4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[HENthusiastic]

After a lot of thought me and OH decided we wanted to hatch some chicks. We gave it a lot of thought and made sure we could handle it if we had chicks born deformed and that we could cope with the boys and had plans for them.

 

I had 6 fertile eggs (from a friend) under my broody. Out of these only 2 hatched, but they are doing well, growing fast and Henrietta is being the most beautiful, attentive mother. Its wonderful to watch her with them and wonderful to watch the chicks grow.

 

We were a bit disapointed only to have 2 chicks so we brought a hen with 6 chicks from auction (we were going anyway). She had 3 brown chicks and 3 yellow chicks. The first morning one of the yellow chicks was nearly dead I had to do the deed, it was clear she wasn't going to make it. About 2 hours later we found a 2nd yellow chick nearly dead. I had to do the deed again . A while later we saw the hen attack the 3rd yellow chick. I dont think she hatched the yellow chicks herself and that she was attacking them. Not her fault.

 

On advice, I removed the last yellow chick and one other for company leaving the hen with just 2 chicks and us with 2 chicks indoors (and not prepared for indoor raising). A few days later we lost one of the hens chicks who had a pasty bum leaving mum with one chick. Then I came home to find the last yellow (in the house) was near to death and I had to do her as well! .

 

So, she started out with 6 chicks. I have had to do the deed with 2 chicks. 2 chicks died of natural causes. I am now raising one chick on its own in my back bedroom (not ideal) and mum is bringing up her last remaining child very well. Its been a harsh introduction to hatching.

 

 

I havent posted much about this as its gone along, because Omlettesville seems such a happy nice place. But I guess its only right that we share the tough stuff as well. I also want to re-itterate (sp??) how difficult it can be hatching, and that people need to be REALLY sure they can do the deed and cope with unexpected situations.

All this and I haven't even had to handle sending the boys to their deaths!

 

I just hope this little one inside is a girl! I'm becoming so attached to her.

 

thanks for reading, sorry its a bit long and rambly.

Edited June 5, 2009 by Guest

[The Dogmother]

So sorry to hear your trials and tribulations HEN - it's not always that problematic, but it's also good that you are sharing the experience, so that ohers can be aware of what may just happen.

[smanners]

So sorry too {{{{{{{ Hugs}}}}}}}

Don't be too put off though, I think you've been unlucky this time.

Good luck with your other chicks.

[Jules.]

We had to dispatch one of our chicks which had hatched overnight & had a big bloody entrail dangling from its body.

I couldn't do it- hubby had to do the deed with a spade & he said the chick took some bashing to kill it

it was really upsetting, but had to be done, & yes, I was prepared for some chick losses.

 

The good news is that the 12 remaining chicks are 7 weeks old this weekend, & doing really well They are almost as big as my Polish hen, Petra

[The Dogmother]

If they are newly hatched, then you can dislocate their necks over a sharp edge; very easy and not too harrowing.

[HENthusiastic]

I used a version of something I think Egluntine did. I put chick in a tea cloth, within a carrier bag. I then used a tall stool (which Id had in the garden) which I turned upside down and smashed down onto chick . I found that a lot easier than I would have other ways I think because I had a certain amount of physical distance between myself and the chick. I also didn't have to see anything. I knew it was properly done because I could use all my weight on the stool. I know it had to be done and was in the chicks best interests, but I still feel awful, putting it on here EXACTLY what I did.

[Redwing]

I'm so sorry Hen that all sounds very upsetting

 

I have read up about the sharp edge culling method that Claret mentions above so am prepared if I have to do the deed but its not a nice prospect

 

Glad all your remaining chicks are doing well though

[The Dogmother]

It's unusual to get such a heavy loss though Hen - I am wondering about the quality of those eggs.

