Day 18 moved to hatch mode. IBW begins now. Day 21 PIPS! Now hatch!

[LoneCowboy]

Ok, I decided I had to help them. Everything was too dry. I think I should have done it sooner. The membrane was so dry that it covered one of the chicks eyes and I had to try to get it off. Their wings were dried to their heads. There is just no way they were getting out on their own. So they are out flopping around and yelling a lot. I guess that's a good sign. I'm a nervous wreck. My neck and shoulders are so tense, I was so nervous trying to get them out. Keep them warm, work as fast as I could without hurting them.
What a nightmare. It's like if they don't get on with the job, it's a mess. They had huge holes in their eggs all day long. I can't figure out why they just didn't get out of there.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Oh D~ You are very brave to help them. I bet they are very happy to be helped to freedom. I bet you are really tired. Have all of them hatched now? How are they doing now? Keep us updated.

 

[LoneCowboy]

No, they haven't all hatched yet. I found another pip in a JG. This is the longest drawn out hatch

I added a bunch of hot water to get more humidity in there. It's already high, but I want this one to hatch on it's own. I'm not sure that will be possible. Why is this so addictive? I can't remember. Is it something about needing to punish ourselves, to feel guilty about something?

 

[speckledhen]

Sure can get tense when you have to intervene. And yet, we do it over and over again, this hatching thing.

 

[coloradochick]

Wish I could help you. Hope everything has calmed down since the last post. Why do you think the humidity was so low?

Here's to everything going better.

 

[fallenweeble]

it sounds like you made the right decision.
i had to help a lot of mine out of the eggs last month.
hang in there!

 

[horsechick]

well, its official, I'm a chicken junky....

How's the hatch going?!?!?!?
How are they?!?!?!?!?

 

[LoneCowboy]

Well, had to move the ones that hatched first out to the brooder with the 5 day olds. I hope they do ok out there. I needed this indoor brooder for the new little ones that are still weak. I don't want the trampled yet

. I have a little one with splayed leg. I've got to try to fix that this morning. I think it's one of Charlottes amercauna so I don't want to lose it. Other than that the little ones are doing ok.

 

[speckledhen]

I've never hatched one that had a splayed leg problem and I know they say it's slippery surfaces, but I think sometimes, they are contorted so much in the egg, that on occasion, a leg is bent the wrong way. Seems logical to me. In fact, I wonder how they get out at all the way they're twisted up in those eggs!

 

[LoneCowboy]

Yeah, there's no slippery surfaces in my bator. This guy never got going. I've taped up it's legs, and I'll have to start a little chick Physical Therpy here in a bit. Got to get those legs strong. I have to say, I'm not very optomistic about this one. It doesn't have a good leg to help out.