A Beginners First Experience with Shipped Eggs (Picture Heavy!)

[venymae]

Thanks for the good vibes everyone! I am definitely thinking about being more prepared for power outages in the future. I might go with a power inverter like this, for the car. I don't hatch all that often, so I'm not wanting to make a big investment and I also figure this would be duel purpose as I could use it for other things in similar situations.

​

I've also been told glove heat packs, hot water bottles, and snugging your incubator up with a blanket can all help during a power outage. To be honest, this experience has made me like the Uglybator even more than ever. With the thick insulation of the cooler and the large amounts of thermal mass, it held it's temperature quite well for being off grid for so long.

Much better than the Mini, as you saw!​

 

[ctc084]

That looks like a good investment, it'd work for sure in a pinch. Again, best of luck to y'all!

 

[prizepete]

Wow I will just have to see how this goes. Im curious

 

[venymae]

DAY 14 HAS COME.
​

Candled the eggs and WOW were they kicking!
All eggs are doing great - power outage and earthquake notwithstanding!

Yep, earthquake.

We woke up at 1:45am this morning to our bed shaking like an unbalanced washing machine! Apparently, Oklahoma had a 4.7 magnitude earthquake and it shimmied right on up into our part of Kansas. Who would have thought! Anyways, it was nothing major, we just ran around the house like crazy people because we had no idea what was going on and I thought our boiler was blowing up. Hahaha!

My kids all have colds, so the humidity in the house has been very high. I did not see a lot of growth from the air cells, though I thought some of the blue air cells were looking a little big on day 10, so I'm not too worried about it. Everyone is alive and looking great. I have high hopes for these eggs! I really hope both of the Serama will make it. I was looking forward to them as I've never had a small breed before! The blue eggs were on my meat-and-potatoes list, so really this whole thing has been just one big trip to the moon for me! I will be dropping the house humidity so these eggs can lose the appropriate amount of moisture in the next 4 days before lockdown. Both the Uglybator and the Mini will be running completly dry and I will candle one or two of the eggs everyday just to make sure they are not losing moisture too fast...and because it's just so much fun!

Ok! Here is the DAY 14 run down!​

Creasted Cream Legbar:
1.Veins - Very Small Saddle Cell
2.Movement! - Saddle Cell
3.Movement! - Good Air Cell
4.Movement! - Slight Saddle Cell



Blue Mix:
1. Veins - Good Air Cell
3.Movement! - Good Air Cell
4. Movement! - Good Air Cell
7. Movement! - Good Air Cell
8. Movement! - Slight Saddle Air Cell (this guy gave a big KICK!)
10. Movement! - Normal Air Cell



Serama:
3.Movement! - Horrible Air Cell (Let's just be honest here!)
6.Movement! - Normal Air Cell




Everybody looks good, but I am sooo impatient!

 

[prizepete]

DAY 14 HAS COME.
​

Candled the eggs and WOW were they kicking!
All eggs are doing great - power outage and earthquake notwithstanding!

Yep, earthquake.

We woke up at 1:45am this morning to our bed shaking like an unbalanced washing machine! Apparently, Oklahoma had a 4.7 magnitude earthquake and it shimmied right on up into our part of Kansas. Who would have thought! Anyways, it was nothing major, we just ran around the house like crazy people because we had no idea what was going on and I thought our boiler was blowing up. Hahaha!

My kids all have colds, so the humidity in the house has been very high. I did not see a lot of growth from the air cells, though I thought some of the blue air cells were looking a little big on day 10, so I'm not too worried about it. Everyone is alive and looking great. I have high hopes for these eggs! I really hope both of the Serama will make it. I was looking forward to them as I've never had a small breed before! The blue eggs were on my meat-and-potatoes list, so really this whole thing has been just one big trip to the moon for me! I will be dropping the house humidity so these eggs can lose the appropriate amount of moisture in the next 4 days before lockdown. Both the Uglybator and the Mini will be running completly dry and I will candle one or two of the eggs everyday just to make sure they are not losing moisture too fast...and because it's just so much fun!

