This weekend was my first hatch for chickens for 2011. I set 34 eggs and got 1 chick. How depressing! The worst part was the chicks that got as far as pipping - when they crack a hole in the shell so they can start coming out - then died. I had 3 of them do that! It is heartbreaking. I can only hope my future hatches will have better results. Being the first hatch of the year, my incubators probably weren't running their best. One of them stinks where I had an egg explode in it last summer when it was sweltering hot here. Yes, it was immensely gross! Since the incubator is made out of styrofoam, it didn't all come out, even after using bleach. Yuck! I am hoping it doesn't effect future hatches.
The other thing that happened that saddens me is that I lost my beautiful little castor doe. She was a Mini Rex rabbit and very soft and lovely. She was about 7-years old, and I think her age and maybe an infection were her cause of death. She had some bad thing going on with her eyes this last week and I ordered meds and vetted her, but it wasn't enough. I went out to do chores last night and I knew she would not make it until morning. I picked her up and she did not struggle, just cuddled up in my arms.
Spring is on its way and I hope that with that I have better luck with all my critters. My they be fruitful and multiply, but not toooooo fast ; )
CC
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