Arizona Chickens

[ChicksOfHazzard]

So now that we've got the new coop in order, and my husband has been suggesting that we add more chickens, I am thinking about adding ONE more chicken right now (not 4 like my husband wants).

My two seem content, but I feel like they might be happier with one more friend in case they get annoyed with each other.

I'm not completely decided yet, but I'm sort of just figuring out my options. I wanted to see if anyone in the AJ / Mesa area has either a barred rock or a wyandotte pullet they'd be willing to sell? I'd just like a pullet so they are relatively close in age, but I didn't want to do a chick since I'm only getting one and I didn't want it to be lonely in the brooder. PM me if you're interested though! Thanks guys.

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Edit:

Never mind! My friend at Superstition Farm, I had emailed her because they posted a picture of their chicks and half of them looked like barred rocks. She said they are bantam cochin barred rocks and that I could have one! She's going to wait until she can tell who the pullets are and then I can get her. I found my Daisy!

 

[jbolt]

Ok update on sick chicks..........no more losses, still a bit of sneezing. Super sanitized brooder, moved it from the ground to a concrete floor sanitized well. This is their 3rd day on 800mg Durvet tetracycline hydroloride 17. No more gasping, eating well, switched from flock raiser to kruses medicated chick starter. I have 19 left, an all are doing well. Also medicated on the first day with sulmet 1 drop per chick. Thanks so much to Sonoran Silkies for her advice, and helping me troubleshoot. I have contacted the county regarding dead birds in my area, and am waiting to hear from them. Took two of the dead chicks to my vet, and he said they did not display symptoms of mareks or salmonella. He did a dissection for me to show me what to look for in dead birds. It was very cool, though slightly gruesome. He suggested that I vaccinate, and watch closely for my adult birds getting sick.

 

[Chickeneggineer]

Have you had other breeds hatch in your incubator? Are you sure the eggs were fertile? Are you sure the hen was broody? Most hens will not take to being moved while they are broody. What temps and humidity are you running?

Sonoran,

I've tried 4 times -
Incubator is hovabator genesis using autoturner. At lockdown I removed the auto-turner.
Attempt 1 - 7 D'Uccle eggs, 6 Serama eggs. Ended up with 5 fertile D'Uccle & 4 fertile Serama. I'm assuming fertility as they started developing heart & veins. Ended up with 3 D'Uccle hatching & 0 Serama. Eggs went opaque so couldnt' see inside of them (I didn't crack them open though, so I don't know where development stopped). Temp was 100 degrees, humidity was ~55%. Eggs were stored in fridge until being put into incubator roughly 1 week. During incubation, humidity did drop below 55% at times (I wasn't checking water levels often enough). Additionally, we candled frequently (first time so kids were really interested in it). During lock down, humidity was at 65%.

Attempt 2 - 6 D'Uccle eeggs, 5 Serama eggs. Ended up with 5 fertile D'Uccle & 3 serama. Ended w/ 3 D'uccle hatching. Same temps & humidity as above. I did better about checking water, but there were 2 occasions where humidity dropped. During lock down humidity was at 65%. Eggs were stored at room temp this time, no refrigeration. Still lots of candling watching development.

Attempt 3 - 5 Serama eggs, 0 D'uccle eggs (already had 6 D'uccle chicks didn't want anymore at this time). 3 fertile, Ended w/0 hatching. Temp was still 100, humidity at 55%. Did much better at keeping water in incubator so no dips in humidity. Lockdown was @70% humidity. Only candled 2x, once at ~6 days, then right at lockdown.

Attempt 4 - Broody hen (signs of broodiness - plucked her own chest feathers, growled anytime I got close, sat in nest box everytime I was in coop). For this one started w/ 3 D'Uccle & 3 Serama. 1 D'Uccle egg was crushed & 1 serama was lost (not sure what happened to it). Ended with 1 fertile serama & 1 fertile D'Uccle. Nothing hatched though. I opened the D'Uccle egg and there was a developed chick, looks like it tried piping but was unsuccessfull. I didn't open the serama egg, but don't remember why.

I guess I can try again, and then try eggtopsy afterward, but was hoping for some suggestions prior to attempting again.

 

[jbolt]

I have found with my styrofoam bator, though not as nice as a genesis, just an lg still air, no turner, that it doesn't do well with small hatches. Twice I incubated 12 , and have had less than 30 %hatch each time, although I candled at lockdown and all seemed developed. Then I set 40, and 36 hatched. Go figure. I think it has to do with liquid mass holding temp longer. Maybe if you don't want that many to set, place glass aquarium rocks in the spaces where there are no eggs. I've heard it helps a lot, though I just use a few baby food jars closed and filled with water in the spaces where there are no eggs.

 

[jbolt]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/745418/homemade-incubator-first-hatch-advice

Also check out my homemade bator. It's cheap to make, works all the time and will reliably incubate anywhere from 3 to 18 eggs.

 

[Buddyfarm11]

Incubating tips anyone???

I have a LG still air incubator and I have been getting very low results with it lately the humidity is always ok cause the water channels are always full I have the automatic egg turner in it so it is always turning the eggs. But out of 41 eggs I keep getting 1 hatch or 2 what else am I missing? on day 18 I put a sponge inside to increase the humidity but nothing any tips on incubating here in the desert. Should I get the circulated air fan kit or what

 

[Arizona Son]

Well the circulated air fan kit certainly wouldnt hurt! I had heard "less than encouraging" reviews from several different sources, regarding the LG still air bators, which is why I went with a new & improved hovabator genesis. I get consistently high hatch rates with it. I think you should get a fan.

 

[jbolt]

Incubating tips anyone??? I have a LG still air incubator and I have been getting very low results with it lately the humidity is always ok cause the water channels are always full I have the automatic egg turner in it so it is always turning the eggs. But out of 41 eggs I keep getting 1 hatch or 2 what else am I missing? on day 18 I put a sponge inside to increase the humidity but nothing any tips on incubating here in the desert. Should I get the circulated air fan kit or what

I have a small aquarium air pump with about 3 feet of tubing connected to it. I inserted the tubing into one of the tiny air holes in the lid. I think there is too many eggs in these bators for the eggs to get enough oxygen without it, and I didn't have an extra computer fan to rig at the time.

 

[jbolt]

Also, you need 4 or 5 thermometers in it. Then take the temp on all thermometers and get an average. It may be that though 1 spot is holding temp, the average is low, thus causing a low hatch rate. Also on a still air you want it to read 101.5 anywhere in the actor at the top of the eggs. Don't know if this helps

 

[Arizona Son]

Also on a still air you want it to read 101.5 anywhere in the actor at the top of the eggs.

Actor at the top of the eggs????? say what???