It's started! 2/29 pipping!-ETA- Splayed leg in Silkie chick

[Debbienmousey]

Hi guys! I'm so excited and nervous at the same time! I have 17 cjexotic Silkie eggs and 12 of my own Buttercup eggs in the incubator on day 21 and I have 2 pips. The first was #9 Buttercup egg and the second the buff Silkie egg from CJ. My temp is a little low (has been a little low since I took turner out and I don't know why), it's at 97-99, I wonder if I should try to get it back up a bit? And I think my humidity is at 71%. Think this is too high? I've hatched eggs via incubator before, mostly guineas, but I'm just more nervous with this hatch because I bought some of the eggs and I really want everything to work out good.

Anyway, one of the main reasons that I'm posting this is to share that my brother hooked up a live video stream of the hatch! So if y'all feel like it you can visit this site and check in on my peepers as they hatch

. (Just a note: there is currently a guinea keet in the incubator also. He was a late hatcher from outside and when he hatched the mom wasn't content to sit on the nest all the time anymore, so I brought him inside.)

And I'll continue to post some updates here as they hatch but if you'd like to see pics of them as they get older then please like our farm's Facebook page, since I'll be posting pictures there as they grow

 

[llaaadyel]

71 humidity is not too high, its just right. As for the temp, I will adjust during incubation if needed, but rarely during lockdown and hatch. At those temps, it might take an extra day or so, but if you are already getting pips, I wouldn't mess with it unless it stays at 97 for a long time. Then I would put a plug in the incubator rather than adjust the temp manually. That will sometimes raise the temp a degree or so. You didn't say what kind of incubator you are using so this might be a mute point.

 

[Debbienmousey]

Thanks for the input! I meant to mention what kind of incubator I have but I forgot, lol. It's a table top Hova-Bator w/fan.

And this morning I woke up to #9 egg hatched, with Buff Silkie zipping fast. A few more have hatched throughout the day, so I now currently have a total of 2 Buttercups, 1 buff Silkie, and 2 partridge Silkie chicks out. The only pipper right now (that I can see) is partridge Silkie #3. We're going out tonight for a bit so hopefully we'll have some new chickies hatched when we get back

. And I'm going to post some pics tomorrow.

 

[Debbienmousey]

A B/B/S egg hatched last night when we were out and the poor chick has splayed legs. I don't understand how this could be because the incubator has a wire floor? Can this be genetic also or a nutrient deficiency in the parents? Any tips or helpful advice on how to fix this is appreciated..I found a few sites that use band aids or pipe cleaners to make a brace.

1 new pip, a Silver Partridge. But the first Buttercup chick appears to have died. He had a hard time getting out and just wasn't strong enough I guess.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Sometimes just happens. Here is a pic of how I correct splayed legs. I use the small elastic bands. You could probably use the largest dental elastic bands for braces. Leave it on for at least 5 days before you try them without it.

 

[Ceinwyn]

If you start seeing a large number of curled toes and splayed legs coupled with dead in shell or early deaths then its time to look at riboflavin deficiancy.
If its just one then its likely just a fluke.
Splinting/bandaiding works really well if done right away.
Good luck and congratulations on your little ones.

 

[Debbienmousey]

Three Cedars Silkies- Thanks for the pics, I'll definitely try that. It looks like it'd be able to walk much easier like that compared to taping/band aiding it's legs.

Ceinwyn- We do get curled toes in incubator hatched guinea keets sometimes, but I always figured it was because my temps ran a little too high or something. This is our first case of splayed leg. Since it could be a riboflavin deficiency should I administer Poly-Vi-Sol? I generally give a few drops of it directly to chicks/keets that don't look too good or I add a few to their drinking water for a couple days. We bought some last year for a chick with leg problems. It didn't end up helping her because we had waited too long to get some, but it seems to have helped some keets since then. And thank you

I'm hoping more will hatch, even if they take a few more days.

 

[Ceinwyn]

Sorry it took so long to get back to you, feed store run today.
Best source of riboflavin is brewers yeast added to the feed.
If its a nutritional deficiancy there isnt much you can do as the damage is done before laying of the egg occurred.
I'm hoping its just a fluke and your little one will do great with the splinting/elastic banding.
Poly-Vi-Sol definately won't hurt and might give him/her the little boost to help with the stress from wearing corrective leggings.
Hope the rest of your hatch is going well.
How is your little one doing?

 

[Debbienmousey]

He is doing better. A little over an hour after we first splinted him he was finally starting to get the hang of walking with it. Today he can fairly easily get up, walk around, eat, etc., but I think we'll need to wrap him again for at least another day because his legs still seem to be spreading a little. (because the band aids are looser now that they've been on for a bit) I feel so sorry for him, but he's a good little sport.

Unfortunately I haven't gotten any more pips from my eggs. I'll probably take them out and candle them tomorrow. If this is it then it's terribly disappointing

.

 

[quintinp]

sorry about the splayed legged silkie