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

[Minky]

Yay! Is the daily cooling period necessary? I realized yesterday I never had it on.. and now I’m worried that’s why I had two chicks quit.

The daily WHAT? cooling period??

 

[Minky]

Here we go at least i think so. I have one egg that is showing shadows on the air cell now. The others look like they are starting their draw down. What do you guys think?

View attachment 2101513View attachment 2101518View attachment 2101521

Would somebody mind please explaining the air cell lines drawn above? Do they start up high (small air cell) and get bigger? What is good? bad? What to look for? What is "drawing down?" Thank you. Newbie at this!

 

[Knighstar679]

Would somebody mind please explaining the air cell lines drawn above? Do they start up high (small air cell) and get bigger? What is good? bad? What to look for? What is "drawing down?" Thank you. Newbie at this!

As my eggs incubate i trace the air cell. when i lots my trusty pencil i started using colored pencils. so air cells are supposed to start small and get bigger as time gets closer to hatch. in the last 30 hours or so before hatch the air cell expands a lot as the chick gets ready to hatch.

 

[Fatimetta]

I was scrolling through facebook and saw a post for help with a little chick. the chick was making chewing motions even though it had been out of the egg for a full day. From you guys helping me learn in this thread I helped the lady to look at its navel and it turns out the person who sold it to her had helped it out and its navel looks bloody. i’m guessing it was too early to come out and not done absorbing the yolk..what can this person do now to help the poor thing?

 

[CindyinSD]

The daily WHAT? cooling period??

You don't have to do this. With waterfowl it's reputed and very likely true, that a daily cooling period starting on the seventh day and ending 7 days before lockdown, will increase hatch. On those days, lightly spray or sprinkle the eggs once a day with lukewarm water.

This is the first I've heard of a daily cooling period for chickens' eggs. I have been giving mine one, but only incidentally to rotating them every day (and candling while doing it).

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

All 6 chicks hatched! They're still drying but it looks like 3 males and 3 females. Welcome to the flock little Legbars

 

[SongBird1798]

Can I lockdown on day 17 with bantam eggs or wait till 18?

 

[kelseyk]

Took the 4 silkies out to the brooder. Just checked on the egg in the hatcher (about 30 minutes after) and I finally have a pip!! Can't wait to see what color this one is!

 

[RhodeIslandRedBreeder]

I will be hatching 12 pastel call duck eggs. Just hatched 2 whites sadly one died but I think I’m going to keep the other as a house pet

 

[smfarman]

Update for my 4/18(D21) hatch: 2 hatched D20, 4 hatched D21, 4 hatched D22(3 partridge rocks, 2 Easter eggers, 3 lakeshore eggers and 2 white rocks) so that'sonly a 50% hatch rate. 1 of my Easter eggers has spray legs that I splinted Tuesday morning but removed splint late Tuesday night. If she's doing good in the morning I will put her in the brooder with others. I'll post pics later this morning.