mullethunter Posted July 10, 2021 Author Share Posted July 10, 2021 Well day 21 is not until Thursday. I’ve never noticed eggs moving this early before though so I’m wondering if they might be a bit early. I’ve been running the incubator ‘dry’ with a relative humidity of around 30% so I think I’ll add a little water now and will then ‘lockdown’ and really increase the humidity tomorrow - a day early. Come on little cheeps!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 Has anything happened yet ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 12, 2021 Author Share Posted July 12, 2021 Not yet! All three eggs are still moving a fair bit but no cheeping yet. End of day 18 now… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 14, 2021 Author Share Posted July 14, 2021 First one is out! Other two have pipped so hopefully there will be three by tomorrow 🤞🏻 The one that’s hatched is doing it’s best to get the others to hurry up! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Awww, how cute xx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 16, 2021 Author Share Posted July 16, 2021 Blimey - things are never easy are they?! What a stressful 24 hours that was! After the chick above hatched - we waited. Of the other two eggs one had already pipped 5 hours previously and the other pipped as the first was hatching (around lunchtime on Wednesday). By bedtime on Wednesday still nothing from the other two and they hadn’t rocked much at all or cheeped. We went to bed fearing the worst. Obviously I hardly slept and when I went down to check in the middle of the night, still nothing. But then when I got up yesterday morning, the one that had pipped at lunch time was half way through unzipping!! It took a couple of hours but eventually hatched unaided and seemed perfectly healthy blundering around the incubator. Once it was out I quickly whipped the first chick out of the incubator (literally took seconds - it had been in there fluffing up for around 24hrs and I assumed the remaining egg wasn’t going to hatch) and took it to the brooder box. By the time I got back to the incubator - maybe 5 minutes at the absolute most - the chick that had just hatched was dead!! It was lying with its head on the midddle bit of the incubator above the water holder. Absolutely gutted!!! No idea what happened but it’s head was really floppy as if it’s neck was broken. Could not believe it. Anyway - as I took the dead chick out I noticed a tiny bit of movement from the last egg which by this point had pipped well over 24 hours ago. So I made sure the humidity was OK and left it there. It made a slightly bigger hole so you could see it’s beak breathing but that was it. I didn’t think it would make it so I just left it and went out for the afternoon fully expecting it to be dead when I got home. It wasn’t though! I got home at about 6pm and it was still cheeping away but hadn’t moved to get out of the shell at all. Now over 36hrs from pipping. So I did what I know is a bad idea and got it out of the shell. It’s navel hadn’t fully healed and did bleed a bit, in fact I thought it would die straight away (I thought it would die if I left it in the shell too though so I thought it was worth a try) - but now nearly 24hrs later it’s still with us and is bouncing around the brooder box with its sibling and 2 same age maran bantam chicks that I managed to source and buy (the wonder of Facebook groups) to keep the first chick company. I’m not sure it’s legs are quite right but it’s getting around and eating and drinking so we’ll give it a chance. Pics to follow…. Phew 🤯 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 Well done, that sounds traumatic, but I know in the same circs I would have done the same as you. My philosophy is that a try at life is probably better than not bothering, but if it becomes clear I made a mistake, then I will cull, I find it easier whilst they are chicks. However, we are going to be positive. Come on small bird! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 We are all rooting for your little fighter, MH! Hoping for good news! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 2 minutes ago, soapdragon said: We are all rooting for your little fighter, MH! Hoping for good news! This! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 Any updates, MH? As my mum always says 'don't leave us in suspenders'!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 How are they all doing ? I need some good news xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 17, 2021 Author Share Posted July 17, 2021 Sorry - busy day!! All - including little fighter cheep whose crop is so full it looks all lopsided - seem to be doing well 😁 Here they are… The brown stripeys are the Barnevelder bantams that I hatched, the black and white are the maran bantams I bought. In the one with the two Barnevelders, the one on the left with the crooked toes is the little fighter 😍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 😍 Btw my Selma has amazingly crooked toes too. But only the inner toe on each foot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Aw they're lovely Mullet - hope you get mostly or even all girlies! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 18, 2021 Author Share Posted July 18, 2021 3 hours ago, SeramaSilly said: hope you get mostly or even all girlies I’d be happy with 1 given my history with hatching 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Oooooh, they are adorable! Thanks for sharing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Here are the wonky toes of Selma. When she was younger she sometimes would step on her own toes.. 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 19, 2021 Author Share Posted July 19, 2021 I wonder if it’s a particular isssue with Barnevelder bantams then. They actually seem to have straightened quite a lot in the last couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 1 minute ago, mullethunter said: I wonder if it’s a particular isssue with Barnevelder bantams then. They actually seem to have straightened quite a lot in the last couple of days. I googled it, but couldn’t find it as a particular issue with the breed. Did find a quite interesting article on possible causes, but it was very Dutch… 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 1, 2021 Author Share Posted August 1, 2021 Cheeps had their first little trip outdoors today. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Love the glass of pink stuff - you are spoiling your girls 🤣! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 They have grown beautifully in the last few weeks haven't they ? They are still very sweet. Are you able to tell if they are boys or girls yet ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 2, 2021 Author Share Posted August 2, 2021 I know for the marans. The breeder told me they were one boy and one girl and apparently with cuckoo marans the female only has a single barring gene and the male has two so he is quite a bit lighter coloured than her and she is feathering up much more quickly. Have no idea about the Barnevelders. If I had to guess I’d say one of each but it is really only a guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Oh! They are very cute!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share Posted August 18, 2021 The cheeps are 5 weeks old today / tomorrow. They're outside all day now but still indoors at night. Last night having their lovely warm brooder on tonight though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
