DAY 18 SMALL AIR CELLS PLEASE HELP

[shelbylewis]

IF ANYONE ELSE STUMBLES ACROSS THIS WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION AND HAD A POSITIVE OUTCOME, I WOULD LOVE IF YOU COULD SHARE YOUR STORY TO TRY AND EASE MY WORRY! Thank goodness for this website!

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

IF ANYONE ELSE STUMBLES ACROSS THIS WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION AND HAD A POSITIVE OUTCOME, I WOULD LOVE IF YOU COULD SHARE YOUR STORY TO TRY AND EASE MY WORRY! Thank goodness for this website!

My lovely baby Popcorn passed away while sitting on some eggs underneath my window. I quickly gathered all the eggs and put them into the incubator, worried that it was too late for them. I checked their growth the next day, and the air cells were no where near the average amount it should have been. I made a safety hole when they started internally pipping (using that video as my guide) and only one didn't make it. All of Popcorn's kids are now roaming around our field, filling out her legacy.

 

[shelbylewis]

Thanks. Popcorn was an amazing girl. I feel like she would have been the best mom ever. She had some amazing skills but I still technically have her; I have her in her chicks. She survived something grabbing her head and ripped a flap of skin off and for the rest of her life, she had a little flap on the very top of her head. I which I had a picture of her, but I don't. What I do have is a picture of her children though:
View attachment 1590547 View attachment 1590548

That's all the pictures I have with me right now. If you want, I can get more pictures of her kids though.
EDIT - She mated with two different roosters. One was a black bantam cochin and the other was a mixed rooster.

awww thank you for sharing those they are beautiful! i love pictures!!

 

[007Sean]

Okay I lied about above being the last update for tonight... just checked on the eggs before heading to bed, i saw one egg rocking!

That's a "good thing"! Keep us updated.

 

[aart]

I absolutely refuse to use my little giant incubator

Might not give up on it yet....first you need to learn about.....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/testing-calibrating-incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/
....No matter what incubator you decide to use.

Hatching can be heartbreaking, might not be for the too tender-hearted.

 

[shelbylewis]

How’s wiggles doing

Was wiggling this afternoon but nothing since.. i’m about to candle now and see if it at least pipped the air cell

 

[shelbylewis]

Did not pip the aircell but of the 4 in there I saw definite movement in two, wiggles being one of them, trying to be happy but not get my hopes up if that makes sense..

 

[WVduckchick]

No we did not, the same egg that was wiggling for the past few nights was at it again last night but no internal/external pips. My thought is they tried their best to pip internally but never made it to the air cell. I'm not doing anything with them until day 26 but I am pretty positive that these eggs are not making it. Spent all weekend crying and I am just spent after this hatch but I will do better next time. My fiance, and all of you wonderful people, have convinced me to try again but I absolutely refuse to use my little giant incubator..I am looking into purchasing the brinsea mini advance II. Anyone with experience using this I would appreciate any and all feedback/advice/tips..etc. I am also going to do my research on all forums before placing the eggs. Going into this hatch with as much knowledge as humanly possible!!

Yeah for the good news! Let’s get a move on, Wiggles!

I’m a big Brinsea fan, I have 2 Octagons, and this year I got a great deal on a mini, and have had great hatches with it. It’s small though, I did one group of OEGB eggs in it, and I’ve done some seramas in it. I’ve used it more as an ICU for weak chicks, but I do love it.
Definitely get another thermometer and check the temp. I think mine is set on 100.9 to maintain 99.5-100.

An alternative, a bit more economical, is the Harris Farms Nurture Right 360. I got one last year and it holds more eggs, and I love the way to fill the water wells for the final 3 days. It holds temp very well, and the view is spectacular.
They had some issues with early releases of it, the fan was exposed allowing chicks to get hurt, but they added a cover. And they added something inside because humidity was causing short-outs of the board. But I think all the new ones should be fixed.

I have black copper Marans eggs in it right now on day 14. I used it as a hatcher all spring and summer, even if i incubated in something else.

 

[shelbylewis]

This was my first hatch as well, Not knowing what it was that I was doing, I thought my air sac's were to small as well, they looked to be between day 14 and day 18. Today is day 2 of lock down, their not suppose to start hatching till tomorrow, but I woke up to chirping this morning, have one fully hatched and another working it's way out of it's shell. As a newbie I say keep the faith.

Yay for you! That is amazing! Going on day 24 is absolutely agonizing I am so happy yours are already starting to hatch and chirpring! Wooohooooo

 

[LoveMyChickenBabies]

If s/he is out by the time you get home, can you take pictures and post them?