A watched pot never boils (hatching anxiety)

[humblehillsfarm]

We are day 20 (technically speaking day 20 doesn’t even start until 1pm today) and already there are a few pips. I definitely heard some cheeps! I beside myself with anxiousness.

I have three barred rock eggs from a hen that I loved and passed away a week ago and a special egg from my favorite hen that I am particularly anxious about their hatching. I’d love to check if they’ve internally pipped or if I should make a safety hole to be safe. It’s hot and humid in the room they are in. No worries, it only became hot and humid as of yesterday. We don’t have AC in our house!

I have to take all five of my kitties to the vet this morning so thankfully that’ll keep me a little busy. I just want all of my babies to hatch safely.

 

[Chookchicken]

Just leave them, don’t touch them or open the incubator. Your giving them best chance at survival by just not doing anything. Hatching is tiring work, and often they nap, so it can take around 24hrs for them to hatch sometimes. Just don’t stress, and don’t help them hatch unless it is really needed.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Just leave them, don’t touch them or open the incubator. Your giving them best chance at survival by just not doing anything. Hatching is tiring work, and often they nap, so it can take around 24hrs for them to hatch sometimes. Just don’t stress, and don’t help them hatch unless it is really needed.

Ive always let a broody for the hard work. It’s easier to leave things alone when a hen is the incubator!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I had slipped some of the incubator eggs under two broodies last week and I guess one lil guy or gal decided to hatch very early! This is an F2 Olive egger. Hen was a legbar x Marans cross and the rooster was a blue copper Marans.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Baby #2! Also from the OE x Marans cross. Interesting to see the color difference between the two chicks with the same parents.

 

[BlueBaby]

I know what you mean. I have a Aloha/Lakeshore Egger hatch due today also, and one of the chick's is already trying to make a jail break from it's egg.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

https://youtube.com/shorts/C8PZ8DlZ4Ek?feature=share

Time lapse of one of them hatching!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I think 12 hatched. I opened the rest of the eggs. Two of Betty Boops, my barred rock that we had to put down, eggs remained. It looks like one pipped internally and was ready to hatch but passed away. The other died and never even pipped internally. There was one other egg with a dead fully developed chick, also unpipped. All of the others looked like they were not fertile or quit very early on. One or two looked like they started to develop then quit. I’m very sad about Betty Boops egg. The one egg of hers that did hatch, the chick has super swollen feet and can’t walk. One other has super swollen feet and can’t walk as well. They were both very late hatches that I had to assist. I am just hoping they get better as the swelling goes down.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

@humblehillsfarm, sorry to hear about Betty Boop's eggs that didn't hatch...but congrats on your hatchlings!

There are threads on BYC about chicks that hatch with swollen feet, like this one. Hope the swelling resolves soon!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

@humblehillsfarm, sorry to hear about Betty Boop's eggs that didn't hatch...but congrats on your hatchlings!

There are threads on BYC about chicks that hatch with swollen feet, like this one. Hope the swelling resolves soon!

Ugh that was the thread I found too. I think I found two but only one had the resolution. I hope my chicks recover as well since one of them is Betty’s chick.