April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

[Marty1876]

The eggs won't die until they get to 104internally, and it takes several hours for the internal temperature to change.

I've noticed that my ducks outside still hatch eggs just fine when they sit in summertime, and leave the eggs to bake in the sun at 105 while they go for a swim for an hour or two!!!

 

[SymanSaysFarms]

I have a quick question for the more seasoned hatchers or anyone with blood ring experience. I candled my 44 eggs last night and a couple eggs have questionable blood rings. I'm not 100% sure as this is my 2nd hatch. My question is... should I remove these eggs now or give them a couple more days and candle again to see if there's any change? Any advice is welcomed. Thank you!

 

[Marty1876]

I have a quick question for the more seasoned hatchers or anyone with blood ring experience. I candled my 44 eggs last night and a couple eggs have questionable blood rings. I'm not 100% sure as this is my 2nd hatch. My question is... should I remove these eggs now or give them a couple more days and candle again to see if there's any change? Any advice is welcomed. Thank you!

Blood rings that are solid clear rings mean a dead egg, I'm awefully sorry to say. If it is not clear yet, I give them another 3-5 days, but if their growth progress deteriorates, or does not change ( compare them to your "good" eggs of same development age) toss them. One bad egg explosion is the end of every living embryo in the incubator.

 

[Tanichca]

Opened up my remaining 16 eggs... 16 fully-formed chicks, all dead. Not shrink wrapped, humidity and temperature fine, but still, everyone was dead. I got eight chicks out of 42 starting eggs and 25 eggs at lockdown.

Broody #1 is due tonight, maybe she can up the number.

 

[Marty1876]

Opened up my remaining 16 eggs... 16 fully-formed chicks, all dead. Not shrink wrapped, humidity and temperature fine, but still, everyone was dead. I got eight chicks out of 42 starting eggs and 25 eggs at lockdown.

Broody #1 is due tonight, maybe she can up the number.

Oh, how aweful for you! I just hate it when that happens. Did you discover anything in your eggtopsy? Did they have an odd smell, white or yellow slime, did you move them to a different incubator for lockdown?

I'm hoping hard for the broody, but they are way better at it than us, so it'll probobly work out all Aces!

 

[CherokeeFlats]

I've got pips!!!!!! Went to the basement to check on my Silver Ameraucana eggs in the incubator and of the 3 eggs in there, 2 have pipped.

 

[Marty1876]

I've got pips!!!!!! Went to the basement to check on my Silver Ameraucana eggs in the incubator and of the 3 eggs in there, 2 have pipped.

Yay for fuzzy butts en route!

 

[MissBroodyHen]

How do you know when a chick needs to be helped out of its egg? My only egg that has started hatching has been hatching for somewhere between 27 and 28hrs. It frequently peeps and makes noise. And if i stare at the egg closly i can see it trying to push out. But with this being my first hatch i dont really know how long it takes for a chick to hatch.  I figured it took a while, but how long is too long?

It can take longer. Even 36 hours. Patients is key. I have three pips been there all day. Good luck.
 

8 pips! 8 pips! Oh boy I'm excited!

OMG AND SOMEONE IS CHIRPING!! I'm a happy chicken mama today!!

Hehe. Got the same feeling here!!

This happened to me, too. Yesterday I woke up to find the temp at 102! It had probably been that way all night without me knowing because I checked before bed and it was at the usual 99. I quickly opened the lid and waved a towel over them to try to cool them quickly. Once my temp gauge showed 97 I put the lid back on and watched until it went back to 99, making adjustments to the knob as needed.

A few hours later I went back to check and it was back up to 102 again!! So I did the lid thing again and babysat until the temp steadied. I couldn't figure out what was happening because no one had messed with the knob and the temp has been completely fine and steady almost the whole time (only one small snag with lockdown). I couldn't keep the temp at 99 this time though so I let it stay at 100 and am checking it more frequently. Seems to be ok now and we have pipping this morning, earlier than expected!

I woke up to 104!! Yup I did. With 50 eggs!!


Well three pips. On day 20. So happy hoping to have some chicks by tomorrow!! Can't wait!!!

 

[Tanichca]

Opened up my remaining 16 eggs... 16 fully-formed chicks, all dead. Not shrink wrapped, humidity and temperature fine, but still, everyone was dead. I got eight chicks out of 42 starting eggs and 25 eggs at lockdown.


Broody #1 is due tonight, maybe she can up the number.

Oh, how aweful for you!  I just hate it when that happens.  Did you discover anything in your eggtopsy?  Did they have an odd smell, white or yellow slime, did you move them to a different incubator for lockdown?

I'm hoping hard for the broody, but they are way better at it than us, so it'll probobly work out all Aces! 

A few had yellow slime in them.
I kept hearing that 65-75 was good for lockdown humidity, and since I've had shrink-wrapping issues in previous hatches, that's what I put it to. Now I'm hearing that that's too high and probably what killed my babies.

 

[Marty1876]

Well, I get mine up to 75% or higher, so I doubt that is what killed them, unless your humidity was too high during incubation. The real art to hatching is that its a bit different for every location.

If you live in a high humidity area, you'll want to strive to keep it lower, and be sure to monitor weekly that your eggs are losing sufficient moisture weight to allow ample oxygen and space in their egg for turning and breathing. If you live in a lower humididy place, you'll want to keep it a tough higher,, and really raise it at the end. If you live where it's perfect (25-35% during incubation) you won't want to add much moisture at all, but you will add it for lockdown.

It is quite usefull to get a paper and monitor your temps and humidity for every hatch, noting bird type (chicken,turkey, duck, goose, quail, guinea, pheasent, etc) and a daily log of humidity. You might find that at one humidiy and temp you get a better hatch, then you'll know whats best for your area for that season. I have to add more water in early spring, and less in summer hatches. I have to mark my air lines on eggs at set, and weekly after to monitor air increase (and thus water weight loss). If it's not gaining air space, I drop humidity. If the air space is getting too big too quick, I add more moisture in the forms of wet sponges usually. A few hatches, and you'll have this down to an art form yourself.