Beginner's Hatch-A-Long

[SA Farm]

So, a miracle occurred and at about 9:30am, there was a small pip in one of the eggs. I was amazed since we had terrible temperature fluctuations and are working with a homemade incubator.

Justin Peeper, as my 'tweens' have named him, was born at about 3pm, and there is pipping in one other egg since this afternoon.

Congratulations! So exciting isn't it?

 

[mariama]

And now there are 4! We have Justin Peeper, Fluff (aka Agrippa -- don't ask, it was my 10 year old's idea, but her sister wanted a more cutesy name), and 2 without names because they hatched in the middle of the night.

They make so much noise!

 

[dutchbunny83]

Today is technically day 21 and 22 for my eggs (went in a day apart).
However, all of them hatched between Thursday morning and Friday morning.
No movement in the ones left in there, and I took all the chicks out and put them in the brooder.

When do I take the other eggs out of the bator?

Also, do you guys open yours up? This was my first hatch, so I was going to open them all (outside in case I get a rotten one) to see if some never started or when they stopped developing...

 

[SA Farm]

I'm planning to leave the unhatched ones in until day 25, then start opening them up. I have six with one more coming and one for sure dud and one didn't make it, so there's a potential 8 that haven't even started yet.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Okay so one of my chicks that looked perfect all through candling never openned up at all (the others all hatched thursday).
I examined it today to see if there was any movement or pipping and nothing, so I decided to open it up.
Inside was a fully developed, full size chick.
But it was definitely dead-- no heartbeat or movement at all upon cracking the shell and no blood.
Ideas why it would develop all the way then die and not hatch???

 

[SA Farm]

Video of hatching:

The baby was already pipped and zipped, the whole process for this one took about two hours.
And Cute Pics:








There are four more babies now, but they aren't fluffed yet

 

[barbieszoo]

How adorable they are! My one Serama is pipping this afternoon, day 21, right as I was about to give up hope. Seramas usually hatch day 19-20. I am so happy and am thanking the Lord for one baby out of my 10 shipped eggs.

 

[SA Farm]

How adorable they are! My one Serama is pipping this afternoon, day 21, right as I was about to give up hope. Seramas usually hatch day 19-20. I am so happy and am thanking the Lord for one baby out of my 10 shipped eggs.

 

[Alaskan]

Okay so one of my chicks that looked perfect all through candling never openned up at all (the others all hatched thursday).
I examined it today to see if there was any movement or pipping and nothing, so I decided to open it up.
Inside was a fully developed, full size chick.
But it was definitely dead-- no heartbeat or movement at all upon cracking the shell and no blood.
Ideas why it would develop all the way then die and not hatch???

it could be oodles of different reasons...

but with me in the past when i have had that happen, it is because the chick was set up incorrectly. So, when the chick was ready to pip, it didn't pip into the air pocket, and instead drowned.

Super sad to see such a perfect chick that didn't make it.

Because of stuff like that, i haven't hatched any myself for years, can't stand the deaths that seem to always happen.

But I am going to try again I think Monday or Tuesday.

Congrats on the rest of your new flock!

 

[mariama]

How adorable they are! My one Serama is pipping this afternoon, day 21, right as I was about to give up hope. Seramas usually hatch day 19-20. I am so happy and am thanking the Lord for one baby out of my 10 shipped eggs.

Yay! Thank God for your little chickie!