Baby Picts UPDATE 3 weeks already.

[Brody's Broodello]

Just an FYI. I have had really good luck with a little LED flashlight from Walmart. The have about 6 bulbs in the end and are VERY bright. I use them to candle all my eggs at 3 days. They are really cheap about 6 bucks. They work really well for the price.

 

[babsbag]

I hear little chirps.

It is going to be hard to sleep tonight.

And it looks like there are 2 more eggs with little cracks in them. They are Bantams, and someone said that they usually come early. Today is 19 so I guess they are early. Good thing I locked down on day 18. I tended to run my temps a little low, I figured to err on the side of cool and not cooked was better, so I expected them to take a little longer. Next time I will buy a good old fashioned non-digital thermometer, if I can find one. I really would like to know if these digital ones are even close to right.

Keep on coming chickies.

And I did use an LCD light from TSC. I just don't know what I am looking at for sure. I saw veins, and blobs, but never any movement, but they kept growing. At least most of them did. There were a few that just looked like just the yolk floating around inside of them, but they had an air cell. Never had any smell, so I left them. Those are the eggs that are from a Barred Rock hen and a Bantam roo. I wish one would hatch, I would love to see what I would get.

 

[babsbag]

DH woke me up at midnight and told me some thing was chirping loudly. I think I had been asleep for 5 minutes

Sure enough there is a little chickie looking up at me and climbing out of shell. It chirped and chirped and then at some point I finally fell asleep again. When I woke this morning, no noise...ominous sign for a first timer. So I get brave and go look and there are 2, cuddled together ontop the unhatched eggs, sleeping.

The one with the pip on the small end is working his way out right now

and at least 2 more eggs have pipped. FUN FUN FUN was had by all.

Thank you to all the adivce and support from BYC members, this is all your fault.

I tried to get pictures but the glare is really bad on the glass top.

 

[Chicken Girl]

Thats great!!!! What was your humidity at through your hatch? Cant wait to see pics!!


Chicken Girl

 

[chickpip]

Good Luck! Sounds like you have some out already I have 13 chicks that hatched. It took FOREVER! First you have the torture of waiting 3 days after lockdown then you have to wait another 12hrs or 12 minutes.... for them to pip,zip & hatch. It is all worth it in the end! Post pics?

 

[babsbag]

My humidity ran at about 40% or lower at times. At lockdown I raised it to 70%. This morning I had to open it for a second and pull out some jars of water that I was using for heat sinks. I was watching the chicks and was afraid they would get stuck behind the jars, head down. They were baby food jars and they could sit on them. I didn't want dead chicks for a stupid reason. So I got my spray bottle and misted the inside through the vent holes and opened it a grabbed. The humidity went up to about 78% for about 20 minutes. I actually opened the lid for a minute or so and let some out. It was still above 70% when I left for work.

When I had to leave (late) for work 2 were pecking away at the shells and had come through the membrane already and 3 more had put pretty good cracks in the eggs. That leaves 4 that I think should hatch and 5 that I don't expect to have hatch. I could see a little bit of feathers and the egg tooth. Too cute. The one that pipped the wrong end had about a 1/4" hole and was one of the ones I could see. I hope he makes it out.

I really wanted to see one zip. I can't believe they are doing this when I can't be there. Next time I will set eggs so that day 18 is on a Thursday or Friday.

 

[babsbag]

And now there are 7.

I got home to 6 little ones running around the incubator and the one that had pipped on the wrong end was still working at it. Been over 24 hours. So I finally got to watch one zip, so cool.

They all look good, there are 9 more eggs in there, 5 of which I don't expect to hatch. This is only day 20 so I will sit on my hands for a few more days.

 

[Chicken Girl]

That is so great!!!!! Was this your first time!?!? If so thats amazing!!!



Chicken Girl

 

[babsbag]

This is my first time, in a home made incubator. I set 16 eggs. 4 of them are a cross between a standard Barred Rock and a banty roo. I don't think any of them developed. When I candled them there is an air cell, but the "chick" if there is one, kinda swims around more than the others. I left them in since they could be little chicks in a big egg so I didn't know if that made a difference in what to expect in the egg. Time will tell all.

It is killing me that I can't reach in and hold them.

 

[babsbag]

Beginner's luck.

I set 16 eggs. 6 never developed at all. 9 have hatched and one is in waiting. It looked ok at lockdown, but never saw anything move in any of them so the verdict is out on that one. Today was 21, but since they started on day 19 is is a ? I think that was a pretty good hatch rate for a beginner, but I am sure it was just dumb luck.

Baby pictures to come as soon as they are in the brooder. Can't get pictures through the glass in the 'bator.