I would say your late egg will be just fine. Each of my eggs hatched about 4-10 hours apart anyway...so a day wont matter. I think the best thing is just to remember to let them get completely dry before putting them together. I put each new chick into a clear plastic bin with the other until they were dry...that way they got out of the bator, and got to see the rest while drying. I am very excited!
The Eggs are in The Bator!
Thats a good idea. I like having them together as much
as possible. How soon after they hatched did you see them
really take off on feed and water?
may the princess be fluffy
I had one or two that started wanted to eat right away...but the other 3 took several hours. I think around 24 hours fort hose guys. It is ok if they dont eat right away because the yolk they eat will sustain them for a day or so I think. I only had to 'dip' the first one in the water to show him...then as the other were added to the brooder they kinda learned from him. Gimpy took the longest to eat...but understandable given his circumstance. I am still amazed that he lived. I thought he was a goner for sure!
I did too, Mel. He looked so bad at first, and the Storey's
book said there was not much chance. you showed them!
It was your love that pulled him through-seriously!
may the princess have lots of love
Actually! It was SOMEONE who suggested I check out that other site. I found someone there who suggested to use the NewSkin. She was a nurse who didnt know much about chickens...but did know about skin. Haha...I was lucky that NewSkin was something that I happened to have on hand. That hermiated umbilical cord (I think what it was called) is something you should look for right away as your chicks hatch. The sooner that is caught the better chance of survival. I wiill make sure to check all of my chicks in this next batch. 7 or 8 more days!
It just seems like yesterday that your first batch
pipped. Amazing how time flies when yur having fun.
My chick order of ameraucanas, polish and cochins
should be here monday or tuesday. Gulp. I am so
eggcited! I only have a month to build that big deluxe
coop, Mel- when's your flight leave? DH asked me that
too, "How long do I have to build it?" We have a lot of
fun building things together.
may princess tammy have a nice coop
Hahaha...i need to be in KC tomorrow with my brother. He has a job interview. Maybe we will just swing down there afterwards and put it up for ya. :) I BET you are eggcited! Make sure to send pics when you get them! I want to see how they come!
Truest, my ladies are in a wooden hen penthouse. It sits on a cement slab to keep varmints out and is heated with a heat lamp and water heater. I will have to keep watching them as the nest box is about four feet off the floor and I don't want the chicks to fall out of the next.
I just went out to get eggs and check on my ladies and it looks as if they are all molting now. These must be southern chicks (ha, they came from McMurray which is not south) to think spring is just around the corner. But they may be right. I certainly don't know. So, we will wait and see what happens.
I haven't been able to figure out the molting season
of my birds yet. Rhyme or reason? they molted in the
fall. I haven't really thought about the nests being so
far off the floor, and falling chicks. if the hens house is
very safe, would nests have to be that far up? Or,
do the hens just feel safer with them that way?
Sure Mel, swing by. I would feed you well, and don't
forget that $50! Who could pass that up? I will get
pics. The post office gets their mail a 6:30a.m. and I
will be hot footing it down there to claim my babies.
may the princess' P.O. always be open
Sounds good! We will see how tomorrow goes...and if there is time we will stop down. Not too much farther then we are going anyway! Mine havent molted yet...they must just like themselves exactly how they are! hahaha...my little proud chicks! Hahaha...
Truest, the only reason the nest boxes are so high is because we old folks can't bend down too far. And, it seems that they like to be kinda high up, too. Maybe instinct from their wild days?
That makes sence. I think ours are about 24 inches off the ground, and the perch is about 4 1/2 feet or so...they seem to work out well.
Ours is a double decker...lower one is about 20 inches off the floor and the other is probably another 20 inches above that one. We have a total on nine nesting boxes. Six on one side, three and three, and three low ones on the other side. They seem to like the three and three the best.
Oh, yes, my austrolorps are not laying on the floor like the other did. We had RIR, buffs, barred, white rocks, aracaunas, and ended up with isa browns and silver speckled hamburgs given to us. We would find eggs under the nest boxes and also in nest they had made in the corners of the hen house. So far these babies haven't done that. And I am glad of that.
I am still hunting down Blanca's new nest. She didn't
like it that she saw me in the back of the goat pen she
used for the last 8 eggs. Now, I think she's under the
tack room, 12 feet back with the only way to get the eggs
is to pull up part of the floor, which I've done before.
I can always tell a general area, as Davey stands guard
close by. i have a nest box for her, but it's not off the ground.
I always found her eggs down low, so I put it down low.
Maybe if I raise it up, she'll sign a lease.
And, i forgot my salutation in the above post again.
So, this counts as my edit you naughty princesses!
may the princess be happy
This message was edited Feb 8, 2008 7:28 AM
I have new concerns about the 'wafer technology' of
my incubator. I have a 'highly accurate' digital therm/hygr
purchased at WM. It has a min/max feature, allowing me to
see just how high or low the temp and humidity gets in the bator.
