September Hatch-A-Long

[kada6305]

Here is a picture...How long should I wait before doing anything? I understand this is a long process. I was thinking waiting until begining of day 22 to try to help,that would be over 30 hours from now.

 

[Peep_Show]

IMHO, Just leave it. It looks like it decided to hatch when not quite ripe. The damp paper towels are good, keeping the membranes moist. When the other chicks start pipping and zipping the first chick will probably rally and want to be a chick then. If it does but cannot exit the shell (stuck), then assist. If it doesn't, then remove from the incubator if the other chicks get pecky or leave in the incubator by sequestered in a small Tupperware container (lid off).

 

[Maladicta]

The hatching finished yesterday - and from seven eggs I got five peeping little chicks (two yellow, one yellow and white, one blackish and one blackish with feathered feet{?!?!}). No idea what happened to the other two eggs though. Maybe Brangelina ate them? My two original girls seem to be co-parenting well - which is good because Brangy is so tiny that not all the chicks can fit underneath her. Everyone seems health, with the exception of one of the yellow chicks that has a scab on its head from being pecked (I'm guessing?). I'm going to keep an eye on it.


I will never stop giggling at seeing their little heads pop out of her feathers.



Co-Parenting



5 little fluff balls


The Firstborn



Harry Potters


I admit - I freaked out a bit when it moved...

 

[Red Star Rob]

Here is a picture...How long should I wait before doing anything? I understand this is a long process. I was thinking waiting until begining of day 22 to try to help,that would be over 30 hours from now.

There is a great article on BYC written by Sally Sunshine. Just search for "Step by Step Guide to ASSISTED Hatching" . It explains in detail what to do and when to do it. Hope this helps.

 

[Red Star Rob]

Congratulations Maladicta! Beautiful pics.

 

[HeatherO]

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[HeatherO]

 

[kada6305]

Well I went to bed at 7 since I was up all night with the chick. Got up at 10 and we have a healthy baby chick. Yolk has been absorbed, looks like he/se is still stick to the shell by a string but I guess that is normal and it will go away soon. The chick is resting now, I put an id leg band on him/her then I closed the lid and hoping that everyone else decided to join in as well. Today is day 20.

The chick is Speckled Sussex rooster over a Red sex link hen. as far as I can tell from wet feathers looks like like a SS chick.

 

[HeatherO]

The string will be fine it will come off the chick once it starts moving around more. I hatched my first chick ever last night and had the same problem..i was a bit nervous about it to, didnt know what to do but it all worked out!

 

[kada6305]

thats what I figured. This is my first chick to ever hatch, too! Last batch nobody made it because humidity was too high and my thermometer wasn't calibrated.