BYC's 2021 Spooktacular Halloween Hatch-Along!

[muddy75]

I started with 10 eggs. 2 were clear. 3 were early quitters. 2 hatched early with assistance after external pip. The remaining 3 DIS by the time I started assistance on hatch day. Little Boo unfortunately died in the incubator yesterday tangled up in the shelf liner. Little Frankie is in the brooder but I’m not sure she will make it. I will update her progress.

She seems to be pecking at her food and drinking some water but I’ve found her twice now flipped over on her back.

 

[Pensmaster]

Well my hatch is done and the incubators are scheduled to be cleaned and packed away until next year.

I have one hatch left. Day after Halloween. Of the 12 started 4 weren’t fertile. Then I’m done.

 

[Pensmaster]

She seems to be pecking at her food and drinking some water but I’ve found her twice now flipped over on her back.

The White Cornish will do this even when they are older. Frustrating as they will die if I don’t catch them in time. Their weight distribution makes it almost impossible for them to turn back over.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

She seems to be pecking at her food and drinking some water but I’ve found her twice now flipped over on her back.

I am so sorry you lost so many eggs and little Boo, too.
I hope Frankie makes it.

 

[muddy75]

I am so sorry you lost so many eggs and little Boo, too.
I hope Frankie makes it.

I’m hoping that I can get kiddos to check on her throughout the day while I’m gone. She seems to be staying warm enough.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Okay, here's my final hatch stats:
6 Rhode Island Red eggs set, 6 hatched.
56 Welsh Harlequin duck eggs set, 22 hatched.
Other than starting early, no significant issues, and the hatchlings all look good after 24-48 hours.

Of the 34 unhatched duck eggs, 6 were infertile and pulled on Day 7, which made room for the chicken eggs.

4 were early quitters, which I define as "more yolk than fetus".

24 were late quitters, which I define as "more fetus than yolk", including one "pip but no zip". Obviously this is a problem, and from my reading I believe it's mostly because the parents are young (6 months when these eggs were laid), and the relatively high 5000' elevation here also contributed.

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I plan to separate the species next week. (Heater removed for photo.)

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This is my bird room, AKA master bathroom. The budgerigars are waiting to join the coturnix quail in the outside aviary, but I'm finding that stitching and hanging hardware cloth has pushed the limits of my strength, endurance, and dexterity. The shower stall makes a wonderful splash zone for ducklings and yes I need to clean it!

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Nice photo bomb!

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Happy Halloween, everyone!

Oh my goodness! That's a lot of ducklings!
That's a nice brooder set up! I think I have the same plastic tub.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

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little BOO got to come out and play for a few minutes tonight. I will move him to the brooder in the morning. Frankie is starting to stand up and look around. I still haven’t detached the last remnants of the egg but will tomorrow morning if it hasn’t come off by itself. I may have to do some more cleaning to clear off the membrane that stuck on her.

Oh my gosh, so tiny!
Such tiny webbers!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I started with 10 eggs. 2 were clear. 3 were early quitters. 2 hatched early with assistance after external pip. The remaining 3 DIS by the time I started assistance on hatch day. Little Boo unfortunately died in the incubator yesterday tangled up in the shelf liner. Little Frankie is in the brooder but I’m not sure she will make it. I will update her progress.

Ohhhh no! I'm so sorry.

 

[muddy75]

Oh my gosh, so tiny!
Such tiny webbers!

Yeah I think some of my quail chicks have been bigger!!!! So fragile too!!!! Definitely learned a lot from this experience

 

[Wickedchicken6]

She seems to be pecking at her food and drinking some water but I’ve found her twice now flipped over on her back.

If I may...can I'd suggest the possibility of adding electrolytes?

I've recently become a HUGE proponent of electrolytes when I've seen how much difference they can make, both people and chicks/baby birds/ (If you have some on hand) Electrolytes won't hurt anything so it can be a win-win if they help even a little bit.