5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[Cynthia12]

Quick question, my humidity is hanging out around 68%. Is this oka for hatching? Usually I struggle just to get it to 65% and end up with a large amount fully formed but dead in the shell. I'm guessing those were shrink wrapped. So trying to avoid this. Do I need to get it over 70%?

Catching up on posts...not sure if this has been answered yet..but..you want it lower. Around 60 to 62 is good. Actually, they do well with it anywhere from around 57 to 62. In my still air.

 

[Gardeningmama]

Quote: When they are assisted often their legs don't get the workout that they need to strengthen them. When I assist I will zip 95% of the way, but leave a piece attached and the "lid". Those buggers usually have to push pretty hard to get the "lid" off of them. It makes their legs strong. Yours may just be weak, or it could be splayed leg, which is totally treatable. Give it some time, and hopefully she'll perk up on her own..

Quote:
If you do a Google images search, you can find where to buy one. I think they're $14.95..I was looking earlier in the summer.

I haven't locked down yet, I have an egg that was 2 days behind all the rest so I thought I'd give it a day or so, plus I'm sick and haven't wanted to do anything but sleep. Lucky for me all kids are grown and not living here so I can sleep as much as necessary. but I'm going to lock down now and go back to bed as this is the only day off I have to get better, I have a sinking feeling that one of my 8 hour days over the holiday is going to turn into a 12 hour day due to the cry babies on second shift not wanting to work the holidays, oh well more money for me at double time plus holiday pay I can make over a weeks worth of money in two days, who passes up 38.00 an hour

Hope you're feeling better!

Well, day 20 here and nothing to report. My dad swears he seen an egg rock lastnight, but I stared at them for almost 20 minutes and I didn't seen them move. Who knows. I hope tonight or tomorrow to just randomly go over to find a chick, that's my hopes.....

Last night about 2 hours after lockdown, I went up to see where my humidity was at. Eggs were seriously shaking. Probably just readjusting themselves but, my luck they'll start today. My brooder is not ready. I need to scrub it and do fresh shavings, which I haven't bought yet, and haven't bought the chick feed. Story of my life. My prediction: Barred Hollands will pip and probably hatch today/tonight, and everyone else tomorrow, BCM's last.

 

[Cynthia12]

Well, day 20 here and nothing to report. My dad swears he seen an egg rock lastnight, but I stared at them for almost 20 minutes and I didn't seen them move. Who knows. I hope tonight or tomorrow to just randomly go over to find a chick, that's my hopes.....

LOL..Bless your heart, I remember those days. I have to admit though, I do start checking them out a few times a day once in lock down because I've had them hatch right on day 18 or 19. Really interesting to get one right after you locked down. Don't hear a peep, until all of a sudden you hear screaming peeps!

Well due date tomorrow, and I have 2 pips!!!

I see how excited everyone is for their pips, the I remember how relaxed I get when I actually get a pip, especially when one is in the only Maran I had go into lock down..one of DMRippy's Splash Marans. One Rhodebar pipped..now, come on Rhodebars, I am really excited about those too.

 

[ronott1]

Quick question, my humidity is hanging out around 68%. Is this oka for hatching? Usually I struggle just to get it to 65% and end up with a large amount fully formed but dead in the shell. I'm guessing those were shrink wrapped. So trying to avoid this. Do I need to get it over 70%?

My hatcher is running and stabilizing and I am getting ready to leave for work. Moving eggs over to the hatcher tonight. The most I will move is 19, depends on how they candle tonight, 12 barnyard mixes and 7 Silkies. Hopefully the turner issues didn't halt development.

Best to all - probably won't be visiting a lot today, end of year inventory at one site and parts to pick up for both.

Every hatch is a learning experience for all of us, no matter how many eggs we've set. Ron is known to many of us as The Hatching God, and I'll wager he would agree he still learns from every hatch. Some eggs are going to hatch and some are not, and nothing you do will change that. We learn on each hatch, for the next hatch. Once you start, it's darned hard to stop (for some of us it's more like impossible). Learn, and share. Enjoy.

Have a terrific Monday, everyone!

Absolutely! Every hatch is a learning experience.

ya after I read the sticky that ronott1 suggested I I tried my hardest to not get my hopes up lol. atleast I got to go threw the motions on assisted hatching and will know what to do next time.

Chicks that hatch in the wrong end are 50/50. It is worth trying to get them out but they often pip the wrong end because there is something wrong with them.

Good Job!

19 chicks and counting.

Haha!

