August Hatch-A-Long!

[celonecoop]

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

 

[turkenlurken]

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.

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote: there isn't a lot you can do if they haven't pipped their air...they do that when they're ready to breath...don't give up I've had them hatch at day 23

 

[Heidisgran]

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

there's most always some losses...hatching is the hardest part for the chick...they must not have been able to survive outside the shell...I'm sorry I always hate it too

 

[Heidisgran]

I found my first two eggs from my flock today! Woo hoo! They're from my Black Laced Red Wyandotte. I've had her penned up with my Blue Copper Splash Marans. I'm seriously thinking about collecting the eggs for the next two weeks and throwing them in the bator. My current hatch is due out the 21st. Has anyone had any luck with new layers having good fertile eggs. I've seen the Marans, um, fertilizing several times.

sounds like a pretty combo

 

[Heidisgran]

So I did a major no no and opened the bator to pull Pip out for inspection. She did indeed pip through a vein....but she chirped! She's still alive! I dampened the membrane a little and quickly put her back in the bator. She promptly made her pip twice as big and is still pecking at the edges a few times a minute. I told her I was sorry I opened her bator but I couldn't wait to meet her. I think she forgives me.

it's fine....has she hatched yet?

 

[Heidisgran]

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

momma's get off the nest 20 to 30 minutes a day...some believe that cool down period is healthy for the embryos....anyway....probably don't worry about candling before 10 days then you can tell for sure what's happening in there...unless you smell something...then start checking for the stinky one!

 

[Heidisgran]

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

you must have a great candler to see all that through the shell!! good luck with those little ones

 

[Heidisgran]

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

did you let them sit a day or 2 after you received them?

 

[Heidisgran]

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 ....

that's still within normal! up to 36 hrs hopefully when you get home you'll have a fluff waiting