Ok! Here is the DAY 14 run down!​

Creasted Cream Legbar:
1.Veins - Very Small Saddle Cell
2.Movement! - Saddle Cell
3.Movement! - Good Air Cell
4.Movement! - Slight Saddle Cell



Blue Mix:
1. Veins - Good Air Cell
3.Movement! - Good Air Cell
4. Movement! - Good Air Cell
7. Movement! - Good Air Cell
8. Movement! - Slight Saddle Air Cell (this guy gave a big KICK!)
10. Movement! - Normal Air Cell



Serama:
3.Movement! - Horrible Air Cell (Let's just be honest here!)
6.Movement! - Normal Air Cell




Everybody looks good, but I am sooo impatient!

Congradulations! Seramas are so much fun!

 

[venymae]

IT'S LOCKDOWN TIME!​

Today is DAY 18! Most eggs go into what is commenly called "lockdown" on day 18.
Before I lockdown there are several things that have to be done:

1.Final Candling
The air cells should be appropriatly sized now, big enough to provide air for the chick, and small enough that they have room to grow. The egg should look pretty dark now too as the chick will take up most of the space. An additional thing I did during this candle is mark the lowest edge of the air cell. This is the area of the egg that the chick is most likely to pip at.


2. Increase Humidity to 60-70%
This allows the inner membrane of the egg to stay nice and pliable during hatching. if the membrane is too dry, the chick could be shrink wrapped in his own egg, unable to get out. This is also why it's important not to open the incubator during lockdown, ESPECIALLY if one of your chicks has started to pip.

3. Position Eggs for Hatching
Eggs may be layed down in the incubator "probable pip" up, or left in the egg cartons to hatch. I will most likely be laying mine down to hatch, with only the bad air cells left in the carton cups. I also lay down shelf liner beneath them for cushion and to give them traction (this prevents spraddle leg) and to prevent chick feet from going through the bottom as my "shelf" is made of chicken wire.

​

Here is my final Candle (DAY 18) for the Uglybator Eggs:


Blue Egg Mixes:
(this is a wonky egg-#7)




Crested Cream Legbar:





The mini went into lockdown yesterday (DAY 17), as the breeder recommended the Serama be locked down a day early, as they sometimes hatch earlier.

Serama:
(the 'X' marks the probable pip area)








Everyone is still looking great! I had several kickers, but most were hunkered down getting ready for their big debut!

I am getting excited!!!!

 

[venymae]

UPDATE! (Day 20)​

So, the breeder I recieved the eggs from (and who is also on the hatch-a-long I joined) thought the air cells on the blue eggs looked a little small so I have been running my humidity on the lower end of recommendations (50-60%). Once I see a pip, I will increase it to 70%. Also, here is what Uglybator looks like during lockdown:

Uglybator, right before closing for lockdown!

Because the egg shelf is made of chicken wire, I put down shelf liner to prevent foot injuries on the new chicks. I get the kind that has holes to help with ventilation. It is also good for foot traction. The eggs with decent air cells I laid directly on the liner, with the lowest point up (the probable pip area). You can also leave them in the egg cartons (I did with my first hatch). I simply wanted to try it this way this time. The eggs with less than desirable air cells I left in the egg cartons, I am hoping this will cause the air cell to be more normal and help with hatching. We will see! The duplo blocks you see down the middle of Uglybator actually go all the way up to the ceiling and prevent the different breeds from mixing. It's what I had laying around, and to be honest, it fits really well!

