The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: ellied on June 21, 2013, 10:54:22 am
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Well after over 4 weeks (so her original own eggs were all duds, she threw a couple out herself) one of the eggs laid in by another hen (unknown) hatched yesterday lunchtime and after a couple of rescues has settled and survived overnight. With thanks to my TAS visitor who found the hatchling and performed the first rescue before I even knew it had arrived :bouquet:
I have crumbs for it and was prepared to move hen, chick and remaining eggs after 24 hours to a bigger space with daylight but no others have hatched as yet and naturally it is the almost the longest day when it hatches so I am hard pressed to be awake at dawn and dusk to move them under darkness ::)
So, they're currently in the dark nesting area of a small coop with the internal doorway blocked after the chick wandered off and mum remained on the eggs oblivious. She's accepting feed and water without attacking me but is not happy at being moved. The pen I was thinking of is a good size but more for rabbits than hens in origin I think - there are 2 dark end areas and 2 light airy cage fronted areas, all joined up, but I don't know if the hen will get through the gaps if I put her in the dark where she'll be happiest, and if I block the dark bit then they'll have the 2 caged areas but I will put an old horse blanket over at night for her.
So, how/when do I move them - on my own so do eggs go first or hen or chick and a couple eggs - all in daylight to a lit caged area.. OR do I leave them til tonight or another full day where they are to see if anything else hatches?
Oh and expect photos to id the chick - sods law it'll be a boy if there's only one and it survives long enough to decide ::) but hey, I never thought a hybrid would sit 3 weeks let alone be sitting tight at 4 with a live chick for her troubles so all part of the learning curve for me :) I guess if the chick survives to maturity I'll have to call her Annie or him Andy in honour of the midwife ;D
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Ideas on what s/he is?
Photo of dad attached - not sure what he is either?
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Dad looks like some sort of Cream Legbar cross and the chick is probably a girl :thumbsup:
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I would have no idea but it's very pretty
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oooh, I'm excited - it's got feathers now! Glad I found her, she was so cold, I didn't think she'd survive.
I'd leave them where they are in case some of the other eggs hatch. I know it's small but it won't do them any harm fro a day or so. Just make sure Mum has plenty water - that little dish is n ideal depth but something a little bigger would be better when you move them.
Oh and I sold most of your eggs, no-one was bothered about them being that age - supermarket ones a lot older they reckoned, but I told them to check them first. And kept the really old ones for my dogs - they are happy little bunnies today! :excited:
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OK will leave them be - easier with a gammy leg anyway, tho I managed to clear the big coop yesterday before it got too bad so at least that's done. I've been leaning in the lid to feed and water the hen every couple hours and there's no further hatchlings but she's still sitting tight and the chick has managed 48 hours and seems fine so I've been mixing chick crumb in with mum's mainly grain and treats feeds and s/he seems to be pecking in the right direction tho I've not seen it drink I guess it must be, I try not to interfere too much. I was struggling to fit a wider dish in with them and panicking about drowned or paddling chick but it's getting refilled every couple hours except for overnight so hope that'll keep them going meantime.
I also cleared out the rest of the coop she's in and put a wee feeder of chick crumb in there and some shavings just in case wee one straggles or she actually wants off the nest and can't because of space. Later added eggs were presumed added daily by the other hen, all looked clearly one of two colours/sizes, so could be something viable to hatch for a few more days, just wish I knew which ones I could/should remove - if I'd meant to hatch eggs I'd have been more organised to learn how to candle them and borrowed one - well maybe ::)
So why does it look like a girl? The stripe? Colour scheme? Just looks small and fluffy to me..
Doganjo, glad the eggs got good homes - plenty spare still here if/when you want any more. Tho looks like both banties have found somewhere new to hide and lay and the black hen with the white lugs has too, her white eggs are spectacularly absent this week..
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Might be too late to candle now anyway - any thoughts folks? Candling is easy - dark room, toilet roll tube, strong torch - check here for what they look like. http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/candling-pics-progression-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs (http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/candling-pics-progression-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs)
Basically if you can't see any dark shadow at all by this time its infertile, unless you think there are some that are only a few days in.