surfer_chicken Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Ooh, very exciting I can't wait for the next update. You're diary's been so amazing, I think we're all about excited as you must be by now! All the best for Matilda's reject egg xx xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Gah! this waiting is painful. Have just got back home to find things are no further along. about half the eggs have pipped and they are all cheeping like mad, you can hear them through the incubator. I checked on Matilda to see if she had got any further and found she had kicked out another egg, although it was still warm so I quickly popped it back under her where the others are all still intact with no sounds being emitted. Have sneaking suspicion all eggs will hatch in the night while Im asleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 oh and here you go Mollie http://www.thepetpads.co.uk/shop/henrietta%27s-house-%7C19650/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 One is going for it!!! In the last 15 mins one of the eggs has gone from being pipped to working its way half way around it shell, it may be here in the next few mins, its working really quickly!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Well? Any chicks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Little George (as my son has named him) was born at 7:55, I watched the whole thing start to finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Awww congratulations. Is it a Pekin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Yes this is one from a mixed pen of pekins with a couple of silky cocks in too, so may have a bit of silky in it, no idea on colour yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Black feet and comb - it's a silkie cross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Ah yes. Is it right though that the normal feathering is dominant so it wont have the silky fluffy feathering? . . . a second chick is on its way out. Chick number 1 is standing guard waiting for its play mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I had two splash pekin x silkies. 'Jon and Edward' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Ohhh they are beautiful! So yes its normal feathering with silky looking headgear. Oh and chick number two is now out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Chicky number two, looks to be lavender? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Aww, looks either lavender or blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 Well I stayed up last night till 1:00 watching chick number three hatch (this was one laid by one of our girls I have just got up and come down stairs to find chick number 11 just hatching!!!! (which is the sibling of the last one I watched hatch last night) There looks to be 2 silky crosses now that I can see, both with black comb and feet with 5 toes. A lot of lavender colours some with yellow tummies, two lemons, a couple of browny gold ones, which I know one is def a gold partridge, so they might both be, I haven't examined shell labelings of those who have hatched to see what has and hasn't hatched yet. Im not too sure in whats happened to Matilda's eggs now, I just checked and the one which looked pipped yesterday look the same and is still quiet so Im wondering if that was a small break and not pipped at all. Two eggs are cheeping and another had pipped. Im wondering if because some had a tiny bit of dirt on they might have been killed by bacteria, which would be such a shame after the great job Matilda has done, I think she must have just done one of two wet broody farts! Fingers crossed for her she at least gets her 2 to hatch, and perhaps they are all just a bit behind the incu eggs. The electric hen is on and heating up and I will then move the driest chicks over as some have been in the incu for a good 12 hours now. And while Im at it I will check on the ramaining eggs to see if any are making sounds or pipped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 I have just checked the remaining eggs in the incu and three of them have signs of life, one is pipped and the other two are either tapping or cheeping. That leaves 4 that are doing nothing yet, and these 4 are all ones that didn't have a tick penciled on to show that I saw movement when candled at day 14. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfer_chicken Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Awww chickies! What sort of incy is that? I'm looking to buy a couple of new incys & wondered what sort you'd used - looks a decent one. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 Its a Fiem Smart 20, I got it on ebay for £110, it hold about 28 bantam eggs, I have loved it, very simple to use, seems to have given me a good hatch rate. I really like it cause it great for seeing inside and watching everything happen, next week Im taking it into my sons school with another 12 eggs to hatch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 Well of the three that were showing signs of life, the one that had pipped hatched about midday and the other two have been very silent, no tapping or cheeping since first thing this morning, and the other four eggs still showing no signs. Matilda is now a mum, she has had one of hers hatch but no sign from the others, one chirped at me earlier today but nothing since, and one Im pretty sure is dead (there is a hole and blood) Have no idea why hers haven't been very successful, they are a mix of the same eggs I put in the incu. Also at this stage with the others all out, whats the likely hood of any more hatching? Im just a little concerned that Matilda only has one chick and I feel she deserves more for her hard work and bald tummy! And here are some pics . . . I know out of those hatched that 2 are Lavender, 2 are Lemon and 1 is Gold Partridge, the rest are a mix of all sorts. but two definitely are silky crosses. See what you think. Lemon Gold partridge Silky crosses Not sure which are the Lavender as I have some that are very light in colour with a very light yellow tum like this And some that have a darker head and no yellowing to their tums like this Then I also have some like this, don't know what they are yet And heres a bit of a group shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 What great photos . Very many congratulations on the new brood. Are you planning to put some of the day-old's under Matilda if she only manages to hatch one or two of her own clutch? Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 I was just wondering that, do you think she would notice? The one that hatched at midday today is still a little wet, If I snuck that under her with some broken shell and took away the dead one do you think she would notice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I found myself in a very similar situation two years ago. My broody Orpington was a fantastic Mum for 24 days, did everything exactly right, but sadly none of her six (E-bay) eggs hatched. So, I sourced 8 1-day-old pekin chicks, and under cover of darkness replaced four eggs with four chicks (kept the other four back in case she totally rejected the chicks). All was fine the next morning, so later that evening I repeated the process removing the final two eggs and inserting the other 4 chicks. Again, next morning, all was fine. We did lose one chick about 5 days later (literally, couldn't find any signs of it, totally disappeared during the day), but all the others grew up to be strong and healthy. In fact, it's two of those Pekin chicks that are now Mum's to this years brood . Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 Right well I just tried it with one to see how it goes, just popped it under her and took away the one that looks dead with the blood around a membrane split. Interestingly I just went to open it up to see what had happened to it, but as I pressed my finger against the exposed bit of membrane I found it was pulsing to the touch, so I just popped it into the incu to see if anything happens. Im still hoping Matilda has one more hatch as it has definitely been cheeping. Also I have noticed that one of the lemons may have a spradle leg issue, it can still walk but one of the legs definitely keeps sliding out to one side, don't know if I should leave it for now or look at tying her legs together a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Also I have noticed that one of the lemons may have a spradle leg issue, it can still walk but one of the legs definitely keeps sliding out to one side, don't know if I should leave it for now or look at tying her legs together a bit. You need to act quickly, you must tie it's legs if the chick is to lead a normal life (or, indeed, have any life at all). The problem is curable, but only in the first few days. We had one that went from this ... but which after three days of it's legs being tied, looked like this ... and went on to have a perfectly normal upbringing. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
