April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

[Mtn Margie]

Another question , can i candle if my eggs just started moving , but no signs of hatching yet ?

I would just leave them in lockdown. Don't open the 'bator. Go clean your house or bake something or go hiking or.........

 

[jackydb2]

Lol , Thanks , how long before they hatch if they are positioning themselves today ?

 

[Mtn Margie]

LOL! By next Friday most likely. Wait for it....., could even be tomorrow, maybe. It is easier to say from first external pip that you should have a chick with-in 24 hrs. The honest real answer is that it will seem like forever no matter when they hatch and it is up to them just how long they keep you waiting. It's part of their plan........

 

[TheCrazyChick]

Had to leave the newly hatched chick this morning to drive to Meyer Hatchery to pick up my order of two Started Easter Egger Pullets. bad news when I returned home, as the newly hatched Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock had not only gotten its foot stuck between the wire, but had managed to pull out its innards, probably getting umbilical cord stuck on something. I held it softly as it passed, and was really upset with myself. Should have cut new soft mesh for on top of the wire!

The second hatchling of the day (that makes 6 total, with 5 still alive), is napping, and truthfully I think that one looks a bit peaked too. Time will tell. Candles a few of the 2 dozen still in there and did hear some heartbeats. Pulled out 3 that were duds, too. No marans have hatched at all, so I am leaving everything in there for at least 48 to 72 hours more.

 

[melina90]

LOL! By next Friday most likely. Wait for it....., could even be tomorrow, maybe. It is easier to say from first external pip that you should have a chick with-in 24 hrs. The honest real answer is that it will seem like forever no matter when they hatch and it is up to them just how long they keep you waiting. It's part of their plan........

Haha, I agree. They always seem to keep us waiting endlessly. But somehow they suddenly pop out and we realize they were totally worth waiting for.

I follow my guts though and help them out when I have a feeling something ain't right. When it's past 24 hours after external pip and no progress I carefully start helping them - saved two perfectly healthy chicks that way. Or if they've internally pipped and the chirping starts fading I make a safety hole, wait a few hours and then carefully peel off a little of the shell if they're not making progress. At my first hatch I followed the no-interferrence-rule and the only viable chick died as he couldnt get out of his shell after pipping. If I'd followed my guts and helped him out of the shell he'd probably have made it. It's just important not to interveine too early, and to be very careful when you decide to help them.

 

[melina90]

Had to leave the newly hatched chick this morning to drive to Meyer Hatchery to pick up my order of two Started Easter Egger Pullets. bad news when I returned home, as the newly hatched Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock had not only gotten its foot stuck between the wire, but had managed to pull out its innards, probably getting umbilical cord stuck on something. I held it softly as it passed, and was really upset with myself. Should have cut new soft mesh for on top of the wire!

The second hatchling of the day (that makes 6 total, with 5 still alive), is napping, and truthfully I think that one looks a bit peaked too. Time will tell. Candles a few of the 2 dozen still in there and did hear some heartbeats. Pulled out 3 that were duds, too. No marans have hatched at all, so I am leaving everything in there for at least 48 to 72 hours more.

Oh, so sorry about the little guy! These things happen, and it doesn't help to beat yourself up about it. Just make sure you learn something from it so you won't have to see that happening again

When are the marans due? I've heard marans could take longer than others to hatch as the shell is often thicker. Hope you see some progress soon!

I had a new chick hatch today too. A yellow one, finally. Haha. Another bantie-cochin/buff-orpington mix. Going to be fun seeing how these turn out as they grow up!

Oh, and I thought I wouldnt have any more hatchlings for another few days now, but I have an internally pipped egg - again! I seriously need to find a better system for managing the hatch-dates for the different eggs - this is hatching-anarchy

 

[melina90]

Well guys I have to tell you that here in my little incubator
There are NO LIZARDS>

Sadly there are NO fluffy chicks either. - this being Saterday night here we are way past hatch day now, it being Thursday day 21.
We are sitting Day 23 and counting. It would have been nice to even have gotten one out alive so we all could have played Guess what kind of chick it was? When I open the eggs for eggtopsy we will be sure they are chicks NOT lizards???? As I am certain one was growing in the fractured egg. Everything else I am sure has been wishful thinking on my part. - the mark on the egg might have always been there and I just didn;t notice. It was not the start of a pip. The tapping sound seems to be something to do with the mechanism of the light in the incubator not a chick eager for life.

Oes -

The wishful thinking sure can make us see and hear the strangest things... It sucks, but all you can do is clean up the bator and try again! Hopefully you'll have some fluffbutts during the may hatch along.

Keep us posted on how the eggtopsy goes! I'm strangely curious to hear what you find

 

[TheCrazyChick]

Oh, so sorry about the little guy! These things happen, and it doesn't help to beat yourself up about it. Just make sure you learn something from it so you won't have to see that happening again

When are the marans due? I've heard marans could take longer than others to hatch as the shell is often thicker. Hope you see some progress soon!

I had a new chick hatch today too. A yellow one, finally. Haha. Another bantie-cochin/buff-orpington mix. Going to be fun seeing how these turn out as they grow up!

Oh, and I thought I wouldnt have any more hatchlings for another few days now, but I have an internally pipped egg - again! I seriously need to find a better system for managing the hatch-dates for the different eggs - this is hatching-anarchy

Definitely a learning experience. It was a bit shrink wrapped and I tried to help, perhaps too much. Plus wire should have been covered. I know not everyone overs their wire, but seems like a good idea to do so. Would've been in THIS case! My Marans eggs were due Friday, just like the rest of my hatch, but I too have been told they could take longer, even up to A WEEK longer!

 

[TheCrazyChick]

Wow, another one has pipped. Late bloomer I guess. It's really pecking away. I don't expect this one to amble long leisurely. Hope not. I'd like to sleep tonight! Not gonna complain though. Still nearly 2 dozen in there that are doing NADA!

 

[melina90]

Wow, another one has pipped. Late bloomer I guess. It's really pecking away. I don't expect this one to amble long leisurely. Hope not. I'd like to sleep tonight! Not gonna complain though. Still nearly 2 dozen in there that are doing NADA!

Haha, I know the feeling. Go to bed when you're supposed to and hopefully you'll wake up to a newly hatched chick! Or maybe even more than one Some can pip and hatch tremendously fast, as my chick nr 3 proved to me - totally hatching without me even noticing a thing before he was out. Keep us posted on their progress! Sleeptime here, hopefully another chick in the bator by tomorrow morning