THE MOTHER'S DAY HATCH-A-LONG!!!! The last day to join in and set eggs with us is April 28th. - Page 79

Candled and it's a sad night in the potential Orp house.  It's night 14 and I'm truly believing that we'll not have any hatch.  I wanted them to be OK... I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything wrong, and I'm not done trying but yikes those were THE birdies I wanted.... (shrugging shoulders).  I do not take defeat well.... Locking down on Sunday if there's anything to lock down....

uhm... is this better?

found him a few minutes ago.. as of 4:30 this morning (when my husband got up for work) he had only knocked off one of the loose pieces of shell...  he's still pretty wobbly .. so he's probably been out for about 45 minutes now

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arielle 

Keeping eggs in a lockdown situation has an effect on the eggs that should be in incubation mode; the lose of moisture from the eggs is slowed, and the eggs are not turned. Turning is especially important in the first week, and less so in the last 2 weeks. However, the overall hatch rate will be decreased when the eggs are not turned. I dry hatch so the eggs are drier going into a situation like this than those eggs incubated at a higher RH.

 

How you deal with lockdown is also a factor. Do you lockdown and not open for 3 days? THen perhaps you need another incubator. I prefer to pull out chicks and can roll a few eggs and get the RH up again quickly. To open only once a day to turn is better than no turning IMO

 

RIght now I am faced with exactly this situation.  I have eggs I forgot to mark set dates, one is interally pipping at me this morning and I need to put 4 turkey eggs in lock down.  So, yes, I am stressing a little, too! 

I have 6 different hatch dates right now in my Reptipro .. May 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th and 20th

the May 4th and 5th eggs have been dropped down a shelf (has a 1 degree drop in temp there from the other shelf) and my humidity is currently at 76%

once the May 4th and 5th eggs are out I'll drop the humidity back down for the next batch (May 7th and 9th ) to have a dry HATCH... meaning I won't add any water at first until I see how they are progressing.. if I do need to add some water I will.. then as soon as they are out I'll drop back down to another dry period.

I've hatched like this alot.. I never worry about opening the bator and turning eggs or checking on pipped eggs.. I just do what I need to do and then move on to the next bator...the main thing I do is to monitor the air cells and then adjust the humidity as needed. which I believe is one of the reasons I find hatching to be so easy

Most people would cringe at this.. but this method works for me.. with this bator.. in no way am I suggesting that everyone else try the same thing

I think the funniest thing to me is that the Reptipro incubator gets a lot of bad reviews because people simply haven't figured out how to make it work for them.. it works great for me.. and is perfect for this way of hatching (which is definitely NOT the normal way to do things) but I still get my normal 90 - 100% hatch rates .. the main thing is to figure out what you can and can not get away with in your bator.. for some people staggered hatches are a nightmare.. but if you pay attention to what the eggs are telling you it makes it so much easier

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arielle 

I'm wondering if my turkeys are a little behind. I added a couple dozen eggs two times during the incubation period. THe temps dropped a little each time. 

 

I think I will keep them on the top, like Yinepu does, just in case. And move them to the hatcher at end of day 26.  Will see how this works. 

just monitor the air cells for an internal pip.. once you see one, get them moved asap.. then you should be fine!

OK then, here's my story.

Kestrel’s Birth

The night was dark and silent except for the steady trill of peeper frogs singing love songs in the pond near by. Soft light from the moon showed a cat silhouetted in the doorway from my vantage point in the alleyway. I sat wrapped in layers of sleeping bag and blankets listening to the sound of peaceful chewing and soft snorts and sighs as the horses in the stalls surrounding me dozed or munched hay left over from supper.  My mind wandered lazily as I watched the mare in the stall before me, still except for the occasional swish of her tail. A resting point then, as just a few minutes ago she was circling restlessly, snatching an occasional bit of hay as she passed it. 

The warm red light in the corner washed her in a rosy glow and I could not help thinking how very beautiful she was, a true golden palomino, her white mane kept long. At 21 years old this would be her last baby; a last ditch effort to replace her 10 year old daughter we had lost the Christmas before last.

The barn itself seemed to hold it’s breath as the mare’s ears flew back and she resumed her circling.  A ridge appeared along her belly and I shared a look with my mother sitting in her lawn chair nearby. It was close, we knew. A tricky one, this girl, I had missed her before but this was the third night we had kept vigil. Surely she couldn’t hold it much longer!

With a splash her water broke and she promptly lay down on the deep straw. Tension burned through us as we resisted the urge to leap up, but it wasn’t yet time to get involved. She rose again and resumed circling, the sweat on her neck and flanks blooming dark against her golden hide. I could see at last the tiny feet showing under her tail. When she lay down again I slipped in to make sure all was as it should be. I felt the baby’s slippery nose through the protective membrane resting on its outstretched legs and whispered affirmative to my own anxious mother. I stood back as she began to strain in earnest and we all tensed until at last the shoulders cleared the barrier and I knelt to clear the membrane from the baby’s lolling head.

With a groan the mare expelled the hips and the baby spilled into my lap, the membrane pulling away to reveal a lovely golden foal struggling with its first breath of cool midnight air. I gazed with wonder at this miracle dream come true and locked eyes with my mother as she stroked the sweaty neck of the gasping mare.  I’ll never forget the joy we shared, my mother and I, in helping to bring this new filly into the world and we watched with tears of unbearable happiness as the mare rose unsteadily to her feet and began nickering softly to her daughter, welcoming her to the world.

I'm out.  Candled my eggs at day 7 and saw nothing.  Well, just the yolk floating around.  Just candled again.  Nothing.......Looks like the only one getting bred was the hen that is brooding 7 chicks. I need to check into this fertility issue.  All ready trimmed the fluffy feathers on the butts.  I will try and collect again.

Good luck everyone else!!!!!

uhm... is this better?

found him a few minutes ago.. as of 4:30 this morning (when my husband got up for work) he had only knocked off one of the loose pieces of shell...  he's still pretty wobbly .. so he's probably been out for about 45 minutes now

I have an LG and it works fine for me.  I bought it last summer and after a number of hatches, I'm doing pretty good. First time hatching =  about 50% hatched. Last batch = 100%  = 7/7 hatched. LG takes a little practice and lots of notes!

Oh man, cute as a button..wish I could have them.  Looks pretty healthy.  All that hard work helped with that.