April 2023 Hatch-A-Long

[Iluveggers]

Yes. Hate that but it's extremely useful

Mine all hatched. They just all pipped at the wrong end. I assume @dominiquePL autopsied? She said hers never even managed to pip.

From what I've read, certain types of malposition are more likely to be lethal because the chick is in a position where they can't actually pip. Other types, like the ones I dealt with (head in the wrong end of the egg), can be lethal but more often just make the hatch more risky because the chicks have to do an internal and external pip at the same time, which is hard on the chick and then the membrane is exposed to the air for longer. There's also a risk of the chick hitting a blood vessel, which happened to several of mine but luckily they were ok.

Thank you both for responding! Is there a thread here somewhere for questions if/when the time comes and I decide to perform one?

 

[Dinoroar]

Thank you both for responding! Is there a thread here somewhere for questions if/when the time comes and I decide to perform one?

I haven’t seen a general eggtopsy questions thread, just lost if individual threads. Maybe there is one someone else can point to.

 

[ivy_huan]

Congrats on your ducklings! You had a great hatch! Fingers crossed for your geese.

Thank you
I know for sure one is alive so I'm gonna try really hard to keep an eye on it
I will be over the moon if I can get one hatch.

 

[dominiquePL]

Thank you both for responding! Is there a thread here somewhere for questions if/when the time comes and I decide to perform one?

I don't think I've seen one but the idea is to estimate when (and using this info why/how) the chick had died. At hatching - the position, pipped/not pipped, how much yolk is left are very useful data.

 

[winterwolf4]

My 2nd hatch this month! In the same incubator.

 

[AUChickenGal]

I didn't officially join this hatch-along in the beginning because, after two absolutely disastrous hatches earlier in the year, I didn't want to jinx myself. But, I have four eggs due to hatch in roughly 24 hours, and at least one of them has internally pipped. These will be Easter Egger barnyard mixes (Ameraucana/Olive Egger rooster over Speckled Sussex hen). I've been trying to hatch eggs from my flock since February and eventually realized the rooster is only breeding the SS hen, who is three years old and not a prolific layer but finally gave me 5 eggs in one week that I could set all at once, 4 of which made it to lockdown.

 

[ivy_huan]

Two chicks hatched too
I added 7 barred rock eggs into the incubator 7 days after I set my first batch along with some more duck and goose eggs just to fill up space so my eggs don't roll too much when I turn them

Well only 4 made into lock down and two hatched out

That will be it for my April hatching

 

[ivy_huan]

So I have a goose egg pipped
Whoever is hatching into May, I'll see you there

I still have about 5 duck eggs and 5 goose eggs in the incubator yet

 

[junior67]

oh for those that do staggered hatches (thought there were some) in the same incubator. how do you work it with humidity. These eggs will be on day 2-5 when the others are in lockdown. So I think I should have it lower for a bit after the others hatch to "even it out" but what should I keep it at after? and for how long? I will hand turn them as much as I can while waiting for pips. I may see if anyone local has an incubator that I can borrow for like a week so I don't have to worry about that. And do you clean it after one set hatches if you have others in there????

 

[AUChickenGal]

I have 2 pips and 1 chirping but not yet pipped this morning. The fourth egg didn't look entirely "right" when I did a quick candle, so that one may not hatch. But 3/5 will be by far my highest hatch rate from this flock all year, so I'll take it.