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

[chicken pickin]

trying to find info on how to pip i know where to pip just dont know what to use im afraid of busting whole egg

Hold the egg carefully and with a sharp knife or razor blade scrape carefully in one small spot almost making a tiny X. Scratch one way a few times and then scratch the other way forming the X and go back and forth until its gotten to where you can carefully stick the tip of the knife(or what utensil you use)in through the shell and then carefully use the tip to pick teeny pieces of egg off until you can see inside. I hope this makes sense. Ill see if I can find the link to the assisted hatches. It might actually be on post 1.

read through this article it is great
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

 

[JDchicks]

Well. I assisted the chick. pulled some shell away. she kept fighting with me. so I stopped since she was trying to move around so much. wrapped her and put her back in the incubator.

She popped out of the rest of the shell on her own.

Still chriping, resting, moving around, then chriping resting and moving around again.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Since I mentioned my spoiled kitties earlier I figured I would post a pic of tonight's 3 participants in the game of "Hog the Bed."

Up front is Miss Explorer. Behind her are her brothers Sir Lancelot & Mr. Mittens. Missing is their older brother Monkey Cat who prefers to stay outside & patrol at night.

 

[ronott1]

Well. I assisted the chick. pulled some shell away. she kept fighting with me. so I stopped since she was trying to move around so much. wrapped her and put her back in the incubator.

She popped out of the rest of the shell on her own.

Still chriping, resting, moving around, then chriping resting and moving around again.

Perfect!

The chick looked ready to get out of that egg....

 

[scotter]

Here are the 26 we have from our New Years day. would have been more but six never pipped and two died from chill after getting wet in the brooder.

 

[Nonyah Biz]

Hold the egg carefully and with a sharp knife or razor blade scrape carefully in one small spot almost making a tiny x. Scratch one way a few times and them scratch the other way forming the X and go back and forth until its gotten to where you can carefully stick the tip of the knife(or what utensil you use)in through the shell and then carefully use the tip to pick teeny pieces of egg off until you can see inside. I hope this makes sense. Ill see if I can find the link to the assisted hatches. I might actually be on post 1.

read through this article it is great
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

TY i just want to be ready so if i have too

 

[SunnySkies]

Thanks! All of the ones I got from you hatched! That's impressive. The other four I confirmed dead. They were malpositioned, three had pipped internally but couldn't make the external pip.

That IS good! I'm on the right track for flock health and maintenance if their chicks had a 100% hatch rate!

The three that did not hatch here were because I should not have even set them. Breeding crested SFH roosters and crested SFH hens leads to a very high percentage of vaulted skulls in the offspring with most of those not even hatching. I wasn't sure which hen was laying the very large white eggs...do now..as the babies had severely vaulted skulls that likely led to a late death prior to hatching. Oh well. Now I know. Won't set her eggs again until I spilt her off from the crested roosters.

 

[bantambury]

• @bantambury here is an interesting page. http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Feather_sexing_practice.html
  If this is right I have a pullet!! Just google feather sexing day old chicks and there's all kinds of links. =)

AWESOME! ill check it out and test it! thanks for taking the time to look for me! I gotta love all my BYC friends here!

Actually, I had eggs in the incubator. But I was working extra hours for the holidays and my son was taking care of the hens. He failed to mention that my showgirl was broody. So, it was a surprise that she hatched 3 on new years day.

She has her 3 black silkies chicks. And my frizzle has adopted them cause she curled up with my showgirl. The chicks are under both of them.

And I have 4 (1 silkie and 3 d'uccles ) in the brooder box and 4 still trying to hatch in the incubator.

Still hoping that one is a phoenix.

PHEONIX! I NEED TO SEE! I HOPE I HOPE! I HOPING FOR YOU! ON MY WISH LIST FOR EVER! I NEED!

Since I mentioned my spoiled kitties earlier I figured I would post a pic of tonight's 3 participants in the game of "Hog the Bed."

Up front is Miss Explorer. Behind her are her brothers Sir Lancelot & Mr. Mittens. Missing is their older brother Monkey Cat who prefers to stay outside & patrol at night.

I LOVE the name monkey cat! hahahaha

my cats have a 'movie theme'
~Simba (The Lion King)
~Hermione (Harry Potter)
~Phoebe (Dolphin Tale)

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I will be doing my first try at hatching ducks on the Easter hatch.... Is it harder to hatch pekin ducks than it is chicken eggs?

there is a temp chart in the learning center that recommends lowering the temps when going into lockdown and having high high humidity. Some people also mist the eggs every day during the first part of the incubation. Ducks take longer to hatch than chicks so it is a touch bit more waiting.

Quote: It looks shrink wrapped already to me.

Quote: I think you already helped this one out, but if not, I would. Since the beak is moving but nothing else it is a possible shrink wrapping. lots off causes for that.

trying to find info on how to pip i know where to pip just dont know what to use im afraid of busting whole egg

I use a diaper pin to make the mark gradually. I hold the egg and a flashlight in one hand to make sure I pip it in the right place. Extra care must be used with the sharp point of the pin. At the first sign of blood I stop all assisting and put the egg back. I keep the egg wrapped in a warm moist towel as soon as i remove it from the incubator. Also If I remove an egg to check on it, I always assume it will be shrink wrapped and watch for it.

 

[SoManyHats]

And here the pictures come! If you can help me figure out breeds, that would be awesome! Also how to sex any of these breeds, if possible at this age. Breeds to choose from and how many of each there are in parentheses.
Marans (6)
SFHx Red Sex Link (8)
Silkie (possibly crosses-4)
SFH (1)
Silkie x Cochin (3)
Unspecified blue egg layers (7)

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11- I know this is a Showgirl silkie

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16 again

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And here's one of them all for the record.