Topic: A new chick (Read 2015 times)

doublebowgoats · « **on:** August 01, 2009, 01:50:06 AM »

Finally! After several explosive failures my hens have hatched out a baby. There are two broody dominiques but it looks like this one must be one of the BO's chicks.They are sitting on everyone's eggs and they have about 8 or 10 eggs to go. Should I do anything for the baby? There is water and chick starter in the coop but will it know how to drink and eat? Will it's 'mom' show it what to do? thanks for any hints you all can give me.

Chaty · « **Reply #1 on:** August 01, 2009, 02:00:07 AM »

If it stays with the momma bird she will show it what to do and what to eat. I caught the baby guinnes that a hen hatched as the mommas wont wait for them and she is a stinker. I got 10 new baby guinnies and gave 8 of the other 10 chicks that I had to a friend and kept 2. The baby will stay warm with momma and do well. Too bad you only got 1 but who knows the others might hatch and you can be overran like me...I have 35 more comming from a hatchery...

GoatTalker · « **Reply #2 on:** August 01, 2009, 02:06:37 AM »

Babies every where.

doublebowgoats · « **Reply #3 on:** August 01, 2009, 02:27:50 AM »

Kathy, I saw in another post how you are fixin' to be swimming in chicks! I can understand it. They are just too cute!
Anyway thanks for the info. I was worried to death about fire ants as everyone had told me that they would kill any hatching chick, But I guess the diatomaceous earth around the pen worked. Now I can just worry about other stuff.

lilhill · « **Reply #4 on:** August 01, 2009, 10:37:48 AM »

Congrats on the baby chick!

Chaty · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2009, 01:11:55 PM »

doublebowgoats · « **Reply #6 on:** August 01, 2009, 06:29:41 PM »

Thanks!
Another chick this morning. This one is black. This is so exciting! But the momma hasn't taken them out to eat or drink. So I am still worried.

GoatTech · « **Reply #7 on:** August 01, 2009, 06:58:12 PM »

You can set some baby chick food(not laying crumb) and some water very near by just for the chicks. The mom won't go out until she thinks all of her eggs have hatched.
Probably otta get a chick waterer(if you don't have one already) to be safe so they don't drown.

doublebowgoats · « **Reply #8 on:** August 01, 2009, 07:41:33 PM »

After I posted I went back out (I'm obsessed, I know!) and there are three! The new one is black with red cheek splashes. I do have a chick feeder and a waterer. And I got some chick starter. So I guess they are set up. thanks again for all y'all's help! I finally get used to birthing goats and now this!

GoatTech · « **Reply #9 on:** August 01, 2009, 07:49:56 PM »

They will sneak over and eat then.
I'm still waiting on chicks. The 2 that hatched didn't hatch out right, so they died. I have a feeling the others are not going to hatch. I need to check my calendar to see...

doublebowgoats · « **Reply #10 on:** August 02, 2009, 03:49:00 AM »

Yep, they are eating and drinking. Good luck with your eggs, Jenny mae. Sorry the two didn't make it.

GoatTech · « **Reply #11 on:** August 02, 2009, 05:47:50 AM »

Yep it was sad!! I caught the first one peeping with the shell stuck on it's head. I gently got that off, but when I put the chick back, the mom frantically attacked it

So I decided that the mom was on her own with this batch. I didn't care for that situation!!!
I found the other expired yesterday. It's shell was stuck on as well. I never heard that one peeping.
I think the only thing left would be the one banty egg I put under her, so we'll see.
With this experience I will be tempted to get an incubator. I had no idea hens could be so cruel. Senseless yes, but that was just plain rotten!!

doublebowgoats · « **Reply #12 on:** August 02, 2009, 09:19:54 PM »

Gosh, that really is bad! Having hens set their own eggs is a neat experience but it has been such a worry. And now the cats are obsessed with the peeping sounds they hear. Ugh! An incubator WOULD be an easier way to go.

Chaty · « **Reply #13 on:** August 03, 2009, 12:36:54 PM »

If you do get a incubator make sure you get 1 with a turner...the first 1 we got didnt have a turner in it and I had to turn the eggs...wont do that again got 1 with 1. But the hens around here seem to be doing a good job themselves. Yes the momma hens can be cruel when it comes to putting a baby with her....most of the times its not going to happen.
Also trying to take the babies away can get pretty risky also.
Congrats on your new babies and Jenny sorry you lost those...

doublebowgoats · « **Reply #14 on:** August 04, 2009, 02:23:27 PM »

Well, now there are at least six chicks and the mommas are doing such a good job. A real joint effort! Three of them are sex links, so that is neat.

GoatTech · « **Reply #15 on:** August 05, 2009, 04:30:05 AM »

That is just fabulous!!!

Thanks Kathy for the info, I probably would have gotten the one without the turner and then found it out the hard way,..LOL.
My hen is still sitting there and I'm pretty sure the whole mess of eggs are waste.

Tomorrow I will put on my steel gloves and see whats going on under her. Think I will throw her out with the other chickens and see if I can't get her to snap out of this mess,...LOL.
I'm collecting more eggs, but I'm not so sure I want her to have anything to do with them.

Chaty · « **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2009, 05:12:02 AM »

What you could do Jenny is to wait till its dark and take a flashlight out to where she is and candle a few eggs to see if anything is going on in there. You dont want to jostle them orshake , but you will be able to tell if they are good or bad pretty quick. Just put the light up to the egg and you can tell. Just a thought before you throw her out as I have done this to a few of mine in the coop and they just wont give it up for a while.

GoatTech · « **Reply #17 on:** August 05, 2009, 05:30:29 AM »

Thanks Kathy, will do. She's rolling out dead ones though, so I think she's killed them upon hatching or has killed them inadvertently. I had to rake another dead one out today. It's just a stinky mess,

I'm ready to get her butt out of there.
I can tell if newly eggs are fertilized by holding a light?

doublebowgoats · « **Reply #18 on:** August 06, 2009, 02:42:25 AM »

Since the first batch of eggs that a hen tried to set all exploded, when the second hen went broody I candled all of them. It sure worked because so far almost all the ones we determined were fertile have hatched. We are up to eight chicks now.

GoatTalker · « **Reply #19 on:** August 06, 2009, 03:46:49 AM »

doublebowgoats · « **Reply #20 on:** August 06, 2009, 04:25:16 PM »

The eggshells are drying out while they hatch because it is so hot. So I did some quick research on the net and moistened and opened the shell on one of the chicks yesterday. Not all the way, just how it showed me in the article I was reading. Today the chick is up and eating and scratching. YAY! But another one is having the same trouble. It is just so darn hot. Even if this one doesn't make it I am just thrilled as I never thought that those hens could hatch those babies in this horrible weather with all the fire ants and cats and coons. It's amazing!

Chaty · « **Reply #21 on:** August 06, 2009, 05:58:06 PM »

GoatTalker · « **Reply #22 on:** August 06, 2009, 06:36:13 PM »

lilhill · « **Reply #23 on:** August 07, 2009, 01:35:27 PM »

doublebowgoats · « **Reply #24 on:** August 07, 2009, 03:03:14 PM »

thanks! this is just so fun! Lost the last one that hatched as he was stuck in his shell for over a day. I think the DE is contributing to the shell drying too much while they are breaking out the shell. But I am still so happy with them!

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Author Topic: A new chick (Read 2015 times)