Second hatch underway

My eggs in the bator started hatching today. I have 4 chicks as of now. 3 big stock mixes and 1 game chick. I sure hope a few of the bantams hatch this go around. Knock really wants to see some from his pair.

What all else is in there?

Cajun! Who's Knock? Like knock, knock, who's there?

Knock is my oldest DGS that lives with us. He has a pair of bantams he calls BJ and Cloudy.

I had 26 eggs in the bator. There were game eggs from my Roundhead hens, some big stock crosses that should be a mix of Golden Comets and an unknown big stock, 1 big stock egg that could be Dominique, RIR, SLW, Aracauna or any mix of those. Then I had a few of the bantam eggs thrown in for good measure.

I have 6 chicks in the brooder this morning and 2 still in the bator. I haven't checked for anymore pipping this morning. I have made a brooder from a box since the ducks are still in the brooder tub. The chicks from the last hatch are ready to be moved to the barn into the big lot. Then the ducks will move into the step up pen and these chicks will get the real brooder tub to enjoy. I also have a game hen that went broody and is setting on 4 or 5 eggs. Don't know what I will do about that yet.

Here are some of the new bunch.

Is Knock helping out? I would imagine he'd be all over it! How cute....they look cold Caj! I don't know why?! The absence of a big blinding light I guess. I was wondering when I can stop with the light all night? They are starting to sit at the edges of it rather than right under it....

Sounds like a poultry assembly line you have going there! I see a potential chick ID contest in the making as the hatch progresses.

I had to move the light to be able to take the pic.

I have 8 chicks in the brooder, 1 in the bator and several eggs pipping. One is a bantam! Whoo Hooo That will make Knock's day! :) I have eggs to set when the moon is right again.

I am going to have to move my game hen, nest and all, and put the other hen in with the roo. If it ain't chickens, it's feathers. Oh well, if there weren't complications life could get dull. No chance of that here! LOL

I am so tired of the fear of them getting burned by the light as they fly around some or something catching fire - like the shavings....does anyone use heating pads instead? or is there an alternative?

I use one of those big, gray, plastic totes so there is no way they can get to the light that is clipped at the top.

I have a chick still in the bator that keeps getting on it's back and can't get up. Any ideas?

Cajun I'm new at hatching, my first ones are in the bator, so I can't help with the chick on his back.. but I wanted to ask you what the sign was to put them in? Cutie chicks!!

The chick that was getting on it's back is better now. I left it in the bator a bit longer. It is still a bit unsteady but it doesn't fall over now. It is in the brooder.

I lost 2 chicks. One was expected. The membrane in the egg was too tough and the chick couldn't get out. By the time I helped it, it had given up. A friend had given me the egg and nearly all the ones she had in her bator did the same thing.

The other death should not have happened. The chick got too hot. I am using a box as a temporary brooder because the ducks are in the real brooder box. The light is closer to the chicks in this box and they don't have room to get away from the light. It was the biggest of my 2 game chicks. Just makes me sick. We are taking a new pen to the barn today so we can start over with the chicken yard there. The one I am using is a worked over dog yard and it is in awful shape with all this rain. It is in the lowest part of the property and it is a mess. We will put the temporary pen on the hill and take the old pen down and start over. Then I can get the big chicks out of the step up pen, get the ducks in there and get the little chicks into the big brooder box. I'll be glad when it's all done.

I have 1 chick left in the bator. It is one of Knock's bantams!!!! It is unsteady and small so I am leaving it in there for a while longer. I don't want to take any chances with it. I had asked Knock to toss the 2 dead chicks into the creek for me this morning and he came back in crying his eyes out. Poor little guy is way too tender hearted for animal husbandry. He said, "I hated throwin' them in that water. Maw, I just can't do that no more". But he is fine now. I want him to always be compassionate but I don't want it to cripple him. Life is hard and we will all face hard things. He is fine now and he has a greater understanding and appreciation of life and death. I think he will appreciate his little chick more knowing first hand that they don't all live.

