MARCH Hatch-A-Long 2015: Please Read the First Post to JOIN the H-A-L

[Varglet]

Today is day 28 for the duck eggs. I've been checking them the past couple days for pips, but none yet (last couple chick hatches started 2-3 days early). If the one hatches, I will be opening the 'bator once it's dry, because I'm fairly certain the other egg quit the other day. I'll candle it and decide whether to toss it then or not.

 

[ochochicas]

Today is day 20 for my chicken eggs. There was peeping coming from the incubator this morning and I saw one of the eggs wobbling. I'm expecting a few pips when I get home from work and some chicks overnight. Now I'm just watching the clock until it's quittin' time!

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

Today is day 28 for the duck eggs. I've been checking them the past couple days for pips, but none yet (last couple chick hatches started 2-3 days early). If the one hatches, I will be opening the 'bator once it's dry, because I'm fairly certain the other egg quit the other day. I'll candle it and decide whether to toss it then or not.

Isn't that hard? Making the call to toss or keep in.

I'm at lockdown. I started with 42 and only 15 made it to lockdown. Most were clear, but I had 5 quitters. I just candeled quickly at lockdown and I saw two that were full but not moving. I decided to leave them. I had one really active one that was obviously behind on development. I am hoping that she will hatch on day 23? I've reached that scary moment of doubt. Here we go...LOCKDOWN! Will anything hatch?!

Show us your duck pic! Good luck!

 

[Varglet]

Quote: I'm sure it quit the other day and it looked dead, but there is no odor or anything so I kept it in just in case. It won't be hard to make the call to toss, because I remember what it looked like a week ago, and if it looks the same/hasn't made progress, it's dead. There was no movement at all then, either. The veins had already started disappearing then, too.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I'm sure it quit the other day and it looked dead, but there is no odor or anything so I kept it in just in case. It won't be hard to make the call to toss, because I remember what it looked like a week ago, and if it looks the same/hasn't made progress, it's dead. There was no movement at all then, either. The veins had already started disappearing then, too.

I've had several eggs I was sure were dead, but than they ended up hatching. Is it a large egg? Their the hardest ones to tell what going on.

 

[Varglet]

Quote: They're the same size duck eggs. The air cell on the one I believe is dead would not get any bigger, either, while the one that is still alive is the right size, so it wasn't because of humidity. The color was also a bit off last time I candled it.

As I said, I will candle it after the one hatches and decide then what to do with it. I don't plan on just throwing it away, either. I always open eggs that quit so I know what happened to them. For eggs that are mostly developed, I do so starting in the air cell and going slowly, just in case.

 

[vonrow]

Well, the drama has just about subsided with this hatch. Sometimes you do all you can and things fall apart anyway. At least ya try to make it work, right? I've himmmed and haaawed over posting the pics on this hatch... it was a fair bit of a mess. We ended up assisting a few shrink wrapped eggs, and some seriously tired out chicks that took a bit too long to hatch. One of the pics is the last chick we "unwrapped" and I had to hand feed. Keep in mind, the bird had already fully zipped the shell, but the membrane had gone to leather and trapped it inside. All I did was wrap the whole thing in a warm wet paper towel and let the bird kick her way free. There was no blood or mess, but the egg smelled awful. ugh! After she made it out and fluffed up, she got seriously weak and listless, along with 2 other chicks. That's when I stepped in and started the hand feed/watering. Despite all the work to help the chick in this first photo, she gave up the fight yesterday afternoon. However, not all was lost because the yellow fuzzball who I've also been hand feeding, is still kicking around the brooder. She was the fist to hatch in this run, but she took a turn for the worst as the drama unfolded. I've been relentlessly hand feeding and watering her every 2 hours and she's doing better. 2 days ago she couldn't even hold her head up, let alone stand. Now she's running around the brooder to snuggle her siblings. She's sooo tiny compared to them. And yet, when she hatched out she was the biggest one in the box! If I can get her to eat and drink form the feeders in the next day or 2 she might make it. She's not my favorite bird, but we have a unique report and some small sort of bond. She's just so dang cute when she snuggles down in my hands to eat & drink from the dropper. She gets quite stressed if I don't make regular visits to the brooder to keep tabs on her. The last shot is one of the cauna-dottes tumbling off the "perch" as it got spooked from the flash of the camera when I was snapping pics. The camera caught it in mid-fall heh heh.

 

[Torch404]

Out of 29, 17 have hatched! There are still more coming but I needed to clear out the live ones. The only time I opened up during lockdown so far. One found a gap in my mesh wire and got it'self stuck and died...so sad. Have to fix that for the next run. I'll get more pictures up later.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

Hatching is such a roller coaster ride! And yet we all keep reloading our bators....

I like hearing all the stories. Not only do I gain knowledge, but I don't feel so all alone in the triumphs and woes I face. It is fun to root for each of you as you take your next wild ride. I especially love all the creative photo shots. I love the one of the little chick falling off her roost.

Loving the march hatch along and mine are just days from hatching....heard a cheep today from some egg in there!

 

[vonrow]

Heh, "reloading" yup! We just set up another 34 eggs yesterday. That brings the tally up to 4 clutches through the incubators so far this year. If the local demand keeps up we might be "reloading" until about June.


"....like a box of chocolates..." .
-Gump's mummy