Day 25 ... UPDATE: Introducing the chick that survived (Photos)

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JulieZ

JulieZ

Songster
9 Years
Feb 5, 2010
323
2
119
Trenton, Florida
I feel like I'm posting comments every where on BYC ... hoping to get an easy answer that there's still a chance with my 3 Barred Rocks (shipped) & 1 Mystery egg (mine). I REALLY need some hand holding because I'm losing hope. It's now day 22. There's no way I'm pulling them out just yet. Yesterday I heard some faint tip, tap, scrape but it stopped. Then I heard the faint sound again a few moments ago but I can not really tell if it's coming from the eggs or the incubator. I don't know what I'm doing or if this heartache is worth it. My temps are steady 100. My humidity is 75-80. Everyone on BYC has been great with information but I can't help but wonder how each of you do this over & over again. This is truly heart wrenching thinking they could be dead; maybe I could have done something better. Perhaps I'm jumping the gun & there's still time but one says this, another says that ... I don't know anymore. I can't leave my house, I stare at non-moving, non-hatching eggs & everyone else by now has at least one. This is depressing ....
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Julie, I just completed my very first incubation/hatching this past Saturday. I hesitated for MONTHS about getting into incubation for exactly the reasons you state.

My first hatching eggs were shipped, so I told myself: "This is your first hatch, your first incubator, the first time you've used it, eggs often get "scrambled" in shipping, you don't know what you're doing, and chances are none of them will hatch because you're gonna screw things up."

I bought a Brinsea Mini Advance because it has the auto-turner and the digital temp display and control, it counted down the days, automatically stopped turning when it should for lockdown, and it only holds 7 eggs. I needed something totally foolproof. And yet I STILL told myself, you're gonna screw this up and probably nothing will hatch.

I put the incubator in the guest room and ONLY checked it once a day. It cooked along just fine. Then I got a hygrometer and put IT inside, but still checked only once a day. I did NOT want to get obsessive about it (any more than I already was) but kept it in a room away from my PC and the TV set, so I wouldn't watch it all the time. I put water in the reservoir when it went dry. That's about it.

The incubator hatched six of the 7 eggs, and one chick drowned in the water reservoir. (They are really floppy and can't stand up and all that when they first get out of the egg, and these hatched when I was sleeping.)

I'm telling you this because I was POSITIVE I'd screw it up and nothing would hatch. I was prepared for that situation. I think you should give those eggs another two days. And I think you need to go rest, read a book, go shopping, or do something to get away from the incubator for a while. You have invested so much energy and care and attention to them that you're frazzled and in pain.

Take a break. Even if nothing hatches, you did your best, but it wasn't to be, if wasn't to be. You can try again.
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If the temp was a bit low during the first few days, 22 days is not uncommon. Some hatch as late as 25 days. Try not to worry until then.

Also, with shipped eggs this time of year, the hatch rates are pretty low. They get scrambled by the movement, or get started by getting too hot.

Were you able to candle them and check on progress?

It's always a long wait for the fuzzy butts, and we are all rooting for you.

Remember, even if they don't hatch. You did what you could to bring them into a good life, but sometimes eggs just don't hatch. Try not and beat yourself up.
 
JulieZ
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!!! Hang in there, hun, it'll be just fine! Have you candled them at all through the process. If you did and saw development into lockdown, then I'm sure they're just taking their sweet time and hoping to make quite an entrance. I just went through my first hatch and didn't do so hot...my second batch o'eggies is headed to me now. Even if nothing great happens this time, it won't be a reason to give up.

If you're hearing things (har har) that's a good sign! I bet it was just a temp issue. The 21 days is just an average, not set in stone.
 
TY !!! Feels good knowing you guys are around to help out with my chicken depression mood. Maybe I need a pool to waddle in some. If I knew it would hurt this much to loose "an egg", I would have probably bought from a hatchery but at the same time, I'm on day 3 with 47 more eggs in my 15 gallon tank. I'm claiming these will be for meat but look at me now thinking I've killed "an egg". Who am I kidding?
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As far as taking a drive or going shopping ... I can't leave. What if they hatch? I am checking on them at least once an hour. They are in my spare bedroom, down the hall & around the corner. That's about 10 yards from my computer.
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I don't know rather to cry, laugh or both at this point.
 
Julie, if you do lose this batch (which I've had many go 22 days and still hatch), ask around on BYC. I'm sure you can find someone more local to you that can get you another set of eggs to get started with, and then you won't have the shipping damage fear.

Taking a few hours away is a good way to get some action happening. It's like a mother waiting to go into labor - as soon as she decides to quit waiting around and goes to the beach, her water breaks, right? For me, if I go to sleep, eggs start pipping. Call it superstitious but hatch day is stressful and I try to find some sense in it somewhere lol!!!

PS - I've "killed" like forty eggs in crappy hatches. I'm sorry you're stressing, but it does get easier as you get a better hang of things. Rest assured that (with all the work you did) if they don't hatch, it's because of the shipping and not because of you. It sounds to me like you were extremely careful. Did you candle them at all?
 
Like they said - 22 days isn't that long - I have had some take until the 26th day - I don't know if it's because of our humidity or what......

But, if you want a hatching buddy ,Julie - I am just in Waldo. Send me a pm and I'll send my phone number - maybe I can offer at least a pat on the back and a shoulder to lean on lol!! (and maybe some eggs - what breed(s) are you raising?) Let me know if I can help
 
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I was sure I'd be banned from BYC for being a whining baby but yaw are finding the right words. The good thing ... moments before lock down I candled the eggs. Veins & movement were VERY noticeable. I did a no-no a few moments ago & pulled one out moments ago. Without turning the egg around & properly laying it back down in the same position/place, all I could see was this huge air sack at the thick end of the egg. I know I should have left it alone but I needed something. There was no movement at all. The air sack looked ... how to word this ... like a twisted balloon with lots of air in the middle. Make sense? Smelled it, listened to it & nothing. Back into the bator within 30-45 seconds. I think I need a nap too.
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WALDO !!!! That's awesome TheRanch. I'll send ya a PM. These are Barred Rocks but I also need a LB roo, more Buff Orp's & more BR's to go with the ones I already have in the coop, another batch of LB's and you can never have enough Buff Orp's. Nope, I have no favorites.
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ok i was like in the same way. yesterday was day 22 and i was bought to give up when in the middle of the night the first one pipped!!! so really dont give up im glad i didnt!!
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