Hatching in May

[rhoda_bruce]

Some older Cajuns (including my mother), insist on not hatching anything in the month of May. Forgive my spelling; all you who are fluent in French....I can speak it but can't write it. They call it the "Malodie' de May."
Well, guess what.......I hatched something. And I have problems. Only lost one, but DS says I will lose others. I"m on my work week, so everything is getting neglected, but I think I will put a tablespoon of gatoraid in the water seeings as I'm probably losing them anyway.
So......any of you have experiences with this? Seemingly healthy looking chicks, just dropping dead, with no congestion, no sores.......???? I wasn't really looking at the calendar when I put the eggs in. Regardless, I wanted to improve my araucana flock. I once outsmarted the Malodie de May. Not sure how I did it.

 

[Wannabefree]

I have turks hatched this month. Two have died out of 6. It happens anyway though from time to time. I dunno what it is, maybe the sudden rise in temps and humidity?

 

[the funny farm6]

My turkins hatched fine. Haven't lost any- knock on wood.

They are so ugly they are cute!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

My araucanas hatched fine too.....2 days ago and now they getting sick. One thing sure......I'm not telling my momma. But I bet DS will.

 

[Denim Deb]

I had eggs that were supposed to hatch on Tuesday, I got nothing. And I know they were developing. I gave them a bit longer, but am going to be taking them out tomorrow and buying some chicks. Hopefully they'll be fine.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I wonder if this is a problem associated mainly with the deep south.

 

[pinkfox]

well i cant help with chicks but i can say this has been the worst month ever for bunnies for me, ive NEVER had issue like this but beginning of may lost a new bun for seemingly no reason, fine one minute gone soon after.
then i thoguth i was going to loos my fuzzy lop pip (though he does seem to have pulled trough) then i lost clover to, no idea what (looked like a possible broken back/neck) then ash to what i can only guess was gi-stasis (fine one evening, lethrcig and bloated the next morning, gone a few hours later.
and now one of my 7 week old babies form rowans litter isnt looking too hot, hes the runt but has been doing fine up untill this evening and now hes looking lethargic ect.

HORRIBLE month so far for the buns. and ive got 3 rabbits all due to deliver over the next week im just hoping the may yuckies wont effect them!

 

[the funny farm6]

My daughter lost one of her dutch bunnies yesterday. Fine at morning feeding- dead at evening feeding. I domt know what happened.

 

[Cindlady2]

One of my broody hens hatched 14 chicks (out of 15 eggs) 15 days ago...as of last night she still has 14! Last year a broody hatched 7 in May, one had an accident at the end of the month, still not bad. Maybe it is a "southern" thing.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I don't find things were quite as bad as DS reported. By his way of describing it, I'd have thought all the chicks were doomed. I found 2 of them in a mess. One of them had been the chick I had helped out of the shell....shrink wrapped chick. I know I should leave them, but they seem to be suffering in the shell and after a day of struggling, I just crack it open and get them out and sometimes get some decent chicks out of the deal. And one other was just a small chick that somehow was thriving. The rest seemed Okay to me. I lost 3 and one of them, I put down myself......the one I had helped (hate doing that).
I have keets hatching now and I think the goslings should start today. I found DS at my momma's house last night. I hope he didn't tell her. Too late to change anything. The damage is done. Besides; what am I supposed to do? I can only put eggs to incubate when I have eggs and in late April all the birds were in full force. I can't see avoiding a May hatch.