February 2023 hatch-a-long

[FBMcrazy8]

Tomorrow they probably will pip. Trust me, they will pip the second you leave them alone for a few hours.

I tried that today. I even told them “I don’t care…I give up”. Not like I really don’t care but that typically works on one of my 6 kids when I want them to do something they don’t want to. These guys know better. They’re chirping to themselves about how they are going to wait it out for as long as possible and make me wait. I do really think that I might have some kinda action tomorrow. I was really hoping the one bantam Cochin would have hatched by now but that little monkey is in cahoots with the Cemani’s.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I did lockdown tonight, and it was a fiasco. I have a Brinsea Maxi 24. The plan was to get a second one going next to it, and split the eggs half and half to separate breeds for hatching, put the hatching mats down, candle and mark air cells.

I pulled the eggs out into a lined box so that I could remove the turners.... and the eggs are already chirping and thrashing around. This is supposed to be day 18, and these eggs are from my yard, so I know they didn't get any hen incubation... yet here I am holding an egg that's already pipped. Sigh. Scrapped candling and air cells, got them back in the two incubators as fast as possible. Put some coconut oil around the pip. Threw in warm wet paper towels, and am topping up the water chambers trying to get the moisture back up. I think it's just the one pip, but another is peeping. Hopefully I haven't harmed them too badly.

I don’t think you did. I bet they will do just fine! It’s awesome that they are already ready!!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

My first pip!!! I feel so much relieve! I could have sworn I hard slight chirping and even egg shell break. For the longest time I did not want to get up cause I didn’t want to be disappointed. I had a humidifier on to help raise the humidity in there, the electric fireplace going to keep up the heat (at night it’s getting down into the teens outside so it isn’t helping inside temp), then I have my 2 year old son in my bed last night, and my husband, and in between my 6 dogs barking (5 are pups), between my husband and sons breathing I wasn’t sure. Finally I just caved and went and looked, and there was a pip. Of course by the time I got over there I couldn’t hear the little chirps anymore but I know s/he is exhausted.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Day 19 and 2 of my shipped Brown Leghorns have externally pipped.

 

[Cluckatar]

The early pip discovered during lockdown... hatched overnight Now to wait until actual hatch day and resist pulling her out early.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Most of my chicks that hatched are brown striped, or black.
I did get one NN, 2 frizzles, and 4 gray chicks. And some very small looking spitzenhauben mixes.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

The progress so far….still waiting for the Cemani’s to pip at least. Day 21 as of 11:30am here. Still time but I’m a nervous wreck!

 

[SycamoreHorsesFarm]

All 7 that went into lockdown successfully hatched! The little black one had a dry kinda crusty back. I wiped it down today but it still doesn’t have much down. The rest are so fluffy!!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

All 7 that went into lockdown successfully hatched! The little black one had a dry kinda crusty back. I wiped it down today but it still doesn’t have much down. The rest are so fluffy!!

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Congratulations on your hatch!!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Looks like almost everyone is already done with their February hatches. My first one JUST hatched! And not even the first one to pip. It still has some yolk attached to it but luckily it’s the only one in the incubator right now out of the shell.