The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[wornoutmomto3]

Incubator Wars!

Update
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They're gone! All the chicks but one are missing! The remaining chick is still kicking out of its shell! .......... Contestant #1 is missing also! She was last seen heading to the chicken coop with a strange bulge in her shirt. Here she comes, we will question her about her whereabouts and get to the bottom of this.

Well, as it so happens there are two determined broody hens desperately trying to hatch several golfballs in the nest boxes. Contestant #1 saw an opportunity just waiting to be used. A few of the chicks were selected and slipped under the hens who have immediately accepted them. The remaining chicks have been placed in a brooder box, with the exception of the one still kicking out. The little one who is still working is the first of the expensive purebred eggs: a Light Brahma.

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

My BCM are lazy hatchers. Pip internally about the same time as everyone else, but generally are the last to pip externally. Then after the external pip, it is usually at least another 24 hours. I have had my BCM beaten out of the eggs by Orpingtons that went into the incubator three days later.

So I probably shouldn't worry? I left at nine because I have class today so i hope it will be piped when i get home.

 

[SimplyLogan]

Anyone know where I can get a BCM hen around 1 year old in north-east arkansas??

He is not exactly in North East Arkansas, but maybe close enough. He sells hatching eggs but may we worth a message to see about hens. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/801724/black-copper-marans-hatching-eggs-12.

 

[SpringPeeper]

So I probably shouldn't worry? I left at nine because I have class today so i hope it will be piped when i get home.

I hope it had pipped for you by the time you get home! With mine, I would not be worried yet.

 

[SoManyHats]

HELP!! I just looked at the Wheaten chick with the yolk sack out and it was trying to climb out again, and it looks like it has pushed the ENTIRE yolk sac out!!!

And he is still trying to get out... and OH NO!!! It just polked the sack with its toe and all the yolk is coming out! I guess this is the end for this little guy...

Oh no! I'm so sorry. You did everything you could.

 

[RedIII]

I am worried about my BCM egg. It has been chirping for 24hours but no external pip. It is the only egg left to pip. 16 have hatched and two more piped. This is day 22. Do i need to help? 

This is risky but if it were me and the chick has been internally pipped for that long, I would risk knocking a little air hole in the part of the egg where the air sac was. That is just me, though.

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

This is risky but if it were me and the chick has been internally pipped for that long, I would risk knocking a little air hole in the part of the egg where the air sac was. That is just me, though.

I will if he has not piped by the time i get home.

 

[SoManyHats]

More of my saga… I got home from last night to see a chick zipping and another one with a big hole. Checked my numbers. Gadnabit… 25% humidity, 96 degrees!!

I moved the stupid incubator to the bathroom before I left, because the environment is more stable… so I thought.

It was 9:30pm, so I got the humidity back up and sat by to make sure these two made it out okay. The one that was zipping took its good old time, but did it by itself. The one with the big hole I had to help because it was shrink wrapped. Normally I won't help because I only want the strongest chicks, but this time I knew that it was my fault letting the humidity get that low. So I carefully made an artificial zip, pulled the membrane off a little, and put it back in the bator. It worked to get out for the next 20 minutes but finally made it. It has a problem with one eye - just trying to decide now if its "birth trauma" or a deformation. He can't close it, so I'm wondering if that's something you'd cull for. It would be awful to not be able to close one eye. Opinions?

Anyway, there was one more egg with a pip, and I had pretty much given up on everything else. Then right before I left this morning, I noticed another egg that was zipping around the bottom! An egg I had given up on. But wait… looking closer I realized it had been knocked upside down by the chicks running around the bator and it was actually zipping in the right place! There was a little blood though. I had to leave, so I said a little prayer over it and left. When I came home three hours later, that chick was out and looking great!

As it seems is always the case in my experience, the last pipped egg is a BCM, and it has made a big hole this morning, but hasn't progressed since. I'm letting it take its time.

No official number yet, but if the BCM makes it, I will have 11 hatch out of 16 that went to lock down. Not bad for thinking I'd killed them all!

 

[gevshiba]

Final hatch 19.

 

[Busy Hatcher]

Have four little WH Ducklings! Geese are trying... They are rocking a lot! This is my fist hatch for geese and they are shipped eggs so we will see!