12th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-Along

[LadiesAndJane]

Last four of my mystery ducks hatched between 9pm last night and the last at 4am today. Didn't get much sleep! I'm really pleased, my first duck hatch and 7/7 made it. I am thinking they are a pekin, runner, cayuga clan. I am in love though Letting them dry some more then over to the brooder.
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Congratulations! They are adorable.

 

[ehlehnaaah]

Cute chicks! Would love to see photos with their silkie broody mama!

of course! i will definitely have a mini photo shoot

 

[CSolis]

Groupies! The big black ball of fuzz is 5 BCM babies, and the 3 colorful ones are from my EE and a BSL x (BS x (BA x SH)) cross.. Amazingly 3 babies from the same parents are as unlike as milk and beer. Still waiting on the last 4 eggs to hatch.

 

[Josip]

Day 22 here, no pips. I have a feeling nothing will hatch. I’m not sure what went wrong with this hatch but something clearly did. Half the eggs quit early on & out of 7 eggs that made it to lockdown none have hatched. Oh well, I will try again & hope to have a good hatch next time like I had in February.
On the plus side, one of the eggs the broody kicked out of the nest is alive! If it hatches I will give it back to her.

What was different in this hatch? Hope some chiks hatch

 

[kylansgirl]

My first pipped egg greeted me upon waking... as a newly hatched naked neck silkie!! (Showgirl) whatever you wanna call them. I was very surprised, and my kids are going get a huge kick out of seeing a naked neck chickie!

Out of the remaining 10 eggs, we have 6 pips. This is day 20 for me!!

 

[AmesHillFarm]

Had my first casualty. ☹ Especially small bantam egg, pipped near the middle of the egg, then did nothing for most of day. Came back from grandma sitting and his egg was rolled over by a hatched chick. Pulled out of incubator and beak no longer moving. Carefully removed shell/membrane. Chick had passed. I think he wasn't meant to make it out, his head was a funny squished shape and his skin was translucent. Also his heart was visible under the skin above his right wing. Poor little guy.

There was another that was rolled, when turned back over, lots of wet goo around beak. Took it out and cleaned with q-tip and put back. This morning chick has widened hole some, but looks to be in awkward position. Keeping an eye.....

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Had my first casualty. ☹ Especially small bantam egg, pipped near the middle of the egg, then did nothing for most of day. Came back from grandma sitting and his egg was rolled over by a hatched chick. Pulled out of incubator and beak no longer moving. Carefully removed shell/membrane. Chick had passed. I think he wasn't meant to make it out, his head was a funny squished shape and his skin was translucent. Also his heart was visible under the skin above his right wing. Poor little guy.

There was another that was rolled, when turned back over, lots of wet goo around beak. Took it out and cleaned with q-tip and put back. This morning chick has widened hole some, but looks to be in awkward position. Keeping an eye.....

I'm sorry you lost one. Sometimes they have genetic issues and just don't make it.

I lost one this hatch too. I just opened it this morning since all of the other chicks had hatched. This chick had passed in the shell and was completely dwarfed! I've never seen anything like it before and I kind of wish it had hatched. I would have loved it! Pudgy short toes and legs, short little beak and neck. I know it probably would have struggled to thrive if it had hatched but I can't help but notice it was adorable. I have pictures but I didn't want to ruin the mood in the hatch-along and share eggtopsy pictures.

 

[Rysktal]

This morning: one died in the brooder, looks like it was smothered in its water*, and one dead in the incubator, no idea why, it was hatched and dry. 46 active quail chicks in the brooder and *maybe* a couple more hatching in the incubator.

*water is in a yogurt lid, super shallow

After the hatch is over, we will do an eggtopsy and I'll make a post about it. We took a very hands off approach to this hatch as a control/experiment to see just how hands off we could be while hatching quail.

 

[Razadia]

No pips yet, but there's chirping.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Happy Easter Everyone!

My hatch is officially complete!
First hatch 3/26/21-3/27/21: 100% (started with 22, No infertile, No quitters, 22 live chicks)
- Polkies (Silkie/Polish Crosses)
- 9 eggs were unwashed and collected within 2 weeks
- 13 eggs were washed and stored in the refrigerator for about 3-4 weeks. (she lost her hen so we figured what’s the harm in trying!)

Second hatch 4/3/21: 71% SHIPPED EGGS (started with 48, 3 infertile, 13 quitters, 32 live chicks)
- Blue/Black Silver Birchen & Wheaten Marans from Gypsy Hen (1 infertile, 5 early quitters, 1 late quitter that was dwarfed, short pudgy little toes, legs, beak, and neck)
- Lavender & White Ameraucanas, & a few Olive Eggers from Gypsy Hen (2 infertile, 7 early quitters)
- 50 eggs received, 2 were cracked so I didn’t set them. Set 48 eggs.

Overall I'm really happy with my hatches! Good luck to those that are still hatching and I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Brooder of fluff.