Cinco-de-Mayo Hatch-A-Long celebration!

[Dinoroar]

EXTERNAL PIP!!!

Woohoo! I’ve got one too

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

My kids hatched two days early!
They are currently in the incubator, being happy. Pretty soon I’ll have to move them.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Meet Dumpling #1! Two more zipping along right now...., five more have pipped --- all a day early!
I've never even guessed of sexing a chick at 1 hour old by his comb, but I think this BOY leaves no doubt, eh?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Dumpling #2 and #3 are out now, too - and seven more are externally pipped! My my my going to be a busy night I think!

Just came from handling an incubator emergency in the middle of it all. Hopefully I didn't keep the eggs out for too long! While checking pips and zips, I noticed some of the eggs were wet on the bottoms. My incubator doesn't sit perfectly level, thought I had it adjusted but I guess NOT. Two eggs that pipped on the bottom were sitting on the water!!! My incubator (IncuView from Incubator Warehouse, older model) has water channels in the base but no way to check the water level nor remove water without taking everything out. The channels are NOT deep enough! Too shallow. What to do?

Also, I had left the turner tray in place this time thinking it would help keep eggs from getting knocked around, but NO... hatching chicks need room to kick about and stand up on flat feet. AND I'd been having trouble keeping the humidity up, so I had added part of a foam egg carton along one side with water in the cups. You guessed it; I found Dumpling #3 sitting IN one of the water cups, soaked but thankfully not drowning. So I took everything and everybody OUT. Put Dumplings in an egg carton and covered them with a towel. Lifted the mesh floor out of the base, leveled the thing, then scrambled to find some flat things to put under the mesh floor to lift it a bit, then put the eggs back in. Hubby showed up, so he took the two new little ones down to the brooder to join Dumpling #1. Wet and all, but they've got a heat lamp, it'll be fine.

It's all back together now, minus the turner, minus the extra water cups, and hopefully holds humidity steady through the night. I'll add some bits of sponges tomorrow to boost the moisture but keep from drowning anybody else.

Good night, all - looking forward to news of hatchlings tomorrow and Friday from everyone!

 

[Canadian Wind]

I've got two external pips now, though no progress. Second batch has at least one internal pip.

Put a washcloth over the eggs to simulate a hen sitting. Silly? Just don't want any that hatch overnight to go dragging themselves over the other eggs.

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

Happy Quatro De Mayo!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Happy Quatro De Mayo!

You mean Star Wars Day! Lol!

I think I'll name the first chick that hatches today Chewbacca!

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

You mean Star Wars Day! Lol!

I think I'll name the first chick that hatches today Chewbacca!

Oohhhhh
Well then! May the force be with you!

 

[Canadian Wind]

So hard not to keep peeking in!

 

[Canadian Wind]

CHEWBACCA HAS HATCHED!!!

I forgot how absolutely miniscule OEGB chicks are! So cute!