I never got around to putting the post I made on our forum here yet, so some of the wording may seem a little old, but here is some cool stuff about my recent hatch, now days old.
So, fertility and embryo liveability has improved so much with my cochins and buff orpingtons. The first of what I would call a successful hatch of 2015 is well underway. There have been other hatches, but limited numbers and well...just awful. Anyways, yesterday was due day and there was about 7 little buffs and 11 little cochins hatched out and moved to their temporary brooder. Which is a March rollx incubator. Today, I will go down and check and get the remainder out of the incubator. What has not hatched by tonight will be no further incubated. This is tough love. At the end of the day 22, what hasn't hatched has not for a good enough reason for me to call it in. Tough love. I only incubate the strongest chicks that get out. Now if a chick is stuck and absolutely no reason that it is the chicks fault, but a dry membrane, I will assist, but that is as far as I go. Too many times I have assisted, only to have that chick weak and die anyways, or have to be put down a few days later. Tough love. But it makes for strong genetics I think.
Anyways, just some good morning love. A bowl full of little blue, black and splash cochins and a few buff orpingtons. I had to make 2 trips because not all of them would fit in the blue bowl, smiling. Enjoy. Have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.
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Ten more and I left four in the incubator last night. This morning they all will go to the brooder in the henhouse. I'll get more pictures today....about 32 out of 52. Still not what I would like to see. All of the eggs had gone into the last resting phase, but 20ish did not pip. Still don't get this, but things are certainly improving. Now setting another batch of eggs tomorrow. Gotta get those lazy buff orpington gals laying though, they have almost shut down to 1 to 2 a day out of 8 hens...oh well, I have a few buffs to set, smiling. Enjoy the picture. Have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.
There are some very pretty chicks in this hatch for surely
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So the chicks were moved to the next holding area for brooding. They will stay in here for about 2 weeks, no less, maybe a little bit more. Then they go to the chick grow out pen where they will have the hovabrooder to keep them warm and protected. They are such darlings
There was 10 buff orpington chicks, one was euthanized at 2 days old, 9 black cochin chicks, 10 blue cochin chicks, and 3 splash cochin chicks, one was euthanized at 2 days old.
The two chicks that I had to end life were the two that were one day late and were membrane stuck....final time I will ever help a chick out, no matter what, it always does not end up well for me and euthanizing will undoubtedly require performing at about 2 days old. The chicks just don't develop as well as the others and are failing rapidly. Last time I help.
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It sure does not take long before they are into the food and water
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This is what the brooder looks like, it holds a good number of chicks. The infrared heater on the wall is wonderful and it helps to heat the room as well as a very large area of the brooder. There are nine buff Orpington chicks. The cochins are all pre-sold, I am still unsure if I will be selling the 9 buff chicks as a group, sitting on the fence about that one, smiling that big smile
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
So, fertility and embryo liveability has improved so much with my cochins and buff orpingtons. The first of what I would call a successful hatch of 2015 is well underway. There have been other hatches, but limited numbers and well...just awful. Anyways, yesterday was due day and there was about 7 little buffs and 11 little cochins hatched out and moved to their temporary brooder. Which is a March rollx incubator. Today, I will go down and check and get the remainder out of the incubator. What has not hatched by tonight will be no further incubated. This is tough love. At the end of the day 22, what hasn't hatched has not for a good enough reason for me to call it in. Tough love. I only incubate the strongest chicks that get out. Now if a chick is stuck and absolutely no reason that it is the chicks fault, but a dry membrane, I will assist, but that is as far as I go. Too many times I have assisted, only to have that chick weak and die anyways, or have to be put down a few days later. Tough love. But it makes for strong genetics I think.
Anyways, just some good morning love. A bowl full of little blue, black and splash cochins and a few buff orpingtons. I had to make 2 trips because not all of them would fit in the blue bowl, smiling. Enjoy. Have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Ten more and I left four in the incubator last night. This morning they all will go to the brooder in the henhouse. I'll get more pictures today....about 32 out of 52. Still not what I would like to see. All of the eggs had gone into the last resting phase, but 20ish did not pip. Still don't get this, but things are certainly improving. Now setting another batch of eggs tomorrow. Gotta get those lazy buff orpington gals laying though, they have almost shut down to 1 to 2 a day out of 8 hens...oh well, I have a few buffs to set, smiling. Enjoy the picture. Have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.
There are some very pretty chicks in this hatch for surely
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
So the chicks were moved to the next holding area for brooding. They will stay in here for about 2 weeks, no less, maybe a little bit more. Then they go to the chick grow out pen where they will have the hovabrooder to keep them warm and protected. They are such darlings
There was 10 buff orpington chicks, one was euthanized at 2 days old, 9 black cochin chicks, 10 blue cochin chicks, and 3 splash cochin chicks, one was euthanized at 2 days old.
The two chicks that I had to end life were the two that were one day late and were membrane stuck....final time I will ever help a chick out, no matter what, it always does not end up well for me and euthanizing will undoubtedly require performing at about 2 days old. The chicks just don't develop as well as the others and are failing rapidly. Last time I help.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
It sure does not take long before they are into the food and water
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
This is what the brooder looks like, it holds a good number of chicks. The infrared heater on the wall is wonderful and it helps to heat the room as well as a very large area of the brooder. There are nine buff Orpington chicks. The cochins are all pre-sold, I am still unsure if I will be selling the 9 buff chicks as a group, sitting on the fence about that one, smiling that big smile
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
