You all wish me luck. My eggs started chirping tonight. Yep, they are scheduled to hatch tomorrow, and I am crossing my finger, toes and anything else I can that I get a good hatch. This is my first time hatching chicks, so I am very eggcited about it.
No pics yet, but will have some when I take them out of the hatcher into the temp brooder. I am using a box with a heating pad and a towel for that. Used this method to hand raise a premature puppy we had when we raised beagles. It works very good.
eggs chirping
Congratulations, Granny! How many do you have now?
Fingers Crossed! Hope all are lively and healthy. :-)
Beagles? Your poor thing. We had them too. Good luck with your peeps, won't be long now. Don't get too anxious once they start to pip, seems like most of mine pipped and then took about 8-12 hours before they did anything again, and once they started to peck the shell again hatched within 5 minutes. What are these, Seramas? Sorry I forget things more lately...
Best wishes to you Granny!!
MollyD
Okay, here we go. I have 27 eggs in the bator. 1 has hatched out already. Waiting on the others. They are Black Australorps or RIR/Australorp crosses. Won't know until later if any are Rocky's babies or not.
26 to go!! I'm as excited as if they were mine. Can you do pictures Granny?
MollyD
Yes, and will do them after I put them in the temp brooder. So far what this one looks like is a straight Australorp. Don't really know if Rocky is shooting blanks or not. Will have to wait, and am sitting on pins and needles with it, too.
Good luck with that! Sounds like you are in for a long night!
MollyD
I wonder what RIR/Australorp chicks will look like? It sounds like a great cross. And it sounds like you are having great success. You are using a Hoverbator, right?
Yep, I am using a Hovebator. Had the egg turner in it till Friday and then just put them on the screen. Got a hygrometer and was able to keep a check on the RH with it. Had to place it on the turner, so wasn't able to use two of the holes for eggs. But that was okay too.
yippee! happy for you! waiting to hear...
The first quartet in the temporary brooder. Oh, I forgot the ratio of sugar to water to start them off on.
This message was edited Mar 31, 2008 7:15 AM
Good job GG - Knew you could do it!
Yepper...and two more since those. And don't know how many more, but most are pipping. DH just went out to start the fire in the woodstove in the garage where we have the big brooder and raising pen. They will be there until about July and then move to the outdoor pen and temp henhouse.
What an adorable set of babies.
Granny I've been reading on the sugar water! It's 1/2 cup of sugar for 1 gallon of water. Feel like a just got the right answer on an exam LOL
MollyD
Thanks all. I also think they are adorable.
And, Molly, thank you too.
Granny last night I could barely sleep from excitement at getting my chicks. I can only imagine how excited you are at hatching yours!!
MollyD
Yep. And we now have 11, and more rocking around in the hatcher.
Let's see 11/27 leaves 16 to go! They're hatching pretty fast!
MollyD
Yep, but they slowed down now. Only got one more since the last post. They've pipped, but probably resting for a bit. Still haven't counted all that have pipped, either. Might do that in a few.
Having to adjust the RH every little while as it is rising when they get out of their shells. So, checking about every half-hour. Will have to move them to the big brooder probably tomorrow morning. (they're getting too crowded in the temp brooder) ;o))
Isn't it a nice feeling that so many are hatching that it's getting crowded :-) ?
MollyD
Yes it is, but I had it on the seat of the shower (that's where we put the incubator to keep critters away), and they all piled on one end and dumped it off the seat. No damage to them that I can find, but it is now on the floor of the shower.
One thing, we might put them out tonite...otherwise we might not get any sleep again. They have to be Bruno's kids...they won't shut up!!!
noisy = cold, would be my guess. they usually sleep a lot the first 48 hours, so try them in a warm dry place till they get their bellies all closed up and get a good nap. then you might sneak in a nap too. you must be one tired chickenMama!
Granny how about a card table to keep them off the floor?
MollyD
not too tired, actually, must be the adreline working. Like I said, might have to put them in the big brooder tonite. Of course now they have shut up.
Molly, there is no way to put a card table in the shower stall where we have them. It is a two person shower with seats on both sides but enough room for a tv table in the middle. the temp brooder is now on the floor of the shower under the tv table.
Oh dear. Hope they continue doing well for you.
MollyD
Congratulations Granny!!! I'm so happy for you! Isn't it just
the most eggciting thing when you hatch your own. I've lost
count, but so glad you have so many thus far. Keep us
posted. They are adorable. Yippee! Go chicks!
Granny,
Can you put an old window screen over the top and weigh it down so the "critters" are unable to prey on the hatchlings?
Nope. but I am going to take them out and put them in the big brooder in a few minutes. At least the ones that are dry. then I will deal with the others as they hatch. Count now is at 17...10 more to go if all hatch. YIPPEE!!!
great news... don't forget we'll want another picture!
Any of the other eggs pipped yet GG?
Yep...now at 18, and 7 have pipped but not hatched yet. Two haven't pipped, and may not. Will wait till tomorrow or Wednesday before tossing them.
Okay, just took this picture. It isn't very good as everything kept getting in the way. But at least you can see some of them.
yes GG, those are BAs.
these are the size spots you have on sexlink roos...
i was secretly hoping all that white meant blue australorps... i have since heard that Privett also claims to have White Australorps, wonder what those are LOL
thanks, TF, I was hoping to have a RIR/BA cross, but probably won't. (sigh)
Am going to get some Buff pullets when they come in, so will probably set eggs next year and maybe get a cross then.
well, if they ain't done hatching, you could still get a cross. you know we are loving our Buckhorn!
Wow, Granny, they look Great! Any more since last night?