April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

[oesdog]

4 chicks officially hatched. 2 Silver Pencilled Plymouth Rocks, 1 Light Sussex and 1 Mottled Houdan. 4 pips in other SPPRs. Today is Day 21, so pretty much on scheduled, but still 28 more to go. Slow going for sure.

OK show off !!!!!!

Oes

 

[oesdog]

Oes... What type of eggs were you hatching again? I know somewhere I read that some eggs can take as long as day 25. We're these the cracked up and waxed up eggs or was that someone else?

I think you still have time.... You could open the incubator check one and spray them all down with a fine mist of water then recluse maybe... Then you could see if they are internally pipped maybe?

Yes these are the cracked up waxed up lot - that were supposed to be Silver grey Dorkings but are BLUE and Dorking eggs are white so they may even be LIZARDS and I might just be several months out on the due date????? I won;t actually know what they are until they HATCH and dry and someone can enlighten me as to what lucky dip chicks I might have???? ( We may of course never actually know - ???) The two scrambled eggs didn;t make it through the post and we only realised another was really damaged on day 14 but when candled it had a live chick moving inside the egg so we waxed it up and poped it back. Marans can take a longtime to hatch ( But again Maran eggs are not BLUE! Though cream crested lagbars are and my last one hatched on day 27?). - I am a very impatient momma hen ! ( You should have seen me when my DD was having my grandbaby! -

Can you imagine! if I am this way with eggs!)

Oes - HATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Keggen]

I am definitely a newby when it comes to the hatching end as I always have gotten my poults as day olds. So I thought I would give it a try this year. I live in the North (North of Whitehorse Yukon Canada) and shipping eggs up was my only option. We got 24 eggs 6 coronation Sussex, 8 Blue Orpington and 10 silver sussex. Temp and Humidity levels remained steady in my still air incubator. Its very arid here so I had temp at 99.5 - 100.5 and humidity was at 60-65%. By day 7 there were 6 eggs with no development. I had one quitter at day 10 and 2 quitters by day 14. I had movement on my day 17 candling in every egg but not so much on Day 18 Lockdown day but 15 went into lock down. I am trying to not do the natural worrying thing and am chalking the "no" movement thing up to no room to move or just resting for the big event. I am at day 19.5 now and reading about peoples successes after worrying makes me feel better but reading about peoples early signs ie: chirps & egg movement I am now worrying a little as there are no signs of any of those things with mine

. Hatch date is as far as I figure sometime Friday Saturday the 27th as that will be the completed 21st day so I wont start the panic till then....I hope... Clearly I am not the only one who feels this way. Any other words of wisdom??

I had 5 eggs that were very questionable around day 18 or so. I marked them and left them in there. 3 of the 5 hatched, so you never know. I was pretty certain all of those 5 were dead but 3 sneaky ones were just not moving but are totally fine now!

 

[hokankai]

Yes these are the cracked up waxed up lot - that were supposed to be Silver grey Dorkings but are BLUE and Dorking eggs are white so they may even be LIZARDS and I might just be several months out on the due date????? I won;t actually know what they are until they HATCH and dry and someone can enlighten me as to what lucky dip chicks I might have???? ( We may of course never actually know - ???) The two scrambled eggs didn;t make it through the post and we only realised another was really damaged on day 14 but when candled it had a live chick moving inside the egg so we waxed it up and poped it back. Marans can take a longtime to hatch ( But again Maran eggs are not BLUE! Though cream crested lagbars are and my last one hatched on day 27?). - I am a very impatient momma hen ! ( You should have seen me when my DD was having my grandbaby! -

Can you imagine! if I am this way with eggs!)

Oes - HATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would candle to look for movement. You can move the incubator into a warm steamy bathroom and quickly candle each egg. You should see movement or internal pipping at this point.

 

[sandypotter76]

It could be 12-24 hours after 1st pip, they are getting used to breathing air and probably napping as well. When you hear that peeping go cluck like a chicken and encourage it!!! It will be your first bonding experience, my chickens all go peaceful and quite when I make the same sounds I did as they were hatching, it's really cute.

remember it's called lockdown for a reason, hands off unless you know there is a real reason to open the incubator, and good luck!