Sorry no photos yet...been using my new tablet but not sure how to use it but too busy between chicks and unpacking the house. My usual dinosaur laptop overheats and shuts off randomly. >

I will get on it tonite to post my cute pics after work.

Well, we had 3 that died after pip. One had zipped all the way around and stopped. The second was the pip in the shell equator. We assisted 15-16 hours after pip and it lived for 15 minutes and died in my hands with us talking to it. I had just started to cry when I was interrupted by loud peeping from the incubator and a new one hatched! The third was pipped for 12ish hours with no further signs of life. I try to be hands off, but we realized we were waiting too long to assist. I think our humidity fluctuations are an issue... it will drop to 45% easily here in the desert... but when several are hatching at once will spike to the 90s with condensation... Then back down again. So for next time maybe a humidity pump?

We had two others that pipped and stopped, but we didn't wait so long and assisted them at 6 hours and they are vigorous in the brooder. Also, we didn't have this problem with chicks until we were down to 14 or so in the bator. ??? I think it was the humidity fluctuations... but we really try hard not to open it up much and wait to collect 3-5 chicks for the brooder.

So we candled the remaining 7 intact eggs last night and cleaned stinky debris out of the bator. One looks like a 17-18 day quitter. The rest look ok but no sounds or movement so we reset and will let nature take is course. But I am more than happy with 19 and grateful for the experience... made our Christmas so memorable!!!

Air dusters often help over heating laptops.

Good job on assisting! I bet you learned a lot from this experience. The later hatching problems are more likely from weaker chicks. It will all get better with more hatches.

Well, day 20 here and nothing to report. My dad swears he seen an egg rock lastnight, but I stared at them for almost 20 minutes and I didn't seen them move. Who knows. I hope tonight or tomorrow to just randomly go over to find a chick, that's my hopes.....

That is normal. They stop rocking when they get into position. Peeping will start next but that can be too quiet to hear over fans sometimes.

 

[Gardeningmama]

Quote:
Cynthia..You just made me feel better. I always have winter humidity issues, and once again can't get it over 58%.

That's with all wells full, a maxi pad, and large shallow dish of water. I'm about to go stuff a wet washcloth in there. Hatching in summer is sooo much easier with the humidity. But who needs a bunch of chicks in mid summer??

 

[Cynthia12]

I haven't locked down yet, I have an egg that was 2 days behind all the rest so I thought I'd give it a day or so, plus I'm sick and haven't wanted to do anything but sleep. Lucky for me all kids are grown and not living here so I can sleep as much as necessary. but I'm going to lock down now and go back to bed as this is the only day off I have to get better, I have a sinking feeling that one of my 8 hour days over the holiday is going to turn into a 12 hour day due to the cry babies on second shift not wanting to work the holidays, oh well more money for me at double time plus holiday pay I can make over a weeks worth of money in two days, who passes up 38.00 an hour

You can't be sick! I'm so sorry. Went through the tummy flu before Christmas, still felt a little yucky on Christmas Day, nothing like I did the day before, but then the day after, yucky again. ?? What? But at least I haven't had the cold/cough that has been going on around here. Man, that stuff hangs on for the folks that I've known to have it..my DH being one of them. Thank goodness he has that over with. I hope you take your Echinacea and get better sooner than later!!

 

[acemario]

Well, day 20 here and nothing to report. My dad swears he seen an egg rock lastnight, but I stared at them for almost 20 minutes and I didn't seen them move. Who knows. I hope tonight or tomorrow to just randomly go over to find a chick, that's my hopes.....

Same here! I just went into lockdown last night. Hoping for chickies soon! My year-end at work is crazy, so hoping to come home one of these nights with chickies!

 

[Cynthia12]

Cynthia..You just made me feel better. I always have winter humidity issues, and once again can't get it over 58%.

That's with all wells full, a maxi pad, and large shallow dish of water. I'm about to go stuff a wet washcloth in there. Hatching in summer is sooo much easier with the humidity. But who needs a bunch of chicks in mid summer??

When are yours due to hatch? My humidity has been falling down to 57 the last couple of nights, even with me putting more water on my sponges before bedtime, but I have two pips this morning. Mine has been hanging around 60 after putting more water in.

 

[Gardeningmama]

Quote:
Mine aren't due until New Years, but always hatch a day early, and recent hatches have started 2 days early, so I expect someone tonight or tomorrow morning. IDK..I have 4 different thermometers, and I don't think I run it hot, but maybe all 4 are wrong and I do. No, I've never calibrated

.

 

[Cynthia12]

Best edit.