[Griffin]

I have read up about the sharp edge culling method that Claret mentions above so am prepared if I have to do the deed but its not a nice prospect

That's the way I culled two of my chicks, on the edge of a table. Be warned though, not a lot of force is needed, you'll feel the neck dislocate and then STOP. The first time I did it I convinced myself I'd done it wrong because the chick was shaking and flapping so much, it's tongue kept poking in and out it's mouth for about 20 seconds, and that seemed more like 20 minutes. With hindsight I now know that it was just reflexes, the chick was dead the second I broke it's neck. The following day when I had to cull the second chick I pressed down a bit harder and took it's head off Still the same amount of flapping, shaking and tongue poking so I realised then what I'd seen the day before was normal and I had done it right. I didn't mean to decapitate it, it wasn't very nice to see and I cried for hours afterwards.

 

It is distressing but I firmly believe that if anybody intends to hatch eggs wether it be under a broody or in an incubator they need to be prepared to despatch quickly and humanely regardless of how unpleasant it is. These chicks don't ask to be born, we chose to bring them into the world and they depend upon us to ensure they don't suffer a single second longer than they have to. If you cannot do that you shouldn't hatch, simples.

[The Dogmother]

I ended up necking them on a sharp edge and then just dropping them in a carrier bag so I didn't have to watch the flapping, which I never like.

 

I ended up doing this three times for a local acquaintance who'd decided (on a whim as you do ) to hatch without thinking of the consequences. I think she must have got a load of dodgy eggs as 3 of them hatched deformed and had to be culled. I hate it, but as Griffin says; it's preferable to them suffering.

 

 

That person got a stern talking to from me

[Egg Lou]

So sorry for anyone whose had to do this, I am aware I may need to so planned the dates so I would be around in case I had to do the deed.

 

Would really upset me if I do have to but as already said you must be prepared to do this if embarking on hatching.

 

I also have back up in case I really couldn't if it ever came to it.

[HENthusiastic]

It's unusual to get such a heavy loss though Hen - I am wondering about the quality of those eggs.

 

Do you mean the chicks that I lost or the eggs under Henrietta that didn't hatch?

 

I'm more or less convinced that the person who sold the hen and chicks had just shoved the 3 blond chicks under her shortly before selling and hadn't checked whether she'd accepted them or not. The blondies looked younger than the brown ones too.

 

As for the eggs, only hatching 2/6, well 4 of the eggs had ex-battery hen mums and a stunning brahma dad, so I guess that could explain the low hatch rate. Although from what I've read its not unusually low is it?

 

All remaining chicks are doing well and are delightful

[The Dogmother]

Sorry, I thought you had more eggs under her.

 

Shame though.

 

I've heard before that there's not a good rate of hatching from ex-batts - I guess their egg tackle is just worn out.

 

Naughty of that seller to bung those chicks under the hen you bought - there are some unscrupulous people around at auctions.

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear of your experience HEN.

 

You are absolutely right to share it with us, though, so that people go into hatching with their eyes opne, and realise that it can present problems, and that they should be ready to do a humane deed if necessary.

[laurmurf]

Hello all - it's been forever since I've been on as my compooter is down (so I'm sneaking a look at work).

 

I was really glad you shared the tough side, HEN, as i think it's all too easy going into this with eyes firmly shut. I know how incredibly hard that must have been for you and applaud your responsible and humane actions. Mostin did tell me you'd had a hard time so my dearest love to you! I hope the rearing of the little ones goes well! Evil thoughts to the bar steward who stuck those 3 chicks under that other mum to increase her value at auction

 

With all this in mind I've taken the leap and put some fertile eggs (bought from an incredibly reliable and responsible source) under our THREE broody hens (yes.... 3 - wait for a bus and 3 all come along at once! ). I've put 14 eggs under the 3 hens (8 under my new but experienced mum, Silkie-Sussex cross Babs and the rest between Willow and Dot. I will candle at 4, 10 and 18 days for signs of life (or not ) as well as monitoring the mums-to-be for maternal instinct. I'm hoping that i can keep an eye on things and if I have to do a shuffle between hens and chicks then I'll be able to at a day old at the latest (as they're all due to hatch the same day). This doesn't mean i won't get problems but I hope to be able to learn from all your experiences and deal with them - although I may need to come on here for some sympathy at the time!

