[chickenlady]

So sorry!! dont know why they died in shell but my 2 that didnt hatch were the same! huge air sacs but dead  congrats on the 6 little ones though  :happy: what breed are the ones that hatched?

Debbie x

[Thompson24]

there buff ophingtons.  I am hatching some marran eggs and some white sussex for a friend too so hope to have better results this time.  I personally am looking for someone with call duck eggs who is close to me.  I have ordered several lots of ebay and none have ever hatched and sometimes they dont even turn up.  I could do with findin so day old ophington chicks too lol

[chickenlady]

there buff ophingtons.  I am hatching some marran eggs and some white sussex for a friend too so hope to have better results this time.  I personally am looking for someone with call duck eggs who is close to me.  I have ordered several lots of ebay and none have ever hatched and sometimes they dont even turn up.  I could do with findin so day old ophington chicks too lol

Buff orpies are lovely!! I have 3 but they are the only ones with poopy bums that need washing twice a day!!??  have 1 gold laced orpie too which i so hope is a girlie!!!! good luck with the next lot!
im really anxious at the mo cause my 2 batch are due next Thursday!! and half of them are for Grannie! so really want them all to hatch for her!!

Debbie xx

[Thompson24]

aghhhhhhh we lost another chick last night it seemed to get weaker and weaker and then all of a sudden it looked like its intestines had came through its anus.

Then tonight another has started to fade off, its never moved all day and has its eyes constantly closed and lyes flat to the floor.  I picked it up and tried to get it to drink a little water.  I dont know whats happening?

[chickenlady]

Oh no!!  maybe you could post a new thread asking for help cause people may not read the end of this one!! have they been eating and drinking ok? maybe you could try the weaker one with a little sugared water thats what i been doing with my little spraddly leg!! to try and get her strength up! just put tiny drops on their beak and they will drink it! fingers crossed! they're not eating the shavings are they??? sorry! trying to help so covering all corners!!!

Debbie

[Kate and her Ducks]

Sorry to hear that your chicks are poorly, agree that a new thread in the Hen House will get more attention. Would agree that getting water into them is vitally important but don't have much more help I'm afraid.

Good luck with them, I hope they pick up.

[nnbreeder]

If these were shipped eggs that you were hatching 25% is not too bad. I am happy if even just one or two hatch out of a dozen.

 When dealing with shipped eggs there are so many things that you can not control such as the care of the flock, the transit time and just how roughly they were handled in transit.

 Even when I hatch eggs from my own birds first they get treated for parasites both internal and external and then they get put on a very high quality feed. I use a 24% ration that is meant for Quail, Phesants and such and here is called Game Bird Flight Conditioner. The 16-18% layers lellets are meant for layers, not breeders and was formulated in a time when the hens were battery birds and didn't need the extra protien to make chicks or use energy running about the place.

 Remember, healthy hens have healthy babies.

[meterman]

Just to ask did you leave the incy closed during hatch as the first chick will b O/K for upto 48 hours in the incy,I opened my lid with 1 left to hatch which had pipped this caused the chick to dry out and die in shell.Also 2 of my chicks struggled for the first few days these 2 i dont think were fully dry when moved from incy to brooder i was lucky i only lost 1 out of 12 but even so i wont do it again. We live and learn by our mistakes or if were lucy others.

[poppies]

Hi
  sorry you seem to be having so much trouble we lossed 5 chicks last night like yours they just faded away wings down and then flat to the ground , unfortunately once they get to this stage its usually too late

Agree with meterman I always leave mine in incubator for 24/48 hours I have a humidity pump so that was perfect - none of them dried out

The eggs could have come from hens that had been inbred or poorly looked after, many reasons for this happening dont let it put you off next time you might get 100%

[Thompson24]

hi guys

thanks so much for you help.

I got the eggs from a local guy who has an mbe for breeding ophingtons.  I left the incy hood on for 24hrs till the first couple where dried out etc and where lovely and fluffy.

I have a brinsea 20 and a brinsea 40.  Can someone let me know what a pump is and if its suitable for my type of incy as Ive never heard of one to be honest?

[too many girls]

sometimes eggs develop but fail to hatch if the eggs are from old hens or have an imature cockerel running with them, so sorry your first time wasn't succesful, try again but be more aware of the history of the eggs you set.

[chech221]

hi all ive got 20 eggs in my icubator 5 hatched this morning, another 7 just chipping thru the shell my first time its exciting, my dog is very curious too chicks are white stars and marrans just hope i dont loose any i was told once the feathers were dry dip the beaks into water just to wet the mouths and mine at the moment are chirping away hapily in the incubator,question is wen do they start to feed on chick crumbs?

[nnbreeder]

As soon as you can, that way they get an extra boost while still absorbing the yolk.
 I usually just sprinkle some starter all over the floor of the brooder, which is covered with paper towels for the first few days, and also have feeders in with them too.