The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Gardeningmama]

Oh dear....I'm on the west coast so a lot of you are probably sleeping. One of my terrible air cell call ducklings has pipped into the air cell. The problem is, his beak is high and in the middle. I doubt very much that he will ever make an external pip. Also, this is day 24 for this egg. A normal call duck incubation would be 26 days. None of the others look anywhere near ready to pip. A couple more actually quit today These eggs are really bumming me out. I am very good at assisted hatches and have surgical experience as well. I am assuming and prepared to help any of these eggs cause they are all going to need it if they will just live long enough!
I have never hatched call ducks and it's been about 20 years since I hatched any kind of duck! I really want to drill a small hole into the air cell so he doesn't suffocate. I don't think he should be ready to hatch until late tomorrow (Wednesday) to late Thursday.
Does anybody have some advice for the timing of this? I know Gardeningmama just went through the same thing... I doubt that I can go to bed without making sure he can breathe....
Thank you!
What a supportive bunch everyone has been for others having hatching woes!!

When I saw my internal pip I was soo nervous, and had to force myself to go to bed that night. Everything I had read said they should have at least a 2 day air supply in there, but my cells were very small. At 12 hrs. exactly I put a pip in, at 7 a.m. Then I waited the full 24 hrs. before starting the zip. Baby was out by 3 p.m. the following day, so 2 days after I found the internal pip. It never peeped until the last day.

 

[Arielle]

So as of yesterday this is what I had



5 Black Mottled Japs set 5 and all went to lockdown 3 hatched and 2 were quiters
11 Chocolate/Black Bantam AMs set 10 made it to lockdown 8 hatched but one died when it pulled to hard and ruptured and the last 2 were quiters
5 Silkies set 3 made it to lockdown 2 were quiters and 1 I left in, but it's iffy.
5 Lavender/Black Bantam AMs set and all 5 locked down. 4 hatched and one hit a vein will hatching
9 Silkied AMs set and all made it to lockdown. One hatched, but was stuck to the shell and not sure yet if it will make it. Same as with the Bantam. I didn't get a chance to candle the other 9, because my mixed chicks were in an egg tray and they started hatching all of a sudden. I had 2 of those hatched already out of the 8 that made it to lockdown and another 2 are drying and also didn't bother candling the rest yet.
2 American Games out

Today I have a few more.

1 Silkied AM
4 Mixed
1 American Game.

I'm still holding out for any late comers.

So add 6 to my 19 for 25.

YEayyyyy-- more chicklets!! The AMs had a good hatch rate!

CONTESTS You can still enter!

Contest #4: Cutest Baby Fowl~ Deadline for entry is April 30th, 2014 at midnight PST
Go here to enter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/861802/contest-4-brinsea-s-cutest-baby-fowl-photo-contest-5th-annual-byc-easter-hatch-a-long/0_50


Contest #7: Most Striking Domestic Male Fowl~

Deadline for entry is​

​

April 29th, midnight​

​

PST​

Go here to enter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/863243/contest-7-most-striking-domestic-male-fowl-contest-5th-annual-byc-easter-hatch-a-long


Contest #11: Easter/Spring Fowl Photo Contest~ Deadline April 28th midnight PST

Go here to enter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/864241/contest-11-easter-spring-fowl-photo-contest-5th-annual-byc-easter-hatch-a-long/0_50



Contest #15: Flapper Contest~ Deadline for entries is April 24th, at Midnight PST
Go here to enter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/865060/contest-15-flapper-contest-for-the-2014-easter-hatch-a-long/0_50

THanks for the reminders

 

[wolftracks]

Quote: YEayyyyy-- more chicklets!! The AMs had a good hatch rate!


