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Early arrivals - Buff Sussex

Started by Melbourne12, August 14, 2017, 18:47:38

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Melbourne12

We have a small flock of Buff Sussex bantams, bought earlier this season, so it's the first year for the hens and the cockerel.  We put 20 eggs into the incubator to try to raise a few chicks for a friend at our allotment site.

After 8 days, 17 were developing, which showed that the cockerel was doing his duty OK!

But with 72 hours to go to the 21 day normal incubation period, we had two early arrivals.  Normally premature hatching means that something went wrong with the temperature or humidity, but the two chicks seem to be developing OK so far at least.  There are still 15 eggs in the incubator ...

Anyway, here's a cute picture:


Melbourne12


johhnyco15

well cute indeed :sunny: :sunny:
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

Jayb

Fluffy gorgeous!  :icon_cheers:

Early or not they look good strong and healthy chicks.
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

Silverleaf

I just have one word - WANT! ;)

Paulines7


galina

Good luck with the remaining 15  :sunny:  lovely photo :wave: :sunny:

Melbourne12

With 24 hours to go, another one hatched last night.  We came down this morning to find that he or she had been joined by another eight during the night.  So we now have a grand total of eleven in the brooder, and six eggs still in the incubator.

The exact 21 days will be up at around 8pm tonight.

I'll post more pix later  :blob7:

pumkinlover


galina

Quote from: pumpkinlover on August 23, 2017, 07:19:35
How are they getting on now ?
I was wondering too.  Hope it's good news Melbourne12  :wave:

Melbourne12

Thanks  for the interest!  I'll try to post a few more pictures later. 

To our great delight, all 17 hatched.  That's an incredibly high hatch rate.  And all 17 are thriving in the brooder.  They're only a week old, so they're still under the electric hen, but they're consuming chick crumbs at an amazing rate!

Here's a picture of one actually hatching, and another with only one egg left to hatch and 5 new chicks in the incubator.

Fluffy chix pix later!


Jayb

Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

galina

So pleased at your success.  Great seeing the little one hatch  :sunny:  A bit of a mystery why you had some early arrivals, but obviously everything was perfect to get all of the fertilised eggs to hatching. 

Congratulations on the new tribe of Buff Sussex bantams  :wave:

Melbourne12

Right, we've just cleaned them out and taken the opportunity to grab a few happy snaps ...

First, a rare picture of all 17.  They were hiding under the electric hen, which has just been lifted out of the brooder.

Then some close ups to show how they're developing.  The earlier hatchlings are already fluttering their stubby developing wings.


johhnyco15

all 17 wow soon it will be eggs on toast morning noon and night well done you :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers:
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

Jayb

Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
My Blog, Mostly Tomato Mania http://mostlytomatomania.blogspot.co.uk/

galina

The darker patches on their backs are already quite different looking, some almost absent others quite large.  First eggs in spring I guess, so a little wait.   

How are the ducks doing which you hatched for a friend a while ago Melbourne12?

pumkinlover

That's a great success rate M12.
Hope they are a good proportion of ladies!

Melbourne12

Quote from: galina on August 24, 2017, 07:16:02
The darker patches on their backs are already quite different looking, some almost absent others quite large.  First eggs in spring I guess, so a little wait.   

How are the ducks doing which you hatched for a friend a while ago Melbourne12?

It will be interesting to see whether the dark patches (really distinct on one, visible on several more) persist as they feather up.

There's a sad story about the ducks.  I think 7 of them grew to maturity, and for a couple of years they prospered.  Our friend provided them with a pond and a bathtub, so they had adequate water, and they had at least an hour a day to free range outside the run.

But then he began to lose interest in his birds.  I would look after them when he was away, and the whole setup became increasingly neglected.  I would arrive on day one of his holiday to find that the pond and bathtub clearly hadn't been cleaned out for days.  I'd just about get things shipshape by the time he returned, with fresh litter in the run, and fresh straw in the houses, but he just let things slide again and again.  Things got so bad that other allotmenteers threatened to report him to the RSPCA.

Eventually someone DID report him to the council, and he had a couple of H&S inspections.  But he didn't really improve much, and eventually a fox broke in to the neglected run and of course killed all the ducks and the chickens. 

So, sorry for the sad story, but that was how it was.  He's given up his allotment now, which is for the best all round.

The chicks are being reared for someone else entirely, someone who is an experienced poultry-keeper, just to reassure everyone.

galina

That is so sad.  After all the effort you had gone to for them after the fox had the original ducks, Melbourne12.  How could they!   :BangHead:

Excellent that these chicks will go to a qualified, good home.  Yes the markings are fun to follow up.  Enjoy these chicks and if you'd like to post some more photos we'd love to see them grow.  :wave:

sunloving

Ooh how lovely, I used to keep Sussex bantams to and raise chicks because they are brilliant mums. A little tip the girls feather faster than the boys especially at the wings and so if you are thinking to cull the boys this is a way of getting them early to reduce stress and heartache for everyone.   Good luck with your new brood.
I've got full size light babies at the moment who are growing like mad and trying to train the dogs not to eat them! X sunloving

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