. Thank you Madam Contrary I knew I would be able to relax after talking to someone. Got another hole so far that's 3.

 

[melina90]

Wow - so you didn;t get a chance to raise the humidity or anything. - I asked this because the instructions on our incubator was to fill in inner chamber with water every two days during the first 18 days and then in lockdown just to make sure it was well full to the top and lockdown( Couldn;t see how that would increase humidity levels. IT did however say to fill the next compartment out full if it was particularly dry? ( I take this to mean sunny weather) We did anyway - as our heating tends to make the house quite warm anyway. But you got a chick and you did nothing too so it must work?

Sometimes I am sure I can hear a tapping but no pips and no chirpping for sure. There is that little indent on the surface of one of the heavey eggs - but now I am wondering if it was just there all along and it was wishfull thinking because I was soooo wanting a pip. I have not given up as I have had late hatches before but I don;t think we will let it go longr than Sunday.
After all the MAY hatchalong has started already and I need to get me some chocolate Maran eggs. ( Want them as well as blue layers!)

Darn

Oes - makes me feel better in that we didn;t do anything wrong in not adding a damp sponge etc!

Nope, no humidity raise or anything (it's around 50 but the bator has been opened quite a few times since the first chicken came yesterday). It was a nice suprise

Don't beat yourself up about anything. My grandma hatched eggs in her bra (!!!) back in the old days, without any control of either humidity or temperature and they turned out fine. It's definitely possible. I'm crossing all my fingers for you, hoping you have little fluffers in your bator by tomorrow morning!

 

[MadamContrary]

. Thank you Madam Contrary I knew I would be able to relax after talking to someone. Got another hole so far that's 3.

Sooo exciting! Mine are due to hatch tomorrow, is it not hard to just run over and stare every 20mins when your home? What type you hatching out? I have some Lav. and blue splash Ameruacanas going.

 

[oesdog]

Yeah - I am crossing everything right now as time is ticking away.
I sooooooo hope we have something - even if it does turn out to be a lizard!!!
I keep telling myself I have NEVER seen a hen with a temp and humidity gage straped to her rear end!
I know years ago one lady had eggs from the store sitting on the unit in her Kitchen, Pretty sure they had even been in the fridge at one stage if I remember right. She cracked one open to fry it and a chick landed! - It grew up to be a fine "house cockrell! lol - lucky boy. I am trying not to worry -

Oes

 

[MadamContrary]

Nope, no humidity raise or anything (it's around 50 but the bator has been opened quite a few times since the first chicken came yesterday). It was a nice suprise

Don't beat yourself up about anything. My grandma hatched eggs in her bra (!!!) back in the old days, without any control of either humidity or temperature and they turned out fine. It's definitely possible. I'm crossing all my fingers for you, hoping you have little fluffers in your bator by tomorrow morning!

I was reading about the "brabator" on a thread the other day, crazy stuff! I don't know if I could manage it but, what an experience that would be! I often joke with my Hubby that hatching is so much better than pregnancy (no morning sickness, ugh...)! Not to mention 21 days is pretty quick, even if it feels like an eternity the first time! And congrats on your new babes!

 

[MadamContrary]

Yeah - I am crossing everything right now as time is ticking away.
I sooooooo hope we have something - even if it does turn out to be a lizard!!!
I keep telling myself I have NEVER seen a hen with a temp and humidity gage straped to her rear end!
I know years ago one lady had eggs from the store sitting on the unit in her Kitchen, Pretty sure they had even been in the fridge at one stage if I remember right. She cracked one open to fry it and a chick landed! - It grew up to be a fine "house cockrell! lol - lucky boy. I am trying not to worry -

Oes

WOW! Lucky boy indeed! I am on pins and needles about your lizards too! I keep checking the thread to see if there is progress yet, it's driving me crazy! In a good way though, as it distracts me from checking on my own eggs constantly. Good luck and I hope "someone or thing" gets out of those eggs alive! What are baby lizards called anyway? LOL