DAY OLD PICS! post #225. 12 hatched!

[pasofinofarm]

Can't wait to hear the final candling report... I think as close as you have kept an eye things should be comming up roses...um... chickies!

 

[Mahonri]

UPDATES IN BOLD

From Melissa (pasofinofarm):

6 Ameraucanas (Blue Wheaten/Wheaten)
5 with veins and movement!
1 was scrambled

1 stopped developing most likely last week.

4 remain... hope they are alive

6 Cuckoo Marans (nice DARK eggs!)
3 with veins and movement
1 had developed for maybe a day, of the other two one was scrambled the other one came out with the yolk intact.

3 decent air pockets on top, I pray they are alive

6 Salmon Faverolles
ALL 6 with veins and movement!

WOW!

While candling... DS#4 who was "helping" dropped and cracked one. It was alive.
So 5 remain

From our flock:

4 pullet "Sunshine" EE (very bluish eggs) X China game or mutt EE
2 with development Her eggs were hardest to see through... dark bluish/green
2 infertile, yolks intact

both remaining must have died somewhere between days 8 and 12
So "ZERO" remain. ... so much for "from barnyard to bator"

From bargain:

5 Speckled Sussex
3 with veins and movement
The other two were scrambled by the PO
3 remain!

14 Leghorns
10! with veins and movement

I decided that three had died. two had air sacs on both ends. Neighbor boy who saw one of them said that one of the three were alive. Unfortunately I disagreeed, upon eggtopsy, TWO WERE ALIVE AND BEAUTIFUL both even tried to breath but it was too early and I did them in and feel HORRIBLE!!! DS #4 was already crying that he had done in a Faverolle by dropping it and then he was furious that we did in two more.

7 REMAIN


I dropped one that was alive on day 9 trying to candle alone with my mag light.
2 had developed to day 7 I'm guessing, but there was no movement
1 was scrambled by the PO.
That roo did a good job!


So I now have 29 in the bator.

SO, we now have 22 in the bator I'm praying that I get at least 15 of them.

I really, really want all of the Marans to hatch as well as the Ameraucanas and Faverolles.

The one favorolle (that we did in) had some dark feathers! Couldn't believe it.

Both of the Leghorns that I did in were just gorgeous and pure white.

Guess I'm a beginner and it shows. BTW... I've noticed one maran and one leghorn rocking in the loose cardboard cartons I have!

Temp is steady at 100 and Humidity at 79. Will that work?

 

[Mahonri]

So "I thought" I had read somewhere that Humidity for days 18 to 21 needed to be between
60 & 80%... I'm starting to wonder if my hygrometer even works.

Humidity was reading 79 so I'm thinking that's on the high side and i should try and get it down to more like 68 to 70.

Opened bator, put paper towels in to soak up almost all of the water.

Closed bator.

Took about 7 minutes to get back up to 99.5 degrees but by then the humidity had gone back up to 77.

Am I going to drown these chicks?

I've had them at 50% for the past week and most have done fine. Of those remaining they all have good air sacs. (Like I said, two of the huge leghorn eggs that I killed had airsacs on top and on bottom (that's why I thought they were dead) .. and the chicks were good sized!

So if most all of the water is out of the trays, why is my humidity still so high???

 

[gckiddhouse]

Take heart! You have quite a lot left! Nature isn't perfect, and neither are humans! Thank God we are forgiven for that, hu?

My broody hen knocked two of my Marans eggs out of the nest and they got cold. So she isn't doing a perfect job at it and this is what she is designed to do. That is why chickens lay a whole clutch, so that some of them survive. Sometimes, just a few.

I think when your little peeps show their fuzzy butts, you will feel a lot better.

I'm rootin' for you and your chickies!

 

[redhen]

ooh darn!..i hope the hatch goes good for you!...

i just candeled mine tonight also, my air cells were SO messed up!...

i dont know what to do now!!...

.....best wishes for your hatch!...

 

[Mahonri]

I'm really feeling like I've messed up big time... somehow. I don't understand how the humidity can be so high in there.

I've seriously, dried out ALL of the trays.

I took the Hygro/Therm out, put the battery in and out. Left it out for a bit.

It said the humidity outside of the bator was 34%. Well I would imagine it would be a little dryer inside the house than outside, but the outdoor humidity at 10PM was 34%.

The temp went right down to about 71 ... the temp inside and then I still had the probe inside the bator and it said the temp was 99.7 in there. I'm fairly certain that's correct.

So, I put it back in the bator. The temp goes right back to almost even with the probe 99.9 and the humidity goes right back up to 77.

What's up with that??

I did spray down the cardboard cartons with a little water... could that be doing it?

I left the plug on top open hoping that some of the humidity would come out. nothing.

Temps now at 100.1 (just under the fan) and 100.2 (on the gauge itself in the back of the bator)

I left a tube in so that we can add water if we have to, BUT I'll have to microwave it warm as our water heater just went out! Just over two years old and it won't work anymore. With three extra teens this past 10 days and lots more washing clothes, washing dishes and showers I guess we wore it out. Went out and tried to relight the pilot umpteen times and it's a no go. OH JOY!

Arg! and I'm spending time with my accountant tomorrow. Gotta love TAXES.

More joy.

 

[jossanne]

Hang in there Mahonri. I don't have any advice or answers, as I'm living my hatching dreams vicariously through you and others...

But HUGS just the same. My fingers and toes are all crossed for you.

 

[Mahonri]

Well it's good you are living it through others cuz this is turning into a nightmare!

I better get more than 1 chick!

 

[hollymh]

Quote:
My hydro messed up at the end too and I had a 100% hatch rate, I didn't mess with it and I KNOW my humidity was through the roof! It's better to just step back and leave it, if the humidtity hasn't been that high for the full 18-21 days then I wouldnt be that concerned. Good Luck!

 

[AngieChick]

Oh, Mahonri, you are doing fine

. Remember that there are places out there that have naturally very high humidity and still get babies to hatch under broodies, not just humidity controlled incubators. I remember how it was when we lived in TN, you could almost see the water in the air. I don't know how you can get it lower if you don't have any more water in there. Is it perhaps coming from the eggs themselves?

Looking over your numbers, I think I would be happy with it as a first hatch. I'm hoping for 50%. You are in the home stretch and still have a good variety of chicks alive in there. I'm sure it was traumatic finding live chicks when you opened it up, but I think it's something any of us newbies could have done. Go easy on yourself. I know you'll be seeing some little peepers soon.