BTW- I had my first pip today!
ON THE WRONG END OF THE EGG! Gaaaaaah!!!
I was advised to quick take it out and make sure it's beak was clear of fluids (the correct end has the air cell, the wrong end has goop). I quick opened Uglybator, snatched the egg, closed Uglybator, flaked off a small section of the pip with a pair of sterile tweezers, and it gave a loud "PEEP!". As soon as I heard that I knew it was breathing fine so I stuck it back in Uglybator and misted the walls to get the humidity back up fast.
I can't get a picture of it because it's on the side of Uglybator with no window, but I will keep you updated! So far it's still just a pip.
No other pips so far.​

 

[kyzerc]

the gennis1588 hovator I want is 12 volt with a 110 adapter.They sell a power cord to hook it up to a battery if needed.T xxhey have a old model and a new model,the new model ,the temp is pre set at 99.8

 

[venymae]

DAY 21 - IN WHICH, TOO LITTLE MOISTURE LOSS
BITES ME IN THE BUTT!

Well, well, well. I awoke to more pips and the same pip. UGH! I do not like to assist, I dream of the hatch when I am the "MASTER INCUBATOR A LA CHIKON!" and all my eggs pop open by themselves and turn into fluffy chicks. But, this hatch was not that hatch.
Rats.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my air cells were looking a little small. Meaning my chicks were not losing enough water in their egg. Well, besides not having as much room to take their first internal breath I found out a second consequence. When your chick pips and zips, the extra goo that is still left in the egg from too little moisture loss, once exposed to air, turns into glue. And, then concrete.
Effectively adhering your chick to it's own shell or body or both! And, preventing it from completing a hatch.

This is called Sticky Chick or Wet Sticky
And that's what I have.

After waiting 24 hours after my first chick pipped, I sought advice and decided to take it out and assist it SLOWLY.
To Prepare for this I:
1. READ THE ASSISTED HATCH GUIDELINES FOUND ON THIS WEBSITE!!!
2. Got a hot wet washcloth to put the egg/chick in once out
3. Got a fine mist water bottle with hot water to mist the 'bator so it does not drop humidity when I open it.
4. Grabbed clean Tweezers to slowly and gently chip away the egg shell
5. Had a trickle of warm water running in the bathroom sink to help losen any stuck parts

#1's Pip, I accidently knocked off a large chunk of lose shell when taking him out of the bator

When peeling back the outer membrane on pip #1 I noticed the blood vessels in the inner membrane were still a little active, so I misted the egg and stuck it back in Uglybator. I don't want chicks bleeding out if I don't have to! Then I went and fattened myself on a Thanksgiving meal at my parents.
YUM!
When we came back home pip #1 still hadn't done anything (MAN!). At this point it has been 36 hours since it pipped. I also noticed a second pip had started to zip, and looked sketchy (Not again!!!)
I pulled #1 out again, misted Uglybator and went to work freeing the little guy from his eggy prison! The big hold up was the fact that his wing was glued to his head. Go figure. As soon as I softened the area up with water (very carefully to not get any in his nose!) he jerked his head up and started kicking! So I popped him back in Uglybator where he kicked free of his egg and lay panting, looking for all the world like someone had just dipped him in hair gel. LOL​

#2 and his zip at 3 hours.

#2 Hadn't moved in all this time. Double Drat! After asking around (even though I already knew, I wanted comfirmation!) I popped him out also and helped unglue him. It has been 3 hours since I notice him ZIPPING (different from a pip!). He was very well glued to the shell and membrane of his egg. The bottom of his egg was filled with lots of yellow goo. He too was very active once freed. I noticed his naval has the cord still attached and was a touch red, maybe bleeding a little? To be extra cautious I rinsed it off and gave it a dab or cornstarch to help it finish. I then gave it a zap (CAREFULLY!) with a hairdryer on low and popped him back in Uglybator.
Where they are going crazy with all their squawking! Holy-Moly are they NOISY!


Anyway, I hope you can learn from my mistakes and make EXTRA sure your air cells are nice,
so you don't end up with superglue chickens like me!

Oh well, 2 Chicks out!!! Yeah!!​

 

[venymae]

BTW - I thought I should let you guys know that in the time it took me to write that last post, one of the pips zipped, hatched, and was running around in the incubator. It was THAT. FAST.

Woot! Woot! Three chicks so far! (all of them are blue egg mixes)