 

What I'm wondering about is when the mums come out of the brooders (at around 4/5 weeks or so) can I mix the chicks up then? Will they fight? I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that there shouldn't be a problem that early.

 

If anyone's interested I got the eggs from the farm manager at Temple Newsam, who is a judge for the Poultry Club too and who is a member of the Rare Breeds Trust. she was fantastically helpful, discussing the fertility rates of the hens who laid the eggs I chose and offering advice.

[The Dogmother]

Hi Laurie *waves* if you raise the chicks in runs alongside each other then they ought to mix well. Keep an eye on the mothers though - it's not unknown for them to peck at another mum's chicks.

 

I'm thinking of hatching some more pure breeds next year.

[laurmurf]

Hello Claret!

I am hoping that I'll realistically end up with only two hens hatching the eggs between them. I reckon on a good hatch being 60% so about 8 eggs or so, so it will mean one big girl will lose her real eggs and have to go back to pot ones.... unless i buy more?

 

I'll keep their runs nearby but want to mix the babies when the mums are ready to come out. I'd heard that 4/5 week olds don't have the pecking order instinct as hard wired in them until they're older, do you reckon that mixing the two hatches would work?

[The Dogmother]

From what I've heard, it should work Laurie. It's not the chicks that are the problem, but the mums.

[Budgies]

It's lovely to read a thread where people are being open and honest and well prepared about the not so sweet side of hatching. I think you're all very brave.

 

I'm not sure I could ever be brave enough to despatch, so until such times as I decide I am, I'll steer clear of hatching. Love sharing your stories though!

[smanners]

Hatching rates can be so variant

I bought 11 varied ? fertile eggs from Chalk Hill poultry in Dorset to go under my Hybrid Black Star (first time mum and not supposed to go broody ! ).

I was banking on a success rate of about 7 or 8 chicks but to my shock (and delight) all 11 chicks hatched and they are 3 weeks old today Luckily no need for any early dispatching although I was prepared if I had to

Now I have to think about additional housing when I know the male/female ratio.

At the moment I got 4 definate males who will go back to the breeder.

[Plum]

Sounds like it's been pretty rough HEN. Thanks for sharing. It can't have been easy doing it and telling us, hope the others make up for it. It seems that quite a few people on here have had real joy from the chicks and the pain of despatching ones with problems.

 

Good luck with yours Laurie wish I have the land and time to do the same.

[atsw]

It seems that quite a few people on here have had real joy from the chicks and the pain of despatching ones with problems.

I think you've got right to the key point with that sentence Plum. When all goes well and we see loads of pictures of lovely healthy chicks, it makes it look so easy. There are post telling people to think long and hard about the other side of hatching chicks, but I think HEN's post is the first I've read which has put a very real, and very personal, prospective on the realities of the situation - so well done HEN for that leap of faith and very best of luck with the remaining chicks.

 

Andrew

[mostin]

Big hugs to you HEN. I know it can't have been easy for you to write all that down. it's too easy to concentrate on the cute fluffy chicks that come out of the eggs, and not what else might happen .

 

Hopefully the worst is over for you now, and you can enjoy watching your 4 chicks grow with pleasure. fingers crossed for girls , any more signs on the sex of the Brah-batt?

[Valkyrie]

I agree with Andrew - it does help to see what awful things can happen - we were lucky (and being all girls too). I told OH that he would have to dispatch any that were ill or suffering - but I think if the crunch came, it would be me that did it anyway. I remember seeing HFW using the sharp edges for chick disposal. Very upsetting for you, hope the last ones continue to do well.

[Lewis]

Sorry to hear about that.

 

I actually think its a good thing that you've posted it, a lot of people are getting chickens and hatching chicks without properly reading all up about everything. It least if they read this it could prepare them for what could happen and any problems that could occur.