August Hatch-A-Long

[igorsMistress]

I need a little help. The feed store is closed here today and I'm out of feed. What can I feed chicks and duckling til morning? They are 1 week old.

Eggs are great for protein. You can give them raw or cooked oatmeal or some cooked rice with it. Do you have any small grit? Or some you can smash up with a hammer?

 

[Rockporters]

In the end, hatching upright was good. Some hatched that probably wouldn’t have otherwise. FWIW, I wouldn’t worry about hidden, malpositioned pips. In every incubator there is at least one side, if not more, that you can’t see.

 

[jolenesdad]

In the end, hatching upright was good. Some hatched that probably wouldn’t have otherwise. FWIW, I wouldn’t worry about hidden, malpositioned pips. In every incubator there is at least one side, if not more, that you can’t see.

My only concern with upright malpositioned pips is fluid coming down the shell. Is that even a thing though?

I’ve only hatched 100 chicks so my experience isn’t a lot at all, but, the only two chicks I’ve lost after pip were bottom pips and so now I’m really good at looking for egg shells on the floor of the incubator with a flashlight to know if it’s happening.

 

[jolenesdad]

I need a little help. The feed store is closed here today and I'm out of feed. What can I feed chicks and duckling til morning? They are 1 week old.

Lucky babies getting just goodies today. ;-)

 

[CluckNDoodle]

My only concern with upright malpositioned pips is fluid coming down the shell. Is that even a thing though?

I’ve only hatched 100 chicks so my experience isn’t a lot at all, but, the only two chicks I’ve lost after pip were bottom pips and so now I’m really good at looking for egg shells on the floor of the incubator with a flashlight to know if it’s happening.

Lol, "ONLY 100 chicks."

 

[dougieee]

My only concern with upright malpositioned pips is fluid coming down the shell. Is that even a thing though?

I’ve only hatched 100 chicks so my experience isn’t a lot at all, but, the only two chicks I’ve lost after pip were bottom pips and so now I’m really good at looking for egg shells on the floor of the incubator with a flashlight to know if it’s happening.

We discussed this in the June hatchalong and you raise a good point, i incubated upright and lost 3 after internal pip to drowning?????

 

[jolenesdad]

We discussed this in the June hatchalong and you raise a good point, i incubated upright and lost 3 after internal pip to drowning?????

Shipped eggs? Sorry I totally forgot what you incubated.

I feel like shipped eggs should just be a major caveat to anything. We just have NO idea what’s happening in the egg, and there could be so many variables at play.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Shipped eggs? Sorry I totally forgot what you incubated.

I feel like shipped eggs should just be a major caveat to anything. We just have NO idea what’s happening in the egg, and there could be so many variables at play.

I'm about to get first hand experience with shipped eggs! We'll see if I regret saving myself a 5 hour drive...

 

[Rockporters]

My only concern with upright malpositioned pips is fluid coming down the shell. Is that even a thing though?

I’ve only hatched 100 chicks so my experience isn’t a lot at all, but, the only two chicks I’ve lost after pip were bottom pips and so now I’m really good at looking for egg shells on the floor of the incubator with a flashlight to know if it’s happening.

I don’t know. I’d think if there was any liquid they would drown regardless, but maybe I’m wrong. And, there’s always a chance they could pip on the “backside” of the egg, which would be difficult to see without handling the eggs. Not being argumentative, just trying to think it through out loud.

I had 5 or 6 chicks hatch sticky. But I also had a number of dis that seemed to drown. Most I’d noted as “sloshy” through incubation, and I’d never experienced that before. The chicks were positioned properly to hatch, so in theory, upright should’ve been better for them given the circumstance. However, none pipped. Was the membrane too rubbery? Thick? Or did they just never try?

Did eggtopsies and the liquid inside was very sticky or gel like. Indications of high humidity. I always do dry incubation, but the new incubator ran 40-50% without any water added and all vents open. My preferred humidity during incubation is 18-37%. I use 3 thermometers and hygrometers in addition to the built-in.

Anyway, My luck was better on big saddles than I’d had before. It’s all a science experiment lol. What works one time, doesn’t always work the next. Bottom line is... shipped eggs are so frustrating!!!

Stats and chick pics to come!

 

[igorsMistress]

I'm about to get first hand experience with shipped eggs! We'll see if I regret saving myself a 5 hour drive...

Those probably didn't fly. I had 100% hatch with shipped eggs in that case at Easter.
What are you hatching?