Chip - and a lesson learned
Posted: Friday 16 May, 2008
The Cream Legbar eggs were due to hatch yesterday. I had a bad feeling about them, though. However, bang on time, one hatched so I set up the heat lamp in a box in the puppy cage and moved the first chick in there, hoping that a second egg, from which cheeping could be heard, would hatch too.
When we got up this morning and the first chick was dead. It had moved away from the lamp, gone out through the bars of the puppy cage and died. I am really gutted that I didn't foresee this. I just never thought it would move away from the warmth.
Anyway, the second egg has hatched. None of the others look like doing anything, so we have a single chick. We've called him / her Chip. I'm trying to find some companions for Chip, but meantime, I've put in a little felt mouse. The Marans, at four weeks, are about ten times the size of Chip so mixing them isn't an option.
I'll keep the diary up to date with progress - hopefully, it will be positive.
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Comments
Rosemary
I thought the shells were quite thick, too. I usually leave them in the incubator for 24 hours, but even if I had waited that long, it woudln't have made any different - the chicks are so weeny, they will probably be able to get through the bars at a couple of weeks old!
Don't know what the problem is with the forums - doesn't seem to be a problem at our end.
Comments are now closed for this post.
carl
Monday 19 May, 2008 at 9:49am
What a shame. I had trouble hatching cream legbars this year, i think the hells are very tough. we have only had about 1 in 4 success rate. It is difficult to do, but try to keep the chicks in the incubator for up to 36 hours to give them a better start. they don't need food or water as they are still living off the energy from the yolk.
p.s I have been having great trouble using your forum, can't seem to get onto any topics without an incredibley long wait?
regards
carl