Raising chickens. Advice, comments, do's and don'ts wanted.

[Pullstart 62,902]

We put a 1/3 split in the “porch” of the coop today.  We’ll be hatching some chicks soon and have one rooster we’re adding to the layer coop currently.  The little white coop will be the house but the fence are the chickens will be able to mingle for a while before the flock is blended.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

We have little eggs cracking!

 

We also just realized we have no starter food.  32 minutes ‘til the farm store closes!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

This is quite remarkable!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

Two of thirteen hatched and moving around!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

Still just two of them, napping and keeping their siblings company.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

It’s hard to say what happened, but the bigger of the two hatchlings didn’t make it.  Still no others have hatched through, though some are pippin.

[Pullstart 62,902]

This little thing worked all day to get here!

 

I think it has a broken or misshapen foot.   

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

It must have still had sea legs, it’s in the brooder now and getting around pretty alright!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

Day 24.  I’ll give the remaining 10 until tomorrow to say “hello world” then it’s a scratch.  The 2 surviving of the 3 hatchlings are doing great!  I’m not calling this a failure, it is a small success on a huge learning curve.  I have to learn what works for our chickens, in our atmosphere, etc.  The incubator instruction book talks about humidity a bunch.  The sad part, is it isn’t a controlled feature, only temperature is.  I read though, that using the packing foam it came in (which I kept for storage) can be used to alter outcoming temps and humidities.

 

We now have a baseline.  38 degrees Celsius didn’t fare well on average.  Higher temps might suggest faster gestation periods.  I’ll bump it up to 38.5 degrees next time, and add the foam.  I’ve been concerned with the amount of condensation on one end of the enclosure and not the other.  The condensated end had no hatchlings, where the clear end did.  Coincidence?  I bet not.  I will see about maybe finding a seal of sorts, and do some “dry” runs before hatching any more.  
 

We are also fighting Mother Nature.  It’s fixing to get cold soon and they need to be fully feathered before they are subjected to dropping night temps, etc.  This might be the end of incubating for the year for us (and honestly, we have enough chickens now but it has become a pretty fun (busy) hobby).

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

Buddies…

 

… and the only two that survived the hatch.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

The two little chicks are growing fast!  Monday evening is another Slaughterday for the remaining meatbirds and geese.

 

 

[Ed Kennell 38,181]

Wanna double your pluckin operation Kev?

 

 For sale near me.....$400.

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by Ed Kennell

[Pullstart 62,902]

I need to double my cuttin’ and guttin’ operation to keep up with the plucker we have!  

[Pullstart 62,902]

On 8/28 we made a decision to leave some eggs under some broody hens.  Today, (day 22) magic is happening in the coop!

 

More have hatched, I placed one barely moving back under the hen a bit ago and another was dead and still.  So far, this one is the only one bouncing around.  Tomorrow, I’ll sprinkle some starter chick feed in the box with them and maybe some water too.  This nesting box is about 2.5’ off the ground.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

Additionally, we have a new layer in the coop!  This is the smallest egg we’ve ever found!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

I think another one hatched last night or early this morning, but made it out from under the heat and expired.  Another learning curve, but nature’s way of hatching is already more successful than incubating eggs!  I think we have 4 hatchlings under momma.  Two have come out to see me.

 

I stuffed a waterer and food trough full of chick starter feed into the box with them, momma is chowing down.  I bet she’s known it’s coming and has gone days without food, to care for her young.  Whatever is in the feed, I’m sure it has something good for mom too.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,902]

I lifted her up a bit ago, there are just 3 chicks.  That’s 3 more than we had yesterday this time!

[davem1111 2,030]

42 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

I lifted her up a bit ago, there are just 3 chicks.  That’s 3 more than we had yesterday this time!

 

Woohoo!  More chicks!!