Christmas Setting - First Hatch

[Pyxis]

Congrats both of you e

 

[DaybreakOrps]

So much for the coffee - I had to Reese's with it. I figure I could sleep until morning as they are moving slow but still............

 

[DaybreakOrps]

I have a baby!!!!!!!!!!! #13 hatched about 45 minutes ago!!! He is still wet but he is BIG! He was the one that had pipped first yesterday morning. He is snuggling and complaining at the other pipped egg to hurry up and hatch. So I guess today will be hatch day...............

 

[DaybreakOrps]

 

[Purpletie3]

Woot woot ... Lovely chick!!! Glad you've got some action in your incubator!!!

 

[DaybreakOrps]

I have another baby!!!!!!!! She pipped at 11:45 today, but was #20 the one that I had just noticed a small pip on last night. #13 is still hanging out in the shell cracking at it a little here and a little there. I am getting a wee bit concerned that it is stuck. But I think I am just anxious. Pictures to come!!!! I have their first brood box set up next to the bator and if I don't have anymore pipped eggs I am going to take them out of the bater after #13 hatches (if ever) and put them in the brood box. I am concerned that bad eggs might explode tonight.

 

[Pyxis]

Woo! Yay on the babies! I'd give the other eggs more time, they may still hatch. But you can candle after your pipped one hatches and check them all out and see. So at least you have two so far. No lonely chicks!

 

[DaybreakOrps]

Update: #21 (who had been pipped since yesterday afternoon at least) had given it several earnest attempts to get out of the shell this evening and finally seemed to quit. When I looked closer, the membrane was getting tough and flapping together. It looked like it was getting brown and she wasn't moving much anymore. So I decided to get a temporary brooder together for Chuck and Bessie (yes, that are their names) and put on the counter next to the incubator. I just used a large box with a pad in it and 2 sauce cups - one with starter and one with water and marbles in it (so they wouldn't drown).

I tried peeling part of the shell from #21 while she was still in the bator, but that membrane was TOUGH. I took her out and worked on her in the ER under the heat lamp, with a humidifier aimed at the work area. I had to use tweezers to pull back the membrane. There was a small spot of blood and the yolk was mostly absorbed. I could see a small red bubble on her backside which is now gone. And I did this quick! She is now in the incubator with other potential eggs (more about this in a second) laying on a paper towel with a damp paper towel next to her. Her leg was completely splayed behind her at first but is now up under her body. I took Chuck and Bessie and put them in the brooder so they would leave her alone. THEN I candled the eggs and took out 5 more that were pretty clear they were quitters.

We dissected one and it quit around Day 14, which was the coldest day of the year. The humidity in the house was low and the lots of opportunity for issues to arise. I moved the eggs multiple times in order to keep them away from drafts coming in from the windows. I suspect that combined with the fact that my incubator was not calibrated correctly ended in their demise. After helping #21, I couldn't really manage to dissect anymore but they candled about the same. The remaining 10 eggs candled either normally or not sure, so I am locking the bator down again, except for taking out #21 in the morning. As of now, she has moved across the bator and I have gotten the humidity up to 63% by putting wet cloths in there. It might be wishful thinking but she is looking better. I am leaving her alone for the next 24 hours and plan to keep the eggs cooking at least until Sunday. If I don't see any activity by then we will call it a day.

Anyhow, I examined both butts and wings and they concur according to all that Chuck is a Roo and Bessie is a hen. I will take pics in the morning and weigh them so you guys can call it too, but for now my nerves are shot! If #21 lives, she is to be my little girl's bird and she has already named her AnnaBella. Luckily she feel asleep during the crisis and is none the wiser.

Now off to convince my cat that she has to sleep in the bathroom tonight!

 

[Purpletie3]

Daybreak...very cute! Congrats!

 

[Pyxis]

Did you do vent sexing? Feather sexing doesn't work unless you had eggs from birds crossed specifically to get feather sexing. Vent sexing, however, is accurate But it is hard to learn and do, and even experts still only have a 90% accuracy rate.