Set eggs 3/17.... Anyone else? - Page 10

One has now hatched and looks happy. One is pipped.  I hear more  cheeps. All were EE's from my flock.

1/11 was early, still hadnt absorbed all the yolk yet and was gasping. It died early but we could tell he was very weak.

2/11 pipped but died trying to get out. Too weak as well.

I lowered the temp a degree to try to slow hatching. Went to bed. (Friday night)

Woke up to peeping and 3/11 and 4/11 had pipped and got their upper bodies out.

5/11 and 6/11 pipped and got its upper body partialy out, 3/11 and 4/11 out completely.

3/11, 4/11, 5/11, and 6/11 moving around bator, moved to brooder. three of them (i cant remember which now) gasping, didn't look great.

no sign from other 5 eggs, checked on 3-6 every 5 minutes or so.

between one of the 5 minute checks, the three who had trouble breathing weren't moving.

I tried stimulating them, rubbing their backs, tapping their feet, no response.

Saturday night 2 more had pipped. I went to bed after making sure they could breath.

Woke up to #7 and #8 beautiful black chicks peeping and (falling?) around the incubator and one more who was half out of its shell.

Had Easter morning with my family and came back to a completely hatched #9 and half hatched #10.

An hour later, all 4 (#7-10) were out and peeping. Moved to brooder and given electrolite water once every hour along with comstant supply of fresh water.

Egg 11/11 never hatched, but it had been from a new hen, and we hadnt seen anything during candeling, heard anything from it, or saw it moving.

In the end, however, 10 eggs pipped, 9 eggs hatched, 5 chicks survived. Great expiriance!

Just checked and # 2 is just about out of shell. 5 more have pipped. Getting rather noisy here. Moved the first chick  to a Rubbermaid brooder over pine needles. Sprayed the bottom layer with misted water and covered over with another 2 inches. Humidity is holding at 60% and 85'F just outside the circle of light.  Started reading all the threads on Little Giant incubators and learning a lot. Planning  on improving for next hatch. Will keep posting on this hatch as  the computer is right by the hatchery.

2 is out and running around. 3 is out and drying. This one is a Blue. Lots of moving eggs now.

4 5&6 are out. 5 more have pipped. Long hatch.

I'm holding one now that has not separated from the chord to the shell.14 are out now and 2 more have pipped. You started a nice thread and  it made  some smiles. Loss is tough. Sharing things helps. Still no luck  with my camera but will try. It was just snowing here for a bit. Warmer days are near.

Look at what I found today! This is our first time, and we are hatching the old-fashioned way - with a broody hen.  No sign of pipping from the other 5 eggs, and I'm pretty sure at least one of them is a dud.  Best case scenario - we will have 4 babies.  But I don't want to count my chickens quite yet. :)

So Lucy let you take out an egg? Is she more  trance  like at this end of her hatch?

Lucy is a wonderful, gentle hen - and this is her very first hatch.  She has been giving me the stink eye, and yelling at me, but has not pecked once. I wouldn't describe her as in a trance at all. Instead, she is very vigilant, and very protective of her little ones. That egg hatched - and I caught lots of it on video!  (I'll post links if anyone wants to see them.)

Baby #1 is a French Blue Copper Maran.  This morning, we found baby #2 - an Easter Egger/Maran mix.  And - we have pipping on a third egg.