My staggered hatch is done. Phew. 7-day spread. Two incubators worked perfectly. I moved eggs as they internally pipped and I could hear clicking. Thank you to the posters who shared their knowledge in this thread!
One malpositioned chick died at pip. 20 babies are happily bopping around the...
...deceased egg in the morning.
Looking at the photo after reading your post, sure enough baby was coming out of the side. I was too busy wondering *what* I was seeing (beak? Is it moving? Is it breathing? Is it shrink wrapped?) and didn’t notice *where* I was seeing it.
Babies have been...
This guy appears to be dead. Greenish-tinged yolk seeping slightly around cracks. Another egg is zipping. Guess I’ll see what tomorrow morning brings and remove it.
Not sure why it would die at the start of its zip. Humidity is good. I did not interfere in any way (no emergency hole, no zip...
Awesome video. Thank you! I have now moved 7 to the “Hatcher” bator. Larger air cell even from yesterday, I clearly see a triangle shape, and now I hear clicking or cheeping.
Those 7 are known dates, eggs were stored correctly, incubated correctly. Due to hatch Thursday.
While those were in an...
I’m reading and reading the forum and getting confused. So I guess I’m doing the one incubator, one Hatcher thing.
When do I move the eggs to the Hatcher? Do I wait for external pip or internal pip?
I need to do a staggered hatch. Most eggs appear to be within a week of each other developmentally.
I have two incubators. Do I turn everyone and hold everyone at incubation-level temp and humidity? Then move eggs to lockdown bator as I see external pips?
I’m less confident identifying...
Several more have hatched. I’ll find one live and one dead in the nest. Like the live one may be sitting next to or on the dead one. So how come one lived and one didn’t?
Dead keet is fully formed, dry and fluffy, and well covered by hen.
Is there something I can change to reduce these...
I have been taking the chicks, usually in the morning. Hen goes back to setting. This afternoon I spied another one so I took it and discovered another dead in the nest.
So after that initial hatch of 10, there’s been a ratio of 1 live and 1 dead in the nest.
Total count is 12 live, 4 dead...
First-time hens, eggs have been candled, staggered hatch I guess. Ten live chicks so far. But one dead yesterday morning, and a second dead this morning. Both were fully formed, fluffy, warm, and under hen in the nest.
First chick’s body was stuck to the bedding. So I’m guessing yolk wasn’t...
Yes, that all makes sense. Decisions, decisions. Thank you! I value your input.
The brooder is ready if that’s what I decide. I have a very small batch in an incubator with 12
days to go. I will see what [keets] the morning brings and make some decisions. There are two hens sitting on about...
Ok, @R2elk first couple keets have hatched. Do I leave them with mom or steal them?
They are inside the coop. The coop is shared by the whole flock (20).
Thanks to this thread, I bought the Maticoopx from Amazon on sale. It was unavailable a few hours later. Score!
But I’ll have two NR360s and 1 maticoopx for
my little flock. Thats 74 eggs! Craziness!! I’m obsessed. I need to rein it in.
Well, wait a sec… @The Moonshiner has collected HOW...
The one that had (likely) omphalitis was not an assisted hatch. It remained in incubator for at least two days. I don’t remember exactly now. Then I put it in a separate incubator with food and water.
It’s hatch was as quick as all the others. So I guess the problem was a dirty egg? I don’t...
I have a dedicated hen who is earnestly sitting on a nest inside the coop. That’s great! A safe, dry location. But the coop isn’t keet proof. Keets could get out under the door hinge when they are tiny.
Do I put her and eggs in a cage now? Do I wait til they hatch then put them in a cage?
Or...
I am sorry a predator got into your coop. I would fortify your coop before trying again and condition the birds to roost there at night. I wouldn't blame yourself on not letting them roost in trees as a means of keeping them alive.
Letting them roost in trees would severely increase the losses.