Since adding this feature, the temp has stayed between
99* and 100.1*. The humidity has also been steady at
between 57% and 60%. I checked the min/max last night
and it gave a reading of 105* ! I candled one of the eggs
and it appears fine, with the same busy movement of the
embryo. Of course, I am going to wonder about the quail
eggs til the day they pip, not being able to candle those.
It doesn't appear to have caused harm, but this is puzzling
to me.
long life to the princess
joan, sorry but your edit is 2 hours late♥♥♥
may princess tammy always be happy
I wish I could put hearts in my post, I would tell Kathy
I still love her anyway!
may the princess be all knowing
dear joan, i got you again on the princess forum☺
may princess tammy never have to sleep with the chickens
Not sure what would be causing your temp fluctuation...but I wouldnt worry too much about 105. If that was your max...then what was your min?
Minimum of 99* The hovabator instructions mention
that you shouldn't make too many changes to the temp
control when initially setting it up as this could cause a
malfunction. I did futz with it a lot when I went to the
digital, but that was about 8-10 changes made til I could
tell how much of a turn equalled how many degrees. In the
week since, the temp has remained steady, until last night.
Today it seems fine. I don't know what they mean by
'too much'.
may the princess be happy always
Since I haven't posted a pic in a while, I thought I would
send one of my Unachi...he is my 'limp bisquit'...
may the princess have loving felines
You can't tell in that pic, but Blanca the hen snipped
off the tip of his nose a few months back. Left it just
hanging off poor Unachi's face. My cutey pie vet, Dr. Phil, sewed it back on and did such a good job, I told him I would come
to him first if I ever wanted cosmetic surgery. Unachi is no
longer curious about Blanca.
may the princess have never need cosmetic surgery
I have been looking at many embryo development
sites, one I like is the 'Chickscope' at the Univ of Illinois
at Champaigne. I wish I had a clear window into the egg, but
this site helps me visialize what my chicks looked like on Day 7
of incubation:
*A row of feather germs appears on the tail.
*The sclera of the eye begins to form.
*Feather papillae appear on the thigh.
*The leg bends at the knee.
The chick's eye is well defined at this point, but is not
fully covered by a lid yet. The beak is formed, but still
very small. It has already formed it's toes, and a 'digit' on
the wing tip.
They develope so quickly, tomorrow it may be taking
calculus.LOL
may the princess have a window to the world.
This message was edited Feb 9, 2008 8:24 AM
This message was edited Feb 9, 2008 8:37 AM
The chicks seem to be more than an inch long in their
shells, but less than two. On day 8 of incubation, they
are busy and at this stage:
*Three rows of feather germs are visible on the tail.
*The nictitating membranes (inner eye lids) begins to form.
*The egg tooth begins to form.
On day 9
*the upper eye lids begin to cover the eyes and the knee
caps begin to form.
That catches us up to today, Day 10:
*Claws begin to form.
*The comb is visible.
*Flight feathers appear.
*Feather tracts appear over the sternum, or breastbone
*Lower eyelids develop but do not yet cover the eyes.
may princess tammy have a lazy day
This is day 5...but all I could find. Sounds like the eggs are doing great!
That's a good pic, thanks Mel! I can't find too many
photos of individual day's development. I could make
my own, but later, after I get some hatched first.LOL
may princess tammy's fried eggs never look like that
EEEEEEWWWWWWWWW I hope to never have eggs look like that, either!!!
Hi, Princess Tammy! How are you today?
It's gorgeous here.
may princess tammy have a lovely day
Hi Joan, I am doing ok, thanks! How are you? It is lovely here as well! :) You will have a package come in the mail next week, can't wait for everyones reaction! HA HA HA
I can't wait for everyone's reaction when you get yours!
Everyone should have one.....
may princess tammy have a thingy and be proud
This message was edited Feb 9, 2008 1:29 PM
OK, Now I am curious! LOL
Now I don't have a place for any chickens ya know! HA HA HA
Believe it or not, you read my mind. I was thinking, hmm
what else can I put in her box that no one else will?
My first thought ---AHA! a CHICK! no, that won't do...
AHA! One of those thingy's! LOL
may princess tammy receive many joyful gifts
I hope you didn't have the same idea I did! LOL
No chance! But, if I'm not giving any more hints...
may princess tammy receive fun stuff in the mail
delivered by a really cute mailman, like Robbi has
We don't have any cute mail carriers! :(
Oh, man, what a drag. I have this really cute vet, Dr. Phil,
and this really cute EMT, Mark, and a really cute butcher,
Steve, and and I could send you one, but you'd have to
train him to deliver mail cuz our postal person is not so cute.
ROFLOL sorry, I could not resist- I am blessed and
cuteness abounds!
may princess tammy's post person at least have a good
personality
Oh HUSH your mouth, Joan! LOL
Here we are at Day 11 of incubation. Blanca's chicks to
be are now at this stage:
*The toe claws begin to curve downward
*The feet become padded
*The beak begins to harden
*The comb appears serrated
may princess tammy love her postperson anyway LOL