Late Feburary-Early March 2016 Hatch-A-Long!

[Purpletie3]

I know all about oyster shells, but my hen's problem is she is low hen on totem. So she doesn't get to eat as much, and I don't think it is genetics.

I have a few like that...I distract the others with a pile of food outside and when they run out of the house for it...put some in front of her.

 

[caesargirl]

Stagger hatch time...curious. Is there a chance you collected an egg your hen sat on for a weeK?

No, my ducks are terribly broody so, I'm extra careful of collecting eggs. That particular day, I got 1 egg from each female. (I mark it on the calendar) and that week we had subzero temperatures. I'm home all day, every day and I monitor the bator pretty closely. I guess there could have been spikes at night .... I also have a second batch of 8 in the same bator, due March 20. They're right on development schedule. All of my duck breeds are 28 day incubation. This has me truly baffled. There's plenty of veining visible 1/8" near air cell. Air cell has dipped and there's shadowing in the cell and tapping when held to my ear.

 

[Gone-Quackers]

2 ducklings hatched last night! 2 more overnight. Now I have 4 ducklings racing through the bator, pecking each other in the eyes, biting each others wings, pecking the eggs that are still trying to hatch, and generally being brats. And I thought they were tired after hatching?

I'm going to run home at work and see if more have joined in. So relieved!

 

[caesargirl]

2 ducklings hatched last night!  2 more overnight.  Now I have 4 ducklings racing through the bator, pecking each other in the eyes, biting each others wings, pecking the eggs that are still trying to hatch, and generally being brats.  And I thought they were tired after hatching?  
I'm going to run home at work and see if more have joined in.  So relieved!

Congratulations!!!

 

[Danielle2189]

My eggs are pipping!!! I'm so nervous. Three have pipped. I think I got too crazy and I helped them already. But one had pipped at the wrong end and I couldn't see his beak. When I pulled him out, there was a little blood but he was cheeping so I just moved back the membrane, saw his beak and put him back. The other, he had cracked the shell but not the membrane. Could also hear him cheeping. I broke the membrane, (no blood) and peeled it back a little, saw his beak and put him back. I hope what I did is okay. I'm so nervous.

 

[Purpletie3]

My eggs are pipping!!! I'm so nervous. Three have pipped. I think I got too crazy and I helped them already. But one had pipped at the wrong end and I couldn't see his beak. When I pulled him out, there was a little blood but he was cheeping so I just moved back the membrane, saw his beak and put him back. The other, he had cracked the shell but not the membrane. Could also hear him cheeping. I broke the membrane, (no blood) and peeled it back a little, saw his beak and put him back. I hope what I did is okay. I'm so nervous.

Have they been stuck for 24 hours?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101
Please read through this hatching thread if you haven't already. Assisting the chick hatch is the very last last last resort.

Let nature work...my longest has taken 28 hours from pip to zip to out...I know it's exciting but you really want to have everyone healthy and have the best shot.

I usually do not open my incubator until end of day 22 sometimes start of 23. It's a rule I picked up from an experienced hatcher on here and it seems to work for me. Chicks have the yolk to live off of for a couple days so it's not an issue. What I have found is that once the chicks start to hatch they all seem to follow right along. Any eggs that are left at the end often had issues anyhow.

I used to assist some in my hatches...and then watch them die...and cry.

I hope your hatch turns out well

...for now...go shopping or to the library or something to keep your mind off of your hatch and your fingers out of the incubator!

 

[Purpletie3]

2 ducklings hatched last night! 2 more overnight. Now I have 4 ducklings racing through the bator, pecking each other in the eyes, biting each others wings, pecking the eggs that are still trying to hatch, and generally being brats. And I thought they were tired after hatching?

I'm going to run home at work and see if more have joined in. So relieved!

Hey...this is great news!!!! Congrats on your ducks!

 

[Purpletie3]

No, my ducks are terribly broody so, I'm extra careful of collecting eggs. That particular day, I got 1 egg from each female. (I mark it on the calendar) and that week we had subzero temperatures. I'm home all day, every day and I monitor the bator pretty closely. I guess there could have been spikes at night .... I also have a second batch of 8 in the same bator, due March 20. They're right on development schedule. All of my duck breeds are 28 day incubation. This has me truly baffled. There's plenty of veining visible 1/8" near air cell. Air cell has dipped and there's shadowing in the cell and tapping when held to my ear.

That is interesting. I hope this turns out well for you.

 

[caesargirl]

Still wiggles quite a bit. Perhaps not internally pipped, but I'm seeing lots of shadow movement on the bottom of the dipped air cell. Still lots of vessels. I've added a bit more water for humidity. I'm trying to work a compromise for this egg and the rest of them. I've had to deal with early and assisted hatches, but I'm hoping this little one will stay put for a while. This egg is going to be a Cayuga female, welsh harlequin male mix.

 

[WthrLady]

14 of the original 36 are in lock down. 24 were fine until the incubator went nuts last week. All eggscopies showed death at that stage too. Giant grrrr. The remaining 14 are full happy eggs. Crossing fingers.