August Hatch-A-Long!

[Heidisgran]

Quote: well? chicklet yet?

 

[bestponymilo]

Oh yea! Mine loved the idea of a cooked breakfast of farm fresh eggs instead of cold cereal, lol. He is a city boy, never had farm fresh...I made him two eggs, one from my hen, one from the store...he ate the fresh egg first, then one bite of the store bought egg and wouldn't even finish it. He was convinced at that moment that I could have all the chickens I wanted.

I told him I could make yummy cheese if I had goats! He said, oh yeah! I'm country, he is city so this is all new to him. We will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary this weekend, but its only in the last year that we have lived in a rural area where I can fully rekindle my country roots.

That sounds so much like me. Dragged my poor SO from the "ghetto" after we lived in the city for 13 years. Our old lawn was the grass between the sidewalk and the street, the backyard was a 10x12 patch of concrete LOL. Our new backyard is 10 acres of forest, it's the bomb. He's still a little traumatized HAHA

Trying to convince him we need a pig for the freezer....

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Woke up this morning to see a PIP from my little homegrown egg from my baby rooster...he was 13 weeks old when I collected this egg. I am so anxious to see what a Barred Rock Roo and Red Sexlink hen will make together. The egg is so tiny, I was concerned it would even grow, but it did and from candling I can tell the chick is really small, it doesn't take up any greater percentage than a regular chick in a regular egg. This egg is about the size of my silkie eggs.

 

[Heidisgran]

Woke up this morning to see a PIP from my little homegrown egg from my baby rooster...he was 13 weeks old when I collected this egg. I am so anxious to see what a Barred Rock Roo and Red Sexlink hen will make together. The egg is so tiny, I was concerned it would even grow, but it did and from candling I can tell the chick is really small, it doesn't take up any greater percentage than a regular chick in a regular egg. This egg is about the size of my silkie eggs.

how fun...can't wait for pics

I had a few new babies over night

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

One even has the yolk floating at the top and pipped out the side. One of the dead ones was completely upside down and if it had pipped it would have been at the wrong end. My first shipped eggs - definitely a serious mess

I didn't dare put it back in with the others I tried actually rigging up our Excalibur dehydrator to keep it warm and humid with a ton of wet towels and bowls of water. It did not make it but a few more minutes anyway. My first pipper died having hit a big vein when pipping. I ended up drilling a peep hole in the others and found 4 were dead already. I have one RIW chick out, 1 Marans chick most of the way out, and 4 of the shipped Welsummers pipped internally but will have to be assisted to hatch. Every single on of them was in a horrible position. Pretty sure none would have hatched without assistance. All the shipped eggs are the worst. 3 pipped toward the center of the egg internally and could not reach the shell to pip externally. Their air cells were very wonky and their inner membranes were somehow dried out even though they weren't externally pipped yet. I see feet over heads, heads between legs and one may have birth defects - won't know till its out. I think I see one giant foot and one tiny one :/

What a tragedy. I am so sorry, your emotions must be about stretched to the limit right now. I have an incubator full of shipped silkies, I hope this is not what I can expect...it's my first experience with shipped eggs.

Send you a Huge virtual HUG!

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Well I'm back at work but as of this morning there had been no progress with Pip. I'm officially worried now. If there's still no progress when I get home this evening I'm thinking I might have to do something. She pipped yesterday morning around 8 am ....

While worrying today, study up on the Assisted Hatch guide (found in my signature below) so you are mentally more prepared for what you may need to do. Good luck Hun.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I have my first hatch in the bator now 30 Backyard Mix with some EE. I put them in Monday around 10:00am have been watching the temps and all is going good I want to candle but not sure if I want to mess with them. I have a still air bator and as soon as you open the lid the temp drops I guess I'm asking what is the best day or days to candle so I only do it once or twice I'm going nuts I want to know their doing something but I don't want to take a chance I do harm

Please help and remember I'm a newbie I've always helped my mom with hatches but this is my very first hatch and I'm a nervous wreck thank god its only 21 days

Since you have still air, my personal advice is to not candle them yet because 1) you lose too much temperature and humidity when you open the bator unnecessarily, and 2) you really can see much for sure until about day 10 so why mess with temps anyway. Good luck with your first hatch!

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I checked this Am and both chicks were dead. Looks like one was positioned wrong and the other just never broke into the air cell.

At least I have 2 but I am still sad & disappointed.

So sorry, but yes, at least you did have two survivors

 

[sweetappleacres]

I'm trying to stay calm.... As if last night all my eggs are showing very little if any movement at all. (Today day 14) I can't again this am and same thing. It's very dark in there and I'm assuming there's little movement bc space is VERY limited now- not much light can get in and they're silkie eggs which are a tannish color. Anyway, should I be concerned or is this normal?

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

That sounds so much like me. Dragged my poor SO from the "ghetto" after we lived in the city for 13 years. Our old lawn was the grass between the sidewalk and the street, the backyard was a 10x12 patch of concrete LOL. Our new backyard is 10 acres of forest, it's the bomb. He's still a little traumatized HAHA


Trying to convince him we need a pig for the freezer....

Ha ha, yea I mentioned the pig...b
"Bacon would go so nice with these eggs..." He did draw the line there. He had a girlfriend before who had a pot belly pig she let come in her house. He hated that pig and said they are Soooo Nasty! I told him pigs shouldn't live IN your house. I know that if I really wanted to have a pig he would be ok with it...outside, lol. But I rarely eat pork and he is from a Jewish family so he never got pork as a kid and isn't all that hip on it now in his 50's.

You must be in Heaven on Earth there on your acreage after living in the inner city. My hubby is still adjusting after 18 months, baby steps, lol.