boiled egg yolk around when you put them in a brooder.. along with chick starter scattered about the floor so they learn to start picking at it..
If you use medication.. get medicated chick starter. It helps them to build an immunity to cocci. Terramycin is not the right stuff for babiez. I've been waiting till they are a week or two away from going outside before I give medicated.. I really try to get them all the nutrition I can before I start them on medicated... but everyone has their own way.. some start them out with medicated.. ask around.. do some research and make your own choice on that.
Thanks so much for your help, ZZs, I was in a bit of a panic earlier.
All three have now hatched, the last one is half white and half black, with a black beak and the tip of it is white. Oh, I know they will change so much before they are adults.
I'm just so thankful all 3 have hatched. We have 1 egg left in the refrig, I never ate any of Lyle's eggs and DH was saving the last one for me. I just told him I won't be able to eat it, lol!
Photos tomorrow!
Cool.. I'll be waiting to see them! I'm so happy for you. :)
If you don't want to eat the last egg, you could cook it and then cut it into a fine mash, and feed it to the babies. Of course, they will love it, that is what they "ate" while in the egg - it's what gave them the nourishment to hatch! That would be a final "gift of life" from their Mom. Better than wasting the egg!
They sound great - I am with ZZ too on the medication. Sometimes I put them on medicated starter to prevent coccidiosis for 2 weeks, and then switch to non-medicated, but if they are in an indoor environment and not around other chickens, they don't even really need that. They should be just fine with regular chick starter feed. There is no need to medicate for something that isn't there.
Looking forward to pics!
This morning when I ate my egg sandwich.. I thought of your egg. I felt a little weird eating my Millie's eggs, knowing they are fertile... but I chose to put a different "label" on it and thank her for the nutritious gift.