December Hatch-A-Long 2014

[The Colonel]

I lost my 3 eggs. Left to Tampa for the night. Had a flipper here at the house. My husband didn't mention to them to check temperature before flipping. Came home to an incubator above 106°. Candled each egg for several minutes watching for life but there's nothing. I am so frustrated and heartbroken. Today was day 16 at 8am this morning. This was my first chickens ever and they're all gone

I'm sorry

 

[Rainier]

Originally set 22 eggs. 11 were infertile. 11 made it to lock down, 10 hatched, one internally pipped but didn't make the external pip and died.

 

[ftpagain]

Why aren't you taking care of the chicks instead of Grandma?  It sounds like she could really use some help.  I had a sticky chick in the summer that had crusty stuff dried all over it.  It won't come off with just water at this point.  You have to use dish soap and *very* warm water to get it off.  Rinse well and dry the chick off as much as you can with towels or paper towels and then put it under the heat lamp.  Mine survived, although she is still a bit of a "weakling" and continues to have minor health problems.  

yep it's her first time dealing with any of this and I'm sick. Can't get out of bed.
So it's better to put them under a heat lamp after washing them and not putting them back in the incubator (even tho mine was cleaned and running again ready for the next batch)?

 

[The Colonel]

Put them in the brooder after they are washed, they are already out of the incubator, no point in putting them back in now.

 

[ochochicas]

What the colonel said...no use putting them back in the incubator once they are out. My chicks dried 10 times faster in the brooder than they did in the incubator anyway. Plus I think the brooder was dryer and they could have more room to move around.

 

[The Colonel]

What the colonel said...no use putting them back in the incubator once they are out.  My chicks dried 10 times faster in the brooder than they did in the incubator anyway.  Plus I think the brooder was dryer and they could have more room to move around.  

X2 the humidity is too high in there and they will stay wet forever. Get them in the brooder and let them stretch out and experience their new world. Congrats on the chicks by the way if I haven't said it yet.

 

[ftpagain]

X2 the humidity is too high in there and they will stay wet forever. Get them in the brooder and let them stretch out and experience their new world. Congrats on the chicks by the way if I haven't said it yet.

Thank you! I'm trying to have someone take pics so I can see them and post them here. I bet they are adorable!!! Fuzzy butts.
That sure makes more sence putting that in the brooder now, at the moment I thought well since they dry in their incubator when they come out of the egg it is probably better to use the incubator for after a bath.
Uh oh what's done is done. Next time will go better I hope. And today we have our first peeper in the second batch

 

[Purpletie3]

Two are out and five external pipped! This is a special hatch as it's the first time I've had more than two external pip and my daughter turned 18 today!

Congrats...!

 

[Purpletie3]

Why aren't you taking care of the chicks instead of Grandma?  It sounds like she could really use some help.  I had a sticky chick in the summer that had crusty stuff dried all over it.  It won't come off with just water at this point.  You have to use dish soap and *very* warm water to get it off.  Rinse well and dry the chick off as much as you can with towels or paper towels and then put it under the heat lamp.  Mine survived, although she is still a bit of a "weakling" and continues to have minor health problems.  

I had really good luck with a q tip and some antibiotic ointment. Gunk came right off. Then just lightly dabbed the lil guys with a soft cloth. That way they don't get chilled.

 

[KDob521]

Update: my neighbor gave me 3 Rhode Island Red eggs. BUT they're all in different stages. One is basically "lockdown size" (the shadow is), one is about 2 weeks along and the third looks like it's on day 2. Agh. This is difficult stuff for this beginner but I'm going to do my best with what knowledge I've gained from this site.