Poorly chicken

[Beaudyne]

It’s currently 4:22am and I’ve had one of the worst nights! We currently have 1 egg half unzipped, 2 just starting and 1 that I didn’t even see the pip and it’s out! Came out so quickly too!!

However this night started off bumpy. Last checked the eggs at 11pm then went to bed. Woke up at 12:30 to find we’d had a power cut at 11:30 so for the last hour the incubator hadn’t been receiving any heat! Amazing how I woke up at all really!!

Quickly got it all back on, temp had dropped to 27 and humidity had gone from 75% to 86%. I was in a major panic put I think everything’s okay. Somehow got back to sleep only to wake up at 3 with the dog growling at the bedroom door. Went to check and it was the chick who’s popped out the shell and tapping on the lid of the incubator! (Chicks are on the landing, so she could hear them well)

Now just sitting here watching the eggs as I don’t want anything else to go wrong 😅👍

[Beaudyne]

3 have hatched so far! However one that’s just hatched has its umbilical cord still attached! Will it just dry up and drop off? This one is the smallest chick and seems to be struggling a little. I’m not sure what to do. Should I be co concerned? Any help would be greatly appreciated 

@Luvachicken

@Beantree

 

 

[Cat tails]

Lovely chicks! Maybe @mullethunter, @The Dogmother or @Lewis has advice.

[Beantree]

Not sure about the little one @Beaudyne? That's not something we have seen before. I would expect it to be OK, knowing how resilient chicks are once they have hatched. We've only ever had one problem and that was clubfoot which is caused by a vitamin B deficiency in the breeding hen(s) I think?

You can buy a mains failure alarm. Just plug it into a socket and it squeals when the mains fails. But it's only worthwhile if you have an alternative power source, so a battery and inverter or a generator or both. Mains failures were so common when we arrived in France we used to switch to the inverter when we went out. The longest was two days and we were given a rebate on the electricity standing charge, but our neighbours said the longest they had experienced was two WEEKS. Something worth using is a protected extension socket as we had a mains spike which blew the circuit board on ours and we had to rush out and buy another incubator mid-hatch.

[Luvachicken]

Those little chicks are just amazing.

I'm afraid I don't know anything about tiny chicks so can't really advise on your teeny one.

I hope they are all ok xx

[Beaudyne]

WE HAVE 6 CHICKS! So far anyway. 3 eggs left to hatch. However the last 3 haven’t even pipped....is it likely they won’t hatch at all? 8:30pm tonight will be the full 21 days. 

[Beantree]

Perfectly normal some will be late. In nature the hen would abandon them to look after the ones that have hatched, but some could be hatching two days afterwards. Move the hatched over a day old to their rearing accommodation where they can start to eat and drink and leave the others in the incubator. Rearing is the hard part, incubating and hatching is pretty easy in comparison. Good luck, hope you have everything ready.

[mullethunter]

I have had one hatch with a little ‘belly button’ like that. It sorted itself out after a few days.

So glad so many have hatched - that’s a great result, well done!

[Beaudyne]

So number 7 just hatched 🥰🐣! Took the opportunity while I moved all the other 6 out into the brooder to candle the other 2 eggs. One doesn’t look very big in the egg and I can’t see any movement. However the other is moving but hasn’t pipped. Is this normal considering it’s now almost end of day 22? Could this chick still hatch? Will I need to help it pip?

[Cat tails]

Think it can happen that some take a little more time. But haven’t hatched myself. Lovely result though so far!

[Luvachicken]

Sounds pretty successful to me, very well done.

Can't wait to see the pictures when they are all fluffed up together and dry. 

[Beantree]

Best not interfere @Beaudyne, because it's too easy to quickly lose humidity and get the chick stuck to the membrane. Was the day you put them in counted as day Zero?

[Beaudyne]

@Beantree yep counted it at zero. I haven’t helped the egg and amazingly it pipped at 11pm last night and by 2am it was out 🥰👍 hatched end of day 23!

We have 8 all together now! Last one wasn’t moving when I last candled. When I move the two newbies into the brooder I’ll candle the last egg again and see what’s happening. 
 

Amazingly after all this with buyer an incubator etc my one hybrid hen has just done broody for the first time 😅🙈 can’t make it up

Just some pictures of my lovely little fluffy chicks for you all to gush over 🥰

[Luvachicken]

Just so sweet.

A good success story. 

[Beaudyne]

Guys! My one little baby chick has died. He/she was the weakest of the lot and I did everything I could over the last few days to help them but it wasn’t enough. 
 

I feel ridiculous being so upset over a chick when there are 7 others but I just love all animals and even though he/she had only been alive a few days I cared deeply for that little chick. 
 

But I’m unsure what to do now. Do I bury him/her or what? Don’t want to put it in the bin as some other people I’ve seen have suggested! 
 

I hadn’t really named them but kept calling it Squidly Diddly ❤️

[Cat tails]

9 minutes ago, Beaudyne said:

Guys! My one little baby chick has died. He/she was the weakest of the lot and I did everything I could over the last few days to help them but it wasn’t enough. 
 

I feel ridiculous being so upset over a chick when there are 7 others but I just love all animals and even though he/she had only been alive a few days I cared deeply for that little chick. 
 

But I’m unsure what to do now. Do I bury him/her or what? Don’t want to put it in the bin as some other people I’ve seen have suggested! 
 

I hadn’t really named them but kept calling it Squidly Diddly ❤️

Sorry to hear! But it is part of hatching I guess. 
Do with it what feels right. I’ve buried small house pets like hamsters in the garden. Bigger ones like the chickens go to the vet to be destroyed. But I have a very small garden and to many cats around. Wouldn’t want too much interest from them in any buried chickens...

I agree that the bin just doesn’t feel right.

[Luvachicken]

So sorry that you lost a little chick.

I agree with @Cat tails

My chickens have been cremated but I think with a chick I would bury him/her somewhere pretty in the garden, nice and deep.

Any pet of ours that has been buried has been wrapped in soft tissue and placed with some food and treats for their journey into the next life.

We did have a Goldfinch that crashed into our window and died - it was beautiful - I admit to putting him in the compost bin where it was warm and toasty.  I'd rather that than he was playtime for a cat or magpie.

[Cat tails]

28 minutes ago, Luvachicken said:

Any pet of ours that has been buried has been wrapped in soft tissue and placed with some food and treats for their journey into the next life.

Interestingly I have wrapped all small rodents in tissue paper too, on a little bed of hay.

[soapdragon]

3 hours ago, Cat tails said:

Interestingly I have wrapped all small rodents in tissue paper too, on a little bed of hay.

We have always interred our hamsters in a small cardboard box which, until recently, the boys have decorated and written message on. They are wrapped in some paper tissue and laid on some of the sawdust and bedding from their cage and I always pop in some food too. Sounds silly, feels right!

[Cat tails]

@Beaudyne how are your chicks doing?

[Beaudyne]

@Cat tails Chicks are doing great! Just over a week old and growing soo fast!!

Started to get their Elvis hair do’s now 😍

[Cat tails]

Oooh I love their little Elvis floof!