Anyone hatching on the 27th?

[KSPixieChick]

Four of twelve cuckoo marans hatched on the 26th, early birds. I have seen movement in a couple of the other eggs so maybe when I get home from work in the morning they will be there to greet me.

 

[98 gt]

Starting to get pips day 21!! Need to repopulate flock, but wish they would hatch and be 22 weeks old

 

[warmfuzzies]

I have three this morning, all from my Buff Cochin. And I have four or five new pips.

Congrats everyone!!

 

[pegasuschick]

Congratulations!
What are your temps and humidity? Just trying to figure this all out.
Gina

 

[warmfuzzies]

My temps are right at 100, and I have a murcury type oral thermometer. My Humidity is going between 50 and 60 %, assuming my hygrometer is right. It was a little low, so I added a small sponge. It is staying better now, but getting lower, so I may have to open it to rewet it.

I have one that was pipped about seven last night, and it has not really gone anywhere. It is breathing at the hole, but doesnt seem to be trying to peck anymore. I am a little worried.

 

[pegasuschick]

Yeah, I had three of mine do that. They were favorolles. I had to remove mine from the shells finally and they were fine. I waited at least 20 hours from pip though.
Gina

 

[pegasuschick]

warmfuzzies,
Do you always use the oral thermometer? I just tried mine in the bator and it registered 104! My digital says 99 degrees.
I just can't understand how there is so much fluctuation in the thermometers but an oral therm would certainly be accurate wouldn't it?
Gina

 

[ursusarctosana]

Quote:
I wonder why the Faverolles, in your and my case, are having trouble hatching on their own. I thought, perhaps, it was due to low humidity because the membranes seemed pretty dry. I made the decision to place a damp wash cloth beneath my silver-laced broody hen who's sitting on two mutt eggs from my own flock. I covered the cloth with shavings and when I feel beneath the hen it is a bit more humid and still warm. I'm hoping this helps, though when I candled the two mutt eggs they seemed a lot more active than the Faverolles embryos. The comparison showed an enormous difference in their activity levels.

I only have opinions based on loose ideas, but perhaps the Faverolles breeding is causing them to be physically weaker. I know with genetics this can happen where the breed becomes less hardy. It would explain why the mutt embryos appear (visually) stronger than the Faverolles embryos.

Faverolles do tend to be a more docile breed, too. Makes me wonder, in my own silly way, if the Faverolles chicks just shrug their wings after trying for hours and say, "To heck with it, if it's this difficult I'm going back to sleep!" like some people do. They don't seem to be fighters. My Faverolles pullet is huge compared to the rest of my flock, but she's terrified of them--always running into things and backing herself into a corner when she gets flustered even when another pullet so much as looks at her.

 

[warmfuzzies]

This is my first time. I used the oral thermometer because the ones that came with the 'bator are not any good. I would like a digital. I would think the digital would be the one to trust, but I am not sure. The problem with the oral one is I have to shake it down to register a new temp, if the temp drops the thermometer will stay the same.

So, yes, I have opened the incubator! I had to put in a wet sponge and the chicks knocked the thermometer where I couldnt see it. But my humidity and temperature never changed, so I think we are OK.

 

[pegasuschick]

Well, based on what I have noticed, the oral thermometer registers much higher. I wonder if they are calibrated differently? Hmmmm
My digitals (I have two) never agree and can be as much as three degrees off.
I have a digital thermo in combo with a hydrometer that is for reptiles and is made by a reputable company. I have that in the bator that has eggs right now and the temp agrees with my regular bulb thermo but the humidity seems lower. I am wondering if this is why I am having some problems with my hatches. The oral thermo still reads 104.
I have an atomic clock that also has a thermo on it and I have been putting my thermometers (bulb type) next to that one to see if they agree.
Whew.........................

Gina