Against the odds hatching thread (with pictures and questions)

[K0k0shka]

Now I'm thinking that I have too many chickens for that coop What are their space requirements when they're little? The plan is still to eat all the roosters when they start crowing, and potentially give away (or eat) excess hens until we're down to a more manageable number (4-5). Do you guys think they can be okay in my coop until then? The coop is 5x7, so not that big, but my run is 190 square feet and they'll have an automatic pop door, and the run will be covered, so they can be out there all day in all weather.

 

[K0k0shka]

I did a clean-up and assessment of the incubator and remaining eggs. Of the 8 remaining eggs, there’s 1 pip (from the local eggs), and two have movement inside when candled, but no internal or external pips (the second local egg and my partridge! YES!!!). And 5 have no movement inside (all mine). Three Barnevelders and two Silver Laced Orpingtons. I would’ve really loved at least one more SLO, to increase my chances of getting a hen! I currently have only 2 of them hatched. Do you think the ones with no movement are dead? The Barnevelders have what looks like vertical streaking, but that also looks like it might be their wet black dawn, so I don’t know... The SLO’s have faint blood vessels, and the moving partridge has very pronounced, thick vessels. I gave the non-moving eggs safety holes just in case. The moving eggs I just left as they are... I was afraid I’d mess them up in case they’re just late. What do you think? What should I do?

P.S. Opening the incubator long enough to take things out and put the eggs back in dropped the humidity to 52%, so I freaked out and pumped a bunch of warm water right away. Now it went up to 81%. Oops. Did I overdo it? Is that too high now?

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

It's possible they're dead but definitely give them more time.

80 humidity is not a big deal.

The eggs with movement are a bit trickier. I know you mentioned wanted to do assisted hatching. I'm assuming you've read the guide on that. You're pretty close to when you'll need to start that.
Unfortunately it's not something I do. I have in the past and it's too heartbreaking for me. The juice isn't worth the squeeze. If it's something you really want to pursue there are some other members I can tag or start a separate thread so something as time sensitive as this doesn't get buried in here.

 

[K0k0shka]

It's possible they're dead but definitely give them more time.

80 humidity is not a big deal.

The eggs with movement are a bit trickier. I know you mentioned wanted to do assisted hatching. I'm assuming you've read the guide on that. You're pretty close to when you'll need to start that.
Unfortunately it's not something I do. I have in the past and it's too heartbreaking for me. The juice isn't worth the squeeze. If it's something you really want to pursue there are some other members I can tag or start a separate thread so something as time sensitive as this doesn't get buried in here.

Yes, I would love it if you could tag some people with experience! I really only want to save the partridge, and maybe one or two of the laced orps, just because I don’t have enough of those. The Barnevelders I can part with, because I already have 4 that hatched.

I did read the assisted hatch article (twice) but this step of the process isn’t clear... It says make a safety hole if the chick has pipped internally. But mine hasn’t... So should I give it a hole, or wait to see an internal pip? I rushed and gave the non-moving eggs holes, but when I saw the moving one, I had a moment of “wait... is this right?”

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

@CluckNDoodle Would you be able to help here with an assisted hatch? Day 22 shipped egg, some movement, no internal pip yet.

 

[K0k0shka]

@CluckNDoodle Would you be able to help here with an assisted hatch? Day 22 shipped egg, some movement, no internal pip yet.

Here's what the movement looks like:

It's hard to tell from this video, but the part that's making the rhythmic movements looks very triangular... Is that the beak trying to pip internally? Or trying to pip externally? It looks very far down so maybe internally, but then again, it looks very close to that front wall, as if it's trying to hit the front wall right where you can see the movement....? I don't hear anything when I put it up to my ear. What should I do? I really want to save this particular chick.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

Open the top of the egg into the air cell
As small a hole as you can to see inside. See if you can see a beak. I've candled a lot of chicks and that breathing pattern really bothers me. Seems distressed and I don't say that lightly.

 

[K0k0shka]

Open the top of the egg into the air cell
As small a hole as you can to see inside. See if you can see a beak. I've candled a lot of chicks and that breathing pattern really bothers me. Seems distressed and I don't say that lightly.

Oh no! Lucky I'm still awake... I'll go give it a hole right now!

 

[K0k0shka]

Open the top of the egg into the air cell
As small a hole as you can to see inside. See if you can see a beak. I've candled a lot of chicks and that breathing pattern really bothers me. Seems distressed and I don't say that lightly.

What do I do after I make the hole? If I see a beak - do what? If I don't see a beak - do what? Just put it back in the incubator either way, or is there anything else I need to do?

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

If it's internally pipped then it's still absorbing it's yolk and needs more time in the egg. No harm done. You just basically added and oversized safety hole.

If you see a beak but it can't get through into the aircell you'll need to pip for it. The problem is you'll need to be extremely careful not to hit the blood vessels or it'll bleed.

If you don't see a beak its malpositioned.