Assisted hatch experts: I have a question the file didn’t answer.

[Kiki]

Not this time. I did in previous hatches.

We will never know but your humidity could have been too high throughout.
Hopefully the rest hatch for you.

I highly recommend getting one before your next hatch. Same for an extra calibrated theremometer or three.

 

[as110]

I am adding the pictures to show how the chicken was positioned. It did not turn the beak up, the head was over the right wing facing down toward the belly and the feet were on the left side behind the head. There is no blood and yolk is almost absorbed. A small amount is out.

Not that it matters now anyway.

This egg was under a broody hen in the coop. The nest was disturbed by other hens. Some eggs got broken. I took it into the incubator, not knowing exactly at what stage it was at but I didn’t want it broken. The hen got broken and abandoned the nest. I estimated it to be around 16 or 17 days or more. To be sure it didn’t get disturbed at the end of the incubation, I placed it in lockdown. I have seen people hatch without turning so just made sure temperature and humidity were never too low. Now counting backward, it was not turned for 5 days. That’s how old the first chicken is. Once I took it out, I layed down the next batch.

Could the settings have been too high? Possible. The first chick was fine with it.

Could it have been the fact that it was not turned in the last 5 days? Idk

 

[Kiki]

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I am adding the pictures to show how the chocken was positioned. It did not turn the beak up, the head was over the right wing facing down toward the belly and the feet were on the left side behind the head. There is no blood and yolk is almost absorbed. A small amount is out.

Not that it matters now anyway.

This egg was under a broody hen in the coop. The nest was disturbed by other hens. Some eggs got broken. I took it into the incubator, not knowing exactly at what stage it was at but I didn’t want it broken. The hen got broken and abandoned the nest. I estimated it to be around 16 or 17 days or more. To be sure it didn’t get disturbed at the end of the incubation, I placed it in lockdown. I have seen people hatch without turning so just made sure temperature and humidity were never too low. Now counting backward, it was not turned for 5 days. That’s how old the first chicken is. Once I took it out, I layed down the next batch.

Could the settings have been too high? Possible. The first chick was fine with it.

Could it have been the fact that it was not turned in the last 5 days? Idk

Turning is more important in the beginning of the incubation period. I do not think not turning the egg for the last five days made a difference.


You only had this egg in the bator for a couple of days?

 

[Banditschickens]

 

[as110]

Turning is more important in the beginning of the incubation period. I do not think not turning the egg for the last five days made a difference.


You only had this egg in the bator for a couple of days?

Yes. The hens messed with the nest when she got off to poop and eat. I used to remove the hens and helped her back on the nest. But we were out for a week and someone else was looking after them. I tried to move the hen with the nest to an enclosed spot in the coop when I thought it was close to hatching. She freaked out she refused to sit on the eggs and she wanted to go back to the old nest. It was close to lock down so I took the eggs so the other hens would not disturb the nest. I left fresh eggs in the nest to make sure the broody wouldn't break.
The plan was to sneak the chicks under her after they hatched and be done with brooding. I brought her into the house when the first chicken hatched, they could hear each other and talk to each other, I put her on the nest and covered her with a basket. She refused to sit and when I gave her the chick she pecked it and rejected it. I put her back into the coop and she stopped brooding after 4 weeks.
These eggs were in the incubator for 5 days (now we re at 6). The other eggs are at different stages. There are still 10. 3 of the same batch and I am sure one is dead that should hatch today or tomorrow (it looks sloshy and full), One pipped (sometime in the morning, we noticed it around 10 am, it is still chirping and sounds ok), one is still not pipped, one is empty but I will candle again tomorrow. It should be 8 days old tomorrow. 5 from March 23. which should go to lock down once these 3 clear out this weekend. 4 from April 1. Anyway, this is a long story, I tried to let the broody hatch the eggs but didn't work so I am dealing with it now.

My grandma used to keep the broody in the house in a box covered with a basket. She would control when the hen got off to eat and she would hatch lots of chickens. I didn't want to do that because then I would have to deal with the integration back into the flock. Every year I try something different LOL. This year I wanted to be hands off. Less stress but it is still a lot of work and it's not working either at the end.

 

[as110]

Yeah, I wouldn't go by that. Check this one out, the one I posted earlier:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

I think you'll find it easier to read and follow (And it won't tell you to help a chick much too early like that one apparently does.)

I read this one too. Yes it was easier to read.

My third egg pipped yesterday sometime early morning. It started zipping at 2:45am. From the middle of the egg toward the fat end, not around. It was hitting the same spot that has no shell anymore. I opened the hole toward the air cell and put it back into the incubator. The chicken is chirping in there. I can’t see if the yolk has absorbed or not.

It looks like it is chewing. I think I can sleep a couple of hours more.

 

[as110]

She hatched on her own. Very loud little guy.