They really did. I'm setting more in the morning. Haven't been to bed yet. I cleared out all the dud eggs and put a brooder together with shipping boxes. It's after 4:30 am and I'm just going to bed. Well, the couch. It's closer. LOL

The cool thing is I had a hatch that wasn't a complete bust, during a group hatch. Been a long time since that's happened.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

ozoxpat
I received eggs very nicely packaged shredded paper and each egg wrapped in bubble wrap
Send for Tenn. to California received in 2 days
Set number 19 eggs set
Number viable after 1st candling 19 at 10 days
Hatch number 18
How many you assisted 0
how many pipped but did not hatch 1
when did you start turning the day I sat them I let them rest from their trip 72 hours
how often did you turn auto turner in brinsea bator
best hatch I've had from shipped eggs

@ozexpat

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/home/rooster-spurs-trimming-and-removing

Aggressive Rooster Behavior
Why shorten a rooster's spurs?
Reasons to NOT trim or remove roosters spurs

"HOT POTATO" METHOD OF REMOVING THE OUTER SHELL OF A ROOSTER'S SPURS




also.....
http://ultimatefowl.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/199/

 

[coopsbyty]

Good morning all!

Here are my hatch results.

Broody- 5 set 5 hatched
Shipped serama and surprise - 16 set. 1 hatch
Coolerbator bunch 29 set 4 hatch

So total of 50 set I got. 10 cute fluff balls

The cooler fails were totally my fault as this was the first time using it and it had som temp issues. Near all the eggs completely developed but all at least 3 days late and just could not pip.
The seramas also my fault I had 11 make it to the end but I guess my humidity was to low because when I opened them they all looked shrinkwraped. How high should humidity run I had it around 65%

I learned so much this time and you all are an awesome bunch to spend time worrying over chicks with

Pictures soon.

 

[mlm Mike]

Good morning all!

Here are my hatch results.

Broody- 5 set 5 hatched
Shipped serama and surprise - 16 set. 1 hatch
Coolerbator bunch 29 set 4 hatch

So total of 50 set I got. 10 cute fluff balls

The cooler fails were totally my fault as this was the first time using it and it had som temp issues. Near all the eggs completely developed but all at least 3 days late and just could not pip.
The seramas also my fault I had 11 make it to the end but I guess my humidity was to low because when I opened them they all looked shrinkwraped. How high should humidity run I had it around 65%

I learned so much this time and you all are an awesome bunch to spend time worrying over chicks with

Pictures soon.

Had the shrink-wrapped chicks pipped?

 

[BRogo]

Final counts. 41 set. 3 pulled at first candle 1 early quitter pulled at lockdown (left several questionable ones) 21 happy active chicks 1 pipped but didn't hatch, 1 hatched (looked early) died after 24 hours yolk still not absorbed. Had to help 2 of the 21 (malposition)

 

[DCchicken]

So I waited a few days a one chick out of thirty two hatched. Absolutely my worst hatch ever.

 

[maryhysong]

Well looks like I"m done, three Buff Orpingtons hatched like popcorn only about 18 hours late due to the overnight cool down. Four Buff Plymouth Rocks. out of twenty odd eggs. However those birds have had mites and fertility issues and they were small pullet eggs so won't hold it against them. Hopefully next weeks hatch of Rocks will be a bit better.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

This is my data for my shipped eggs. My hatch rate has already been counted, so it doesn't need to be added to the spreadsheet. This is for the person tracking info on shipped eggs. I meant to add this earlier:

Number set- 14
Viable after first candling- 8
Hatch number- 4
Number assisted- 0
Number pipped but did not hatch- 0 (2 pipped internally and did not hatch)
Day started turning- 5
Turning method- autoturner

One other note: I usually settle shipped eggs for 24 hours before setting, but this time I did not due to time constraints (needed eggs to hatch before I traveled over the weekend) Plus the eggs were delayed in travel. They were in transit for 6 days, and I was concerned for their viability. Still, my hatch rate was basically in line with what I usually get on shipped eggs. I've never gotten more than 50%. These eggs were well packaged. I did have some moving air cells. Not sure if those hatched. I should have marked them! I have had rolling air cell eggs hatch before though.

I'm glad someone is compiling this info! I'd love to hear the results.