~* 4th annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey/Chicken hatchathon! *~

[SilkieSensation]

Chicks started hatching last night. Temps dropped to 70 yesterday because my bator got unplugged for about 10 hours while I was gone. NOT good for active hatching. Had a couple hatch with yolk sacs not completely absorbed

I hope your hatch continues with no issues. Good luck!

9 hatched so far. 3 from brown eggs, 6 from blue & green eggs. 3 of the blue/green egg babies have lightly feathered feet & are definitely not silkie crosses. This means my blue copper marans is the daddy & these babies should be olive eggers. I love when tracing the daddy is made easy...lol

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

I've got duck eggs, goose eggs and cochin eggs in lockdown =) ducklings should start popping out tonight, goslings in two days and cochins in three =) with great fertility rates so far =)

Then I should have ducklings hatching on cinco de mayo, possibly some gosling a couple days after, and d'uccle eggs hatching along with some of my other bantams on the 8th =) oh and I've forgotten what day my goose eggs in my friends bator went in, gotta figure that out pretty quick lol

 

[JoyfulPromise]

Well, it looks like there are definitely only 2 live embryos growing in my shipped Red English Orpington eggs.

But those two look good so far, and I am going to try again with more Red Orpingtons later.

I had an excellent hatch last weekend with some shipped Blue Copper Marans eggs - 8 large healthy babies hatched out of 9 eggs that went into lockdown!!!

And then, on Saturday and Sunday, my Silkie eggs hatched - 11 babies out of 14 eggs!

Momma Silkie is happily caring for all of them right now, though I already have a few spoken for. I was amazed and thrilled with the color variety! Mrs. Silkie is a Partridge silkie, and Mr. Silkie was sold to me as a Blue Partridge and in the 11 babies there are 5 striped chicks (partridge?), 2 solid Blue, 2 solid Black, and 2 light Cream colored!

Here is a picture of Momma Silkie with some of her babies -


And here is the proud Papa Silkie -

 

[Peep-Chicken]

I would do what is best for the viable eggs.  The shipped eggs sound iffy at best.  That makes my recommendation to turn the eggs.

For shipped eggs, I now do not turn them for the first 2-3 or so days of incubation to further allow the air cells to stabilize.  Many people incubate without turning or turning very little but I wouldn't advise it.  Not turning, or minimal turning over the weekend it should be OK.  Shipped eggs are typically much more expensive so I personally do my best to increase my odds with whatever I have the most investment in. 

Thanks you two.

 

[SilkieSensation]

So far, my hatch sux. 16 chicks in the brooder, several with partially open navels, and lots that are pipping & quitting. Looks like a couple broke their yolks, others look like they drowned. I'm guessing my humidity has been too high. It's a new-to-me old Leahy Redwood that didn't come with instructions or a hygrometer. Looks like I need to get 1 so I can check & adjust humidity. Hoping I get at least 30-40 more to hatch but things aren't looking good. I'm sure it didn't help that the bator got unplugged for 8-10 hours Sat evening just as hatch was starting & temps dropped to 70 in the bator.

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

Still no pips on my ducks yet.. gonna start to watch the goose eggs too now...people say patience is something they admire about me... glad they can't read minds...lol

 

[Manningjw]

Still no pips on my ducks yet.. gonna start to watch the goose eggs too now...people say patience is something they admire about me... glad they can't read minds...lol

I am really good about delaying gratification/patiently waiting, but like you my mind keeps turning and turning thinking about it.

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

Yay!! I've got pips everywhere only a day late =) hope everything in lockdown pops like popcorn =)

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I'm getting excited for this! My turkeys go on lockdown on Sunday. My first turkeys ever!

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

I am really good about delaying gratification/patiently waiting, but like you my mind keeps turning and turning thinking about it. 

=) six ducklings hatched so far and lots of pips, and now the goose eggs are pipping too =)

And the award for worst camera phone photo ever contest is...