First timer - starting my first batch Sept 15

[gladahmae]

well. I'm out. All the other chicks that were developed were dead in the shell. A few had pipped internally, a few had gotten in position to pip internally, and a few were still out of position. So we're done with our 2 chicks and the one BIL hatched. I can't figure out where we went wrong! I just. don't. understand.

 

[clameramseyc]

Moved mine out of the turner this morning as I was gone late last night and I didn't expect hatching until Monday anyhow. I placed sponges in the bottom of the incubator and filled it up with as much water as possible in hopes that would help the humidity since mine kept running out, although it has been rainy the last couple days and it hasn't evaporated it all as before. Unfortunately, I have to go out of town for work tomorrow morning for over a week so I wasn't expecting to see any before I left and was going to have to hope my oldest son would take care of checking after them and handling any that actually hatch. However, this afternoon one was cracked and this evening it was out. Now a few hours later, 3 more are already out and I hadn't even noticed them cracked earlier so it seems they moved along pretty quickly. All seem wet, but are at least attempting to move around a little. They can't move too much because the incubator is full of other eggs. I setup a round plastic tub with corn cob litter and food and water with a heat lamp to prepare for these or any others that live in the next couple days. Probably tell my son to wait until tomorrow evening and move these first 4 if they look good, then he can move others if they come along over the next couple days. Had 44 eggs in the LG, but no idea how many may have been viable so this might be the only 4 or there may be more to come. I'm excited and hopeful that at least these 4 live as this is my first time incubating. A few broody hens have previously hatched a few on their own, but none done artificially with an incubator where I had a part in it.

These are mutts as we have a few RIR, some Golden Comets, and some PM Black Rock hens. Three Roosters (Barred Rock rooster, Plymouth Rock rooster, & Unknown breed, but pretty medium sized rooster that my son named Bling-Bling due to its gold neck with black & dark blue feathers on his body). Hens have been very good large brown egg layers, don't know what the genetics of these chicks will be). I'll check with my son tomorrow as I travel and may post at night once I arrive to my hotel with any updates. Good Luck with everyone else's ongoing hatches.

 

[4hchickmama]

Well, my last three died. Two pipped the wrong end and were dead when I decided to inspect. The 3rd seemed to have died a few days ago. There was a lot of brown fluid in the egg. Disappointed, but I have 5 healthy ones still.

 

[seventreesfarm]

We float tested our last 8 and I don't think any are viable. I'll leave them in a few more days though.

So we ended up with:

5 BCM/BRs
5 BCM/EEs
4 Blue Olivers
2 Lavender split Ameraucanas

One of the BCM/EE's will have to be culled tomorrow though. It seems to have developed with not enough aircell, big and floppy and not getting any better.

So we started with 27 eggs, 24 went into lockdown, 16 hatched, and 15 are healthy little monsters.

 

[wullus]

What's with the weird font's and stuff? All italics, bold :3

Anyway, I was pretty shocked when I went to check on my Japanese Bantams, and three of the eggs had pipped! I wasn't expecting them to hatch until Tuesday, so that's pretty exciting. I must have misjudged when she started to sit.
I had a bit of a sleep for a few hours, and went to check on them this afternoon and all three had hatched out fully! So exciting.



Now just 9 more pure Silkies, and 11 more random crossbreeds! Yay! (I have two more broody chooks)

 

[donsmit5]

I have checked mine and have 23 out of 32 hatch, 2 will have to be culled, 9 didn't pip. 21 in the brooder running around doing fine. I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did. Good luck to everyone.

 

[superjjf]

Anyone ever run across this? It's a color calculator based on the parent chickens. It's pretty cool if you can figure it out!
http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html
I had to use the pictures and examples to cross my Wheaten Marans Rooster and Gold Laced Wyandotte Hen. What came out is a not as laced more reddish colored laced wyandotte. Now to wait and see if it's anywhere near accurate.

 

[mmgillan]

Well, my last three died. Two pipped the wrong end and were dead when I decided to inspect. The 3rd seemed to have died a few days ago. There was a lot of brown fluid in the egg. Disappointed, but I have 5 healthy ones still.

What is the correct end to pip? I have pips in 4 more of mine, 2 being on the "top", one on the side/bottom then the egg that was cracked is broken out more and I can see the beek but not much progress in zipping. Wondering if I chould help out some since it didn't have the normal pipping to start with. Being my first time I was surprised that I got 5 pipping out of 6 eggs to start.

 

[mmgillan]

We float tested our last 8 and I don't think any are viable. I'll leave them in a few more days though.

So we ended up with:

5 BCM/BRs
5 BCM/EEs
4 Blue Olivers
2 Lavender split Ameraucanas

One of the BCM/EE's will have to be culled tomorrow though. It seems to have developed with not enough aircell, big and floppy and not getting any better.

So we started with 27 eggs, 24 went into lockdown, 16 hatched, and 15 are healthy little monsters.

What is float testing and how do you do it, what does it show?

 

[seventreesfarm]

This should explain the whole float testing thing - https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ng-egg-viability-for-late-or-overdue-hatching

We're still going to leave ours in until Monday just because it's only day 22, but there was no movement in the water at all. They went into lockdown looking viable, but who knows....We decided to skip the eggtopsy this time.