Against the odds hatching thread (with pictures and questions)

[K0k0shka]

I don't think it's a big deal as long as the area they are in most of the time, under the brooder, is warm and dry. If they were my chicks I'd just check them regularly to make sure they don't look cold or wandered off and forgotten where the heated area is.

Good to hear, thanks. Yeah, I had to keep checking on them throughout the evening, because my little people lover kept wandering out to look for me. Good thing I'm home all day every day to babysit these things... This whole experience is a unique gift given to me by the corona virus. It would have NEVER worked otherwise, with me out for 10 hours a day!

 

[K0k0shka]

It's so exciting seeing your newly hatched baby chicks! Tel me why did you decide to hatch upright? Were the air cells wobbly still?

A lot of people recommended that for shipped eggs. Most of mine flew coast to coast and had really wobbly and misshapen air cells. I didn't want to take any chances.

 

[K0k0shka]

A lot of people recommended that for shipped eggs. Most of mine flew coast to coast and had really wobbly and misshapen air cells. I didn't want to take any chances.

And some were still wobbly even on day 18, yeah. Especially compared to my control group from the local farm 8 minutes away.

 

[K0k0shka]

Uh oh... First sign of trouble! The newest hatch has what looks like a hernia? Here’s a photo:

Is this the kind I apply Neosporin on and it closes up, or is it anything more serious?

 

[K0k0shka]

Here’s a better picture:

I put Neosporin on it with a q-tip and separated the chick from the others. Good thing I have that basket in there to separate the other lady’s eggs from mine. Hers aren’t doing anything yet, so this chick can have the basket for now. There are two other wet hatchlings in the incubator with it right now, and I didn’t want them to peck at the red thing. The chick in question is looking good otherwise - flopping around and chirping loudly...

Here it is, in its private quarters:

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I don't have enough experience with hernias to be really helpful. But it doesn't look to bad to me. I'd guess it will resolve itself over the next few days.

 

[K0k0shka]

I don't have enough experience with hernias to be really helpful. But it doesn't look to bad to me. I'd guess it will resolve itself over the next few days.

Thanks! I also posted on the hands on hatching and help thread, hopefully the more experienced folks can weigh in. Why do all these babies have to be born at night, when help is in bed?? My human babies both hatched at night, too

 

[NewBoots]

No expert here but could that be un-absorbed yolk and something that will self-correct with a little time and safety?

 

[K0k0shka]

No expert here but could that be un-absorbed yolk and something that will self-correct with a little time and safety?

It could be... This is my first hatch though, so I’m not sure. I’ve been looking through BYC and Google, but hoping for a more experienced opinion.

 

[K0k0shka]

I just woke up and found that two other chicks have climbed into the basket with the chick with the problem, but I don’t see any pecking and all three look good. I took that one chick out to check on it, and the red thing is still there, just looking drier... is that good?

Meanwhile I now have a total of 8 hatched chicks - the 2 in the brooder, and 6 still in the incubator that hatched overnight!!! All in all, that’s 4 Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, 3 Barnevelders and 1 Partridge Orpington.

There are a couple more pips, and, finally, one of the local eggs has pipped, too!