April 2020 Hatch-A-Long! All are welcome!

[Rockporters]

2 incubators going already, you’d think hatching emu would have been enough of a challenge for a while! In the incubators are mostly Silkie eggs, but I tossed in a few of our own Serama eggs for the first time.

The Silkie eggs were bought from Sharon Honea (Partridge and Paint) and Kate Morreale (White, Black, Blue, BB). 30 eggs from Kate went in yesterday, and I think there are 7 or 8 left from Sharon that went in a week ago. I picked up the eggs from Kate in-person, so I have high hopes for a good hatch, if the NR360 cooperates. The temp has been a bit funky.

All I have to say is that I can’t wait for spring, I‘m ready to have the chicks out of the house!!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I candled my seven ameraucana eggs on day 11 and was shocked to find only 2/7 developing! I have never had this happen before. At most I usually have 1-2 clears.

I hope they both hatch so I don't end up with a lone chick. My plan was not to set any more ameraucana eggs this year and move on to hatching my wheaten marans.

This just happened a couple of times from eggs I was hatching from my friend's flock. Many infertile eggs on the first Marans hatch plus another rooster snuck his way in and had his way with one of them because I had a little mixed baby too, lol. The second Marans hatch from the same flock only a few weeks later I have a lot less infertile, they're hatching right now so I guess we'll find out if the other rooster is doing his job or if I have a large hatch of misfits.
Same friend, different flock, I set some CCLs and most of them were infertile. The case with that flock is that the rooster is still very young. I gave her the roo because he has the Frosted gene, and guess what! Only 2 chicks but one is definitely Frosted!!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

It’s day 22 and all but one are definitely dead. The survivor is chirping but hasn’t pipped internally. At what point do I try and help? I hate assisting after my last attempts. ☹

I know I'm super late on this, did you assist? Normally there is an internal pip once you hear the chirping but if there isn't it may be getting just enough oxygen from within the membrane to chirp but is unable to penetrate the membrane. I've only had this happen one time.

Edit to add, you really only need to open the air cell and make sure baby is getting oxygen before sitting on your hands and wait before moving forward. Once you know the chick can breathe you have a lot more time to decide what's going on but if the rest really have passed then there's definitely something up.

 

[LilyD]

Well my first two april chicks have hatched. With 5 more to go in this hatch. My humidity has been all over the place due to the rain. Up to 60 then down to 35 again. Can't wait for it to start drying out today so that we stop swinging all over the place.

Had to assist the rent a chick getting out of her egg. She made a huge hole instead of zipping normally and dried the inside of her egg all out. Used coconut oil and got the membrane off her and she's running around with my little chick that hatched last night. 5 more to go. Hope they hatch well. I have pips in all but one egg.

Front center egg is already hatched but the chick put it back together after getting out lol.

 

[LilyD]

I know I'm super late on this, did you assist? Normally there is an internal pip once you hear the chirping but if there isn't it may be getting just enough oxygen from within the membrane to chirp but is unable to penetrate the membrane. I've only had this happen one time.

Edit to add, you really only need to open the air cell and make sure baby is getting oxygen before sitting on tour hand and wait before moving forward. One you know the chick can breathe you have a lot more tim to decide what's going on but if the rest really have passed then there's definitely something up.

I would assist even without an internal pip it could be if you are hearing chirping that it has pipped the underside of the egg and you just can't see it.

 

[Tbjenkins2007]

Today is day 18... lockdown... I have an eager baby in there.... now I have to wait until this baby is out to get the rest ready.... crazy little thing

 

[CluckNDoodle]

View attachment 2074969

Today is day 18... lockdown... I have an eager baby in there.... now I have to wait until this baby is out to get the rest ready.... crazy little thing

WOW! Day 18 is super early!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Today is day 21! Both of the Legbar eggs hatched first! The slow poke Marans are just starting to pip, the Legbars were pipped last night, lol. I'm excited to tell my friend that the rooster I gave her does indeed have the Frosted gene! I can't tell if the other is male or female yet, I'll wait until it's dry.

 

[CindyinSD]

It’s day 22 and all but one are definitely dead. The survivor is chirping but hasn’t pipped internally. At what point do I try and help? I hate assisting after my last attempts. ☹

If it's chirping, then it's internally pipped. You might consider making a tiny air hole in the shell (into the air sac) to make sure it gets oxygen. Other than that I personally wouldn't do anything unless it zips.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Whoops! I stopped getting notifications on this thread. 6 Black Copper Marans have hatched!! I’m thrilled with that. I don’t see any other pips so I’m thinking it’ll just be 6, but I’m getting them out of the incubator now and going to turn the eggs still in there to make sure there aren’t pips on the bottom that I’m not seeing.