Cajun, I have a dimmer switch that plugs into the wall.. and the light plugs into it... Then you can lower the temp as needed. Wally world has them, I think they are like $10. and well worth it!

Poor Knock... that is sad.. but it's the circle of life.. still so hard..

I think I am about to lose another chick.It was fine an hour ago. Then it was propped in the corner, on it's feet with it's head twisted upside down. I thought it was just falling asleep but when I tried to rouse it, nothing changed. I tried turning it's head right side up but it goes right back like it was. I put it back in the bator and now it is lying on it's back with it's feet sticking up. I don't hold out much hope for it.

The little bantam is still in the bator. It can stay upright easier in there. I tried a couple of times to put it in the brooder but it ends up on it's back and the others are pecking at it's toes.

Me and Cody do "flip over duty" for the first 24 hours.. they will cook under the light if they can't get up.. or get stiff if in the cooler area..
Some make it, some don't... Really, it's a gamble the first couple of weeks. Sometimes it seems the really fat ones are the ones that roll over so easy then can't get upright.. It won't hurt to leave the lil one in the bator till he is up on his feet..

Good luck!

Cajun, I am sorry for the loss. It is always sad. I have had a tough time regulating heat in my brooder box. I have had to rig the light up to near by objects to lift it up higher as well. I am sorry though. :( I hope all the rest are doing well. {HUGS}

The little guy is doing better now. He is on his feet but unsteady. But he is keeping his head upright. I tried to put him and the little bantam back in the brooder but the poor little bantam ended up on his back and the game chick was dragging it around the brooder by it's toe. I had to pry him off. They are both back in the bator for the night. I'll give them some food and water before bed. None of the 13 remaining eggs is pipping. I'll give them another day then get rid of them. I will set another clutch thursday or friday of this week if all goes well.

I've been known to put a tupperware type plastic container in the brooder for the ones that HAD to come out of the bator.. keeps the others out.. but puts them under the light and gives them food.. opening the bator so much dries it out for the lingereeniez.. LOL

The 2 sick chicks are still clinging to life. They get better and then worse again. I think I am going to have to cull them as they refuse to die on their own. How do any of you actually kill the chicks you have to cull? I think it is cruel to let these 2 linger. One is able to eat some but the smaller 1 has not eaten that I have seen. I don't know why it is still alive. I give them water from my finger. They look all the world like a human with cerebal palsy.

I was wondering about that to cajuninky,I had one that died and it really should have been put out of it misery but I did not know how or what to do that would quick.

They are still alive this morning but the little one looks like it is breathing it's last. I wish I knew a way to kill it quickly and surely. I'd hate to make it owrse than what it has already suffered. I know how to easily kill a larger animal but these are so small.

This message was edited May 13, 2009 7:13 AM

I had to put my daughter’s hamster down once. It’s so hard though. I did not know what to do but it was so sick. I hate to say it because everyone may think I am cruel, but I drown it. I put water in a sink and I held it under. I cried for a long time. :( Sorry for the two babies and for your loss.

I have had to put other animals down. I also raise animals to butcher so the killing part is just a part of life for me but I did npt know how to put these little guys down because they were so small. The little bantam dies on it's own but I had to help the other one on it's way. It was still the same but I had to keep it seperated because as soon as I put it in with the others, it would turn it's head over, fall down and the other chicks would peck it unmercifully. Better for me to put it down than for them to harass it to death.

I have had to put chicks down, I can't stand it when they take days and days to die and you KNOW they are going to.
I wrap them in paper towels and lay them on a 4x4 and put the other 4x4 down hard so there is no doubt, no suffering, no sound.
It is terribly hard to do.. but just make sure they are wrapped up nice and are not struggling or moving. Usually I wrap them like a lil baby snug around the wings and they stay quiet.. If they don't stay quiet.. I wait.