Well I had to do it...

I put poor Hobbles in the freezer...

I am sad. I am pissed. It sucked.

So, we cut out cardboard and have had the feet of the bird taped for a couple of days. It was coming loose so I relieved it of that for a bit. This morning I taped his legs together after Patrick checked to see if it was his tendon out of joint. The tendon isn't budging so we think it is his hip...now we try this...

Well here is were we are....

3 Large Welsummers.
2 Welsummer Pullets.
3 Barred Rock Pullets.
6 Barred Rock Cochin Mixes.
3 Easter Eggers.
6 buff Orp Chicks
5 Cuckoo Marans Chicks
4 Welsummer Chicks that just hatched Christmas.

Yeah...we are crazy....but..this is it now more!

Uh...for now HA HA HA

We had 2 chicks hatch on Christmas that hard curled toes. One had leg issues as well.

The second born chick with curled toes died 2 nights ago. Very sad.

Out of this batch we had 9 eggs. 4 didn't hatch at all and 1 didn't develop. That left us with 4 hatching. and 1 hatching that was from our very own Welsummers.

Our Wellie chick is doing great no issues at all.

Here is the story of the remaining chick with leg issues:


12/28/08
We are hatching Welsummer Chicks. They were due yesterday. This little guy came out Friday evening and his toes are curled. I didn't have any cardboard (until now) so I went ahead and put a band aid on his toes to straighten them out in the mean time. My concern is...he won't extend his leg. He keeps it close to his body (as you can see in the one pic were we make him stand) and won't stand up extending his legs. He lays on his side a lot instead of hunched down like most chicks naturally do. His hock looks slightly twisted and maybe swollen and there is a red area? Well...now I have another chick same batch with curled toes!

Do you think this is genetic?

Will this correct itself?

The other 4 eggs that were developing have not hatched. I hear nothing, no rocking. I am afraid that maybe this is genetic or maybe a vitamin issue and it caused the others that may be afflicted with the same issues no not even hatch.

Here are some pictures. What do you think?

Introducing the newest members of the family!

6 baby Barred Rocks Chicks!
1 born 11/20
3 born early morning hours (over night) 11/21
2 born early (3am ish) 11/22

Day 21 was 11/21.

Now we wait on the EE eggs. Due Thanksgiving!

There are now 2 eggs (out of the 6 Barred Rocks) that have the tiniest little poke in the egg!! Several are rocking but the COOOOOLEST is hearing htem CHIRP!!!

AMAZING!

More updates to come :)

Temp 101
Humidity 74%

Last night I candled the eggs again. I decided to go ahead and pull the eggs that looked clear. I just couldn't break them open. I asked Patrick too :D So he did it for me :) Out of the 7 eggs I pulled only 2 even looked like they started to develop at one point but they never even made it long enough to form a chick...so ... now we have 5 chicks cooking in the bator.

On Monday we are getting shipped some barred rock eggs and blue cochin eggs!

At a little before 11 pm on the night we brought the babies home I had this odd feeling. Patrick was a work....I went outside to check on the chicks.

1...2...3....4....5..... oh crap!

1..2..3..4..5.. oh no!

Called Patrick...no answer....sent him a text...CHICK IS GONE!

He called back in disbelief. I stood out there freezing with a flashlight waiting until he got home. I didn't want to try to chase chicks inside the run myself because there is no way to lock the door from the inside. I KNEW if I did that ... the door would swing open and I would loos them all so ...for an 1 and a half I stood outside listening and looking for the missing baby chick.

Patrick got home and with flashlights in hand we both searched...for at least another hour.

We think that she must have some how squeezed through the wire. There is just no other way out! We had NO idea they could fit through there. It really seems impossible. We now have chicken wire on the inside and 2x3 wire on the outside. We originally didn't use chicken wire because people said foxes etc could bite through it. So we opted for the sturdier 2x3 welded wire (and more expensive) to keep predators out. Now we have chicken wire to keep the chicks in!!

I am so mad about it :( WHY did we not just put them up like we had planned!! I wish us "newbies" had been confident enough to do what we thought was best. Lesson learned :(

The other 5 babies are doing fine :) The Welsummers are so incredibly sweet and beautiful :) The Barred Rocks yell at us when we try to pick them up HA HA!! They are settling down though :) I let them out of the roost every morning and they come running/flying straight to the food. Man these guys eat alot! ALL DAY!

Here are out fist actual chickens :D We got these beautiful birds from a member of Backyard Chickens.

We have 3 Barred Rock Pullets. 1 Barred Rock Cockeral and 2 Welsummer Pullets. BEAUTIFUL!

The kids just loved them and we had to MAKE them get OUT of the cage to come inside! Maybe once they settle down a bit we will get pics of the kids holding the chicks :)

Out they come!


Savannah deciding whether or not she wants in...


Justice is awe.
I am in LOVE with the Welsummers...


Savannah decides in with chicks is a good idea...now...we can't get them OUT!



Barred Rock.
Marcus watching it all from the sunroom! :)
Another Barred Rock. Gorgeous pattern!
Still watching and still happy :)

Still in .... just before we pick them up and make them leave the poor chickies outside all alone ;)


We reminded them that they are OUR chickies and we can see them tomorrow...and the next day...and the next day...

:D

Here are a couple of chick pics on Day 6 of incubation! You can see the veining and the little mass in the middle...that...is the CHICK!!!!!




So far I can see...5 veins with chicks. 5 I can't see through just see the shadow of the yolk. and 2 I think are no good. 1 doesn't look fertilized and the other appeared to have a blood ring on day 4. Here is that pic. Still looks the same.

I decided I was going to make this personal! I did my research and began gather materials to make my very own Styrofoam incubator :) Here is how it went!

First, we cut a square slightly smaller that a glass from an 8x10 frame we had. Then just past that we cut it down a bit so the glass would set flush.



We went around the edge with duck tape.

Placed the glass inside the newly cut hole and duck taped it down.

Next we put in a light socket! To produce the heat.


After watching the temperature and humidity for a while I decided to go out and buy a thermostat. In it goes...


Now. The cooler is in my closet. No drafts and I am currently regulating the temp. It is staying about 100 degrees. I need it to be closer to 101 in a still air incubator. The humidity is really doing well hanging around 40%!

Just got notice the chicks are in the mail!!! WHOOT!

OK! We have finally made the firm decision!! We are getting CHICKENS!!! My husband is working on building a coop and run. I am working on an incubator!

More to come!!