Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Papa Brooder]

Update on the SFH who pipped at the wrong end. After much deliberation, I decided to leave it alone. Then unbeknownst to me, my wife took a wooden skewer and pushed it over on her own accord... which is pretty amazing because she is not into the "chicken thing" that I do. Ha! ...that is until hatch time comes along. Well after a full 24 hours and still very little progress, I couldn't help myself (13 other chicks had already hatched), I decided to intervene against my better judgement. With the same skewer, I helped break the shell away. Took me almost 40 minutes due to a very difficult angle and I was terrified of poking that poor little chick. finally I helped the zipping and the chick popped out... didnt look so great for about 20 minutes but now has fluffed and looks fantastic. So thankful. The other one that pipped at the wrong end even lower made it out without any trouble sometime this morn. YAY!

So far: (I think, they are moving around so crazy, I'm not quite sure....) this is what has hatched.
2 Cream legbars
3 Swedish Flower Hens
3 Silver Hamburgs
4 Ameraucanas
3 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes

There are 4 more pipped: 2 BLRW, 2 SFH

Oh man, I am sheepishly so ready to say, "you all told me so!" about the hatch. I was so discouraged for naught. Resilient little guys just like you all said. Thanks!
And hang in there for the rest of you still waiting. This is hatch day for me as I set early.

 

[Papa Brooder]

Oh, I did have one question I forgot to ask. I know I have seen some posts on here about it... but how do you decided when to take the fluffy chicks out and put them in the brooder? My first to hatch who hatched last night is such a little pest. Always pecking at the poor little chicks trying to zip and trying to eat everything in sight. my humidity is up to 72 with all the recent hatches. Is it ok to pull the dry ones out quickly or should I wait until morning?

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
Yea my last was just under an hour. I was trained as a midwife but moved shortly before having the last one and could find no home birthing community in time (was illegal in CA and I'm pretty sure it still is so we were not easy to find). My Braxton Hicks contractions were always so strong that it was hard to tell the difference at first. Plus I have a crazy high tolerance for pain. The last half hour there was no mistaking them though! They got real strong before they got my shoes on and that was an uphill battle from there on out. Unfortunately the hospital was 20 mins away! Don't know why they think this is a good time to make a woman move around, much less get in a car for a race to an uncomfortable hospital!

Kudos to you for skipping that particular nightmare!

Anyway the nurse asked me to sit down and answer questions even though I said I was preregistered and as soon as I sat down the next one hit. I grabbed her monitor that was bolted down and ripped it part way out of it's mountings (not on purpose but you've been there, you know)! She decided to skip the questions and screamed for an orderly to get me upstairs FAST! Barely got me up there and he was born. I may have been calm about it but jeez, labor is labor!

My Dad loves to tell the story of the look on that nurse's face when I grabbed her monitor. lol He turned to her and said "See I told you she was about to have this baby! But you wouldn't listen to me! Nooooo, I only have four children and a few grandchildren of my own, but I don't know what I'm talking about." as he walked away shaking his head and waving dismissively.

My Silly Barred Rock Hen...she loves our bikes!

Haha! I love this pic!

Quote:
I'm being left in the dust as well! I'll just have to experience it through you all.

BTW Kathy, thanks for the link to the smileys! Gotta have something to kill the time while we are waiting.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Oh, I did have one question I forgot to ask. I know I have seen some posts on here about it... but how do you decided when to take the fluffy chicks out and put them in the brooder? My first to hatch who hatched last night is such a little pest. Always pecking at the poor little chicks trying to zip and trying to eat everything in sight. my humidity is up to 72 with all the recent hatches. Is it ok to pull the dry ones out quickly or should I wait until morning?

It's a judgement call. I will if a chick is really being hard on the others but it can mess with your humidity and temps. Make it quick and take 2 so the one is not lonely.

 

[Sueg4332]

Tuff is one is one big beautiful boy

Whew! Thanks I feel better.




That is quite the horse you have in your avatar!

I have the acreage, but now sales ability. If I owned something like that I'd need to be able to sell what I hatch!

 

[The Chickeneer]

Well nothing yet come on chickies time to come out and play

They do this to us on purpose.....happens to me every time I hatch. They don't pop out till your not there to see it. You get used to it after a while

Darn things.....but there so irresistable!!!

 

[countrygirl911]

I GOT A PIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[emvickrey]

I have 3 quail, 1 sizzle of my eggs and 1 EE from Hot2Pot's eggs just popped out. Once the quail get started it's like popcorn popping. I'll be asleep before long so i'll wake up to the little biggars running all over the bator. I'm glad I put them in lock down when I did.

 

[Sueg4332]

going to bed no pips maybe ion morning good night

 

[countrygirl911]

Do not know if i can go to bed now after i see my first pip and an egg doing the wiggle dance not sure if it has a pip or not all i know the chick wants out as much as it is wiggling