dinosaw
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Hello all
Well this was my first try at incubating and I am absolutely delighted to have managed to hatch out six chicks out of an original eight fertile eggs, the last one emerged this morning after a grueling 36 hour effort since it first pipped. Now in theory I have three golden partridge pekins, one lemon sablepoot and two welsummer bantams. I say in theory as the Welsummer eggs looked way too large to be bantam eggs (though I was assured that they were, and decided to take a chance) and now when hatched they are much bigger than the pekins. The welsummers are now in the brooder with two of the pekins, with the remaining two chicks still drying out as they hatched so much later than the first four. They are eating and drinking and looking full of beans but you can already see the Welsummers throwing their weight around a bit, I was wondering if this will be a problem going forward?, if so will I need a seperate brooder? I only have the one brooder, a brinsea that can in theory take 20 chicks so there is plenty of space underneath and also ample room around the feeder and drinker. I have posted a photo of them below.
I was also wondering how closely I should watch the late hatchers, they seem significantly weaker than the first four did at the same stage, unsurprising given the effort that they put in, but will arriving weak and late in the brooder give them problems?, I would have liked to have moved them together but really had no choice given the time elapsed and the fact the first four to hatch were starting to peck at the newly hatched sablepoot even though it was flat out. I am prepared to get another brooder but it would be Wednesday at the earliest before it would arrive. Any thoughts and advice appreciated.
Well this was my first try at incubating and I am absolutely delighted to have managed to hatch out six chicks out of an original eight fertile eggs, the last one emerged this morning after a grueling 36 hour effort since it first pipped. Now in theory I have three golden partridge pekins, one lemon sablepoot and two welsummer bantams. I say in theory as the Welsummer eggs looked way too large to be bantam eggs (though I was assured that they were, and decided to take a chance) and now when hatched they are much bigger than the pekins. The welsummers are now in the brooder with two of the pekins, with the remaining two chicks still drying out as they hatched so much later than the first four. They are eating and drinking and looking full of beans but you can already see the Welsummers throwing their weight around a bit, I was wondering if this will be a problem going forward?, if so will I need a seperate brooder? I only have the one brooder, a brinsea that can in theory take 20 chicks so there is plenty of space underneath and also ample room around the feeder and drinker. I have posted a photo of them below.
I was also wondering how closely I should watch the late hatchers, they seem significantly weaker than the first four did at the same stage, unsurprising given the effort that they put in, but will arriving weak and late in the brooder give them problems?, I would have liked to have moved them together but really had no choice given the time elapsed and the fact the first four to hatch were starting to peck at the newly hatched sablepoot even though it was flat out. I am prepared to get another brooder but it would be Wednesday at the earliest before it would arrive. Any thoughts and advice appreciated.
