24 hrs since pip - to help or not to help?

[Suellyn]

How is hatch going? How many out and is #1 still hanging in there? Saw your other post with the unabsorbed egg yolk, was that #1, or a different chick?

for you & your chickies!

Oh & BTW, it took up to 16 or 17 hours for most of my chicks to go from "pip" to "zip", then anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours to go from "zip" to hatch, and there were DEFINITELY periods of quiet & inactivity, for HOURS at a time sometimes, when I was sure one or the other was dead, but they weren't!

All hatched except for 1, which I had doubts about on day 18 (too small, air cell too small, too... did eggtopsy & found stopped developing around day 15). Was UNNERVING (my first hatch, too), but it worked out.

Good luck & hang in there!!!!!!!!!

 

[blaines.insane]

Thanks for the encouragement, Suellyn.

Hatch is going good, all things considered. The one that had the yolk hatched within a half-hour after my 4am post! At that time, he only had a 1/4" hole. I got ready for work, used the bathroom, then checked one last time before heading out the door and there he was wandering around. Couldn't believe it. Perhaps he came out a few hours earlier than he should have. I've taken the two out that hatched yesterday so they wouldn't peck at it. He seems to be doing great! That was #4, BTW.

#1 is getting better all the time. He's now getting around fine, and is chirping. I think he was dehydrated, and faint from loss of blood. But he seems to be a strong fighter. I am hopeful now that he'll survive. He'll probably be a weak and sickly fellow his whole life, and I have no intentions of letting it reproduce. It will be my "village idiot".

Boy, you should see the vault on his skull, though... whooeee.

#2 is doing fantastically. It was marked as a blue splash, but for all intents and purposes, it looks like a buff to me. Nice vaulted skull and beard

#3 is doing great as well. He was marked as a cuckoo, but looks much too dark blue. I think it's actually a pure blue.

#4 was marked blue splash, and I believe it actually is. It is a slightly mottled silvery-blue. Beautiful! Slightly vaulted skull.

I promised pics, but I have spent too much time posting and getting brooder situated and set up. Now I have to get busy on homework. I actually tried to take some pics through the 'bator window, but the camera wouldn't focus properly. Will take some when they're all in the brooder.

Blaine

 

[blaines.insane]

Well, I think it's officially over. #'s 1 - 4 are all alive and active! Pics coming soon, I promise!

Eggs 5 & 6 never hatched. Candled them in day 18, and they looked to be doing fine. Don't know what went wrong. Tomorrow, day 25, I'm pulling the plug. Will likely perform autopsy to see if I can learn the cause of their demise.

I'm so excited that the two troubled chicks are doing well. The one I helped out of the shell is now the most active and alert. The one who hatched himself before his yolk was fully absorbed appears to be every bit as happy and healthy as the others. What a blessing.

Over and out...

Blaine

 

[Suellyn]

 

[MissPrissy]

congrats!

 

[erthymom2]

i helped three SLW chicks out around 1am today I hatched from fellow BYC'r DEVILDOG. Otherwise i had a super hatch from his eggs - 11 healthy SLW and a few surprises in the brooder as we speak.