2015 August hatch-a-long!!

[Cynthia12]

Here is a photo where I opened it a bit too soon. I let it sit for a while until most of the blood vessels thinned down. Yes, you will get blood while doing this, it's ok, but very important to get the nose/beak cleared, it could suffocate now if it pops a big vessel itself.

 

[GitaBooks]

Thank you for the picture! I'll go do that right now.

 

[GitaBooks]

Its bleeding pretty bad and it never started chirping. Is it too early? What do I do?

 

[darkbluespace]

Its bleeding pretty bad and it never started chirping. Is it too early? What do I do?

If it is bleeding much then it is too soon to help. You can stop bleeding with a piece of paper towel.

 

[Cynthia12]

Even with a lot of bleeding, it will probably be ok..good advice on the paper towel..that's what I use in fact. I just press on the area. The chick usually won't peep when it's early. In fact, it's when it starts to peep once in a while that it is finally waking up and wanting to move around, which it can't now because it's been opened, and it is shrink wrapped. Just let it hang as I put it. Sorry I wasn't here earlier. Will watch closer to see how it's doing tomorrow. I get on around 10 in the morning my time. If you have it in the bator, just hangin, that's good. No need to do any more until the blood vessels go down quite a bit.

 

[Ugadano]

Another time, if you have late hatchers at day 24 that you think are goners, (or if there is any chance of a mix-up on the dates, try the warm water test first to see if they are still viable, watch until they steady from putting them in, then watch for wiggles. Might save you and them from opening too early, and the moisture won't hurt them if they are at least day 18 and have suitable sized air cells as long as they have not pipped externally. If you can't see any movement from the air cell end with a bright light for candling and in a dark room, this is another idea before opening them up.

Hope all is going well with little Early Bird!

 

[Ugadano]

I'm not sure what your incubator is or of it would big it would be but I use a cute down egg carton with 3/4in pipe attached to the bottom so you can just rock them side to side! I do this with every hatch and have good results. I secure the pipe to the egg carton with a few pipe cleaners.


I hope this makes egg turning easier.

Oh, thank you! What a good idea! My DIY foam chest has room for a carton of 18 since they are on a wire shelf a couple inches off the bottom, so I may modify this for mine! So far, I have just been stirring them and moving them(rolling) clockwise away from the light source and meter.

 

[Ugadano]

Out of 5 clutches, #1 is pretty much hatched, 6 chicks under mama, moved a couple of apparently younger stage eggs under the next hen in line, and I think I had one clear EE egg from the original 9 set. Sometimes I go out and find a marked egg or 2 out of a nest on the deep litter, so might have gotten a couple swapped. A quick candling shows movement, so they seem to be faring well in spite of getting thrown out. I think it is when hens jostle for nest territory. Fortunately I only have 4 ground floor nest boxes and they are all covered, no matter who sits where!

#2 I will be keeping a close eye on hers in the morning, should be hatching any day. The surprise White Leghorn broody! Must be the year for them, I know of several on here with WL current broodies.

#3 is my incubator, due the 7th with 11 developing out of original 16 with 5 clears. Just too many women(28) for one roo! Next time the incubator will start with at least 18, as I can get a 3 row carton in there easily.

#4 and #5 started within a day of each other, due to hatch around 13th and 14th.

I had an egg under #1 that had the air cell far to the side on day 7 and I was worried about it, but it expanded steadily toward the big end and that chick zipped just fine today. Last night I could see it had pipped into the air cell and I was so relieved. That's something new for me, just learned from the veteran hatchers on here in the last month! So cool to start noticing and recognizing new things with this whole miracle of life development.

 

[darkbluespace]

I have 2 Silkies out... one is definitely a Paint Silkie but it is hard to see its spots. It is dry but not super fluffed out yet. I can't tell about #2 yet... it is hard to see spots before they dry because of their dark skin, but I am hoping. #3, backwards pipper, is taking its sweet time.

 

[suliah]

Just checking in... I was out of town until day 11 and candled... I've still got 21 of the 27 started eggs, 3 blank and 3 early quitters (clearly dead). I think I have one still with a blood ring, but I'm not sure. I'll candle again at day 18 for lockdown which is on Sunday. This time I'm keeping the humidity around 35%, last time I think my humidity was way high during the first week (70-80%) and only 4 of the 12 that went into lockdown hatched, the rest died somewhere around day 18-19.

My last batch of 4 is getting so big! They're 2 weeks old now and it's so funny trying to figure out what my barnyard mixes will look like! BSL roo over Isa Browns and EE's. 1 EE chick has a pea comb and cheeks, black with white spot on her head, but feathering in all black. 1 isa brown egg is black with a white spot, feathering in black. 1 is yellow, feathering in white! and the last is black with a white spot, feathering in barred.

Hoping to get some more fun variety from the next batch, due in 8 days. I can't wait!!!