February 2017 Hatch-a-long

[pgrenna81]

I know it's probably overthinking it but Today I hit day 18 @ 5:30pm on my first hatch, should I lockdown tonight or wait until further into the day which would be tomorrow morning before work around 5:30am?

 

[orrpeople]

I know it's probably overthinking it but Today I hit day 18 @ 5:30pm on my first hatch, should I lockdown tonight or wait until further into the day which would be tomorrow morning before work around 5:30am?

It's really up to you, and the chicks you will be hatching. Are you doing large fowl or bantams? Bantams tend to come early, so locking down early is a good idea. Large fowl rarely pip on day 18, so you have some wiggle room.
I will give you my typical scenario. Day 18 ( usually in the morning of the day), I begin to adjust my humidity. It takes me almost all day to play around with getting it "just right" (aiming for 65%), which means I open and close my bator a few times that day. By afternoon, sometimes evening, I am satisfied and I tell my eggs they're "officially" locked down. (My educator's joke is that I tell them "No cell phones, no talking, doors locked and curtains closed." And they obey better than any high school class!) I use small sponges for humidity control (super easy to throw in and take out without opening the bator too long and letting humidity out.) and by the evening of day 19, I may have my first pip.

 

[orrpeople]

I just re-read my post and realized I may not have answered completely - I'd probably start increasing humidity in the evening (when your official day 18 begins) so that by the morning you're where you want to be.

 

[generaldsherman]

Got an incubator full (or will this evening). I close on my new place with 20 acres in a few days (provided the FHA people get their feet out of their mouths and get everything approved in time...) Their's no stopping me now-BWAHAHAHA!!!!

Anyhow..... got 10 Red Bourbon turkey eggs, some of my runner duck eggs ( to sell), some of my Isbar eggs (need more than 1 girl, and my first hatch of her eggs was all boys, naturally), some bantam chocolate English Orpington, some serama eggs, and some Cornish cross eggs on the way.

I foresee a LOT of coop building in my future. Good thing everyone can stay in the barn for now.

 

[orrpeople]

Got an incubator full (or will this evening).  I close on my new place with 20 acres in a few days (provided the FHA people get their feet out of their mouths and get everything approved in time...) Their's no stopping me now-BWAHAHAHA!!!!   

Anyhow..... got 10 Red Bourbon turkey eggs, some of my runner duck eggs ( to sell), some of my Isbar eggs (need more than 1 girl, and my first hatch of her eggs was all boys, naturally), some bantam chocolate English Orpington, some serama eggs, and some Cornish cross eggs on the way.  

I foresee a LOT of coop building in my future.  Good thing everyone can stay in the barn for now.

Congratulations on your new farm!!! I hope your transition is smooth and all of your critters can spread out and live long, healthy lives!!

 

[Cerise1924]

I had a chick that was on day 22 and alive, but failed to hatch, and not even internally pipped. I helped her out, and she looked horrible. When she dried off her fuzz was matted in blood and hatching fluids, she couldn't hold her head up, her belly looked weird. She looked like she was on deaths doorstep, and everybody told me she would die. I tucked her in my turtleneck shirt to keep her warm under my chin, and kept on telling her I believed in her. She made it through the first four hours, and she was able to go in with the other chicks briefly. I slept with her that night because they were trampling her. She lived on me for her first 24 hours and I never stopped believing she would pull through. Today she is a bright eyed and bushy tailed 2 week old chick!

That is a beautiful story! Lovingkindness helps life to carry on.

 

[theceltichorse]

Well, today is day 21. Not seeing any eggs wobble or anything. Granted, 20 eggs in my Brinsea Oct 20 is pretty tight. If these don't hatch, I need to figure out what in the world I'm doing wrong! This will be the second time, different incubators, that all DIS. I'm not opening obsessively. I only candle 3 times, day 6/7, 14, and 18. I did recandle these last night. A few I'm sure are DIS, most I have no idea. I still saw veins. Air cells have grown some more. Mostly what I see is just solid dark, which is the chick. Advice?

 

[orrpeople]

Well, today is day 21. Not seeing any eggs wobble or anything. Granted, 20 eggs in my Brinsea Oct 20 is pretty tight. If these don't hatch, I need to figure out what in the world I'm doing wrong! This will be the second time, different incubators, that all DIS. I'm not opening obsessively. I only candle 3 times, day 6/7, 14, and 18. I did recandle these last night. A few I'm sure are DIS, most I have no idea. I still saw veins. Air cells have grown some more. Mostly what I see is just solid dark, which is the chick. Advice?

Give it at least another couple of days on the off chance your bators temp is running a little low. Is this the first time you've used this particular incubator? Were you able to calibrate it to determine how its thermometer/thermostat are working? That would give you some information that might be useful. But, as long as there is life, you just have to let them do their thing. Prayers! Go chickies, go!

 

[theceltichorse]

Give it at least another couple of days on the off chance your bators temp is running a little low. Is this the first time you've used this particular incubator? Were you able to calibrate it to determine how its thermometer/thermostat are working? That would give you some information that might be useful. But, as long as there is life, you just have to let them do their thing. Prayers! Go chickies, go!

This is the first time. I had a separate thermometer/hygrometer in that measure same readings. I just have no idea if there is still life in them or not. I'll give it a few more days, then reassess. Just frustrating and heartbreaking!

 

[orrpeople]

This is the first time. I had a separate thermometer/hygrometer in that measure same readings. I just have no idea if there is still life in them or not. I'll give it a few more days, then reassess. Just frustrating and heartbreaking!

If you don't have any pips at the end of day 22, and it is safe to open the incubator, you can choose one of the lightest colored eggs, and when you candle, give it a little tap with your fingernail up by the air sack. Most chicks will respond to the tap with some movement or even peck a bit. I have also candled with very cold hands and they respond to that too!