August Hatch-A-Long!

[Roxannemc]

I have 5 out of 6 silkie eggs chirping and 2 of them are pipped

WHOOHOOO!!! Come on chickies

 

[DeannaA]

I hope I get a broody one of these days

I have Australorps, Wyandottes, a Rhode Island White and a Blue Marans that are all old enough but so far no one has shown any inclination, LOL!

I bought 2 Buff Orpingtons just for this reason. I also have silkies in lockdown. I was hoping there would be a mom or two in that group. I didn't realize how really sweet the buffs would be. I have one that is so especially cuddley. My little Honey. But she is only 3 months. I have one silkie I hatched 2 weeks ago but it has no intrest in being held. Only eating. It eats nonstop. I've never had a chick that eats so much.

 

[jnjmanning]

it wasn't the membrane...it was gooey fluid like syrup....the membrane actually looked and felt normal...it was bizarre

There is always a little fluid in the bag with the chick.

 

[Roxannemc]

I keep thinking I did something wrong and killed them. So many people tell me to change change change something. Just about all of them have been shipped. Thanks for the information, I don't feel qite so quilty.

Only way to get a good hatch is to tweek for your house climate etc. Yes true.Cant know until you try things out.
Go by how your hatch was this time
.Maybe dont open the bator if possible at the very end if you did as it looses humidity and can shrink or sticky the chicks or maybe a little higher humidity since your chicks were sticky also I cant stress enough to anyone ....use not one but a second or even 3rd good hygrometer as the one you have could be off.
I test with at least 2-3 calibrated scientific thermometers in my bator and usually check with a couple hygrometers also
It is sad to feel you did it .but we ALL have been there its part of hatching with an incubator so shake it off an try again.
Im always saying "If only!" also but hind sight is 20-20 as they say
.
Only thing to do is try a different approach next time. and GOOD LUCK!!

 

[sweetappleacres]

I love it when the mama's raise the babies...they teach them everything they need to know....I don't intervene I let them handle everything....we built a "nursery" that's low to the ground separate from the main coop so when the babies hatch they don't fall, mama takes them out during the day and takes them back to that nursery at night.....when she's finished raising them she stops going to the nursery and rejoins the flock all on her own....the little ones return to the nursery so we eventually close it so they have no choice but to go in the main coop but that depends on whether the nursery is needed by another hen at the time, if not we let them use it awhile longer because they seem bewildered that mom left them and I feel sorry for them! lol

well we have a small coop which is where everyone sleeps at night. And we have the large run (30x20) and I also let them free range. So idk if the small coop could act as a "nursery". Will the mommas protect them against any "curious" members of the flock?

 

[Roxannemc]

Heidisgran
I think that gooeyness in the egg wit hthe chick could be slightly high humidity
I had that one hatch when I tried to raise it for the 17 days to 40-50.
I usually go at 35 and have had no goeyness in mine ever until that hatch

About broodys and chicks.
I always have incubated but had 2 broodys a few months ago that I let hatch some eggs

It was SOOO adorable to watch them and then made me feel so VERY sorry for the chicks that Ive incubated with no MOM to hide in their feathers peek thru and follow around

I would open the nest box and here would be tiny black heads nosily popping out every place around puffed up buff feathers of Miss Broody hen

 

[Roxannemc]

I bought 2 Buff Orpingtons just for this reason. I also have silkies in lockdown. I was hoping there would be a mom or two in that group. I didn't realize how really sweet the buffs would be. I have one that is so especially cuddley. My little Honey. But she is only 3 months. I have one silkie I hatched 2 weeks ago but it has no intrest in being held. Only eating. It eats nonstop. I've never had a chick that eats so much.

MY Buff Orp hen and one of my Buff Brahma hens have been my first broodys and both did a spectacular job I heard Silkies are great broodys Mine are still pretty young although the roo is a trying to crow or is (Hard to tell with so many roos out there. Anyone need a roo?.... or 2.... or 4?).

 

[DeannaA]

Only way to get a good hatch is to tweek for your house climate etc. Yes true.Cant know until you try things out.
Go by how your hatch was this time
.Maybe dont open the bator if possible at the very end if you did as it looses humidity and can shrink or sticky the chicks or maybe a little higher humidity since your chicks were sticky also I cant stress enough to anyone ....use not one but a second or even 3rd good hygrometer as the one you have could be off.
I test with at least 2-3 calibrated scientific thermometers in my bator and usually check with a couple hygrometers also
It is sad to feel you did it .but we ALL have been there its part of hatching with an incubator so shake it off an try again.
Im always saying "If only!" also but hind sight is 20-20 as they say
.
Only thing to do is try a different approach next time. and GOOD LUCK!!

I didn't open the incubator until 2 days past hatch. I hadn't had a pip. I had two hygrometers that I had just tested, damp salt in ziplock. The membranes were soooo dry. There was so much humidity in the incubator it was dripping from the top. Still didn't matter. I even put the guineas eggs in a day early since I had others going in and I didn't want to open it after lockdown. My temp stayed 99-100. My humidity 65-75 and I raised it at the end for the guineas. The shells were so think on the guineas, that I don't think they could have pipped even if the membranes hadn't dried out. I'm sure I will figure this out eventually, but it just so sad now. Even with hind sight, I don't know what I could have done to prevent this. I won't leave them in cartons again. Too many in the wrong postion. But that could be from shipping.

I do have a question, I read so many people saying they have an internal pip or they know the chick is upside down. How can you know that unless you open the incubator and candle?

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

What is the max? Like, if I hit 80% that'd be ok or too much? Not counting the spike as chicks hatch. I think I got it up to 62%

My incubator says 65-75% for hatch. It will spike when they first
ip or hatch...but it comes back down in about an hour, unless a second one hatches, lol.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I checked on my guineas this morning.  Day 31.  Saturday and Sunday I cracked open the air cell to check on them.  6 were still alive Now I think only two or three.  I left them in there since sometimes they are still alive even when they don't seem to be.  Only two out of all that I have opened were in the correct postion.  I left them in the cartons for hatching this time but they are shipped eggs.  2 broke blood vessels.  Poor guineas, such a mess.  There is one with cleared beak and still breathing for sure but still has veins showing.  I cleared most of the shell and wrapped it in a damp warm paper towel and returned to hatcher.  The others that are still moving have not pipped the membrane, not sure if they can.  Even if any of them make it from the shell, I am not to hopefully.  They are so weak.   This is so frustrating.  I think no more shipped eggs.  I only have a few types of local eggs I can buy and very limited on quality of breed.  But I guess that will have to do.  I can't put any more chicks thru this.  I am still waiting for eggs I ordered last week but I am going to do my best to resist the urge to buy anymore online.   

Same for me, no mote shipped eggs! I have enough variety now, so next spring, what fertile eggs my hens won't hatch, i will incubate those. That's it.