Due April 11th, anyone with me??? I hear peeping!

[pips&peeps]

I've only got three eggs left in the incubator. There are a couple late hatchers in there too.

I lost count around 50. I keep wondering why every other hatch is good. Everytime I sell a batch of chicks, I end up losing them late in incubation and barely end up being able to fill my orders. What the heck.......

When I'm not shipping them out, they hatch like gang busters.

I'll be putting about 20 or so more eggs in the hatcher today, I have that one more hatch before the show in Stevenson, WA and hope to sell lots of them as "my cup runeth over" now.

 

[bel]

Quote:
Theres not enough time since you are already heading for lockdown and any incubator needs to be tested before use so you dont have cooked or cold eggs or chicks. Later you can build somthing out of a cooler, lightbulb and a thermostat, probably easier to just get a used still air model to use as a hatcher though.


Still waiting on those last eggs, I took out the 15 chicks because a couple were panting (temps are good),
This morning I checked on the remainders, no pips or anything then I tapped on an egg and it peeped, I wonder if its stuck.
Gave them a light misting and closed the door.

Wish I got a pic, the 1 yellow LF Ameraucana chick was standing side by side with its little yellow bantam counterpart looking out the glass of the brooder, we were joking "I will call you minimee".

 

[Bec]

Well, I have my grand total of 18 babies! Not a fantastic hatch considering what I started with (37) but it was my first hatch and I am thrilled to have 18 happy, healthy babies!

I noticed that one pipped low on the wrong end, so I took the whole shebang into the hot, steamy bathroom and looked, it did not make it. So I checked out everyone else while I was there and there was another pip on the wrong end that didn't make it

I quick candled (I know, a no-no) but none of the others are good. Some look like they didn't finish developing and some just never even pipped internally. It is only day 22 but I am certain that none of those babies are alive. There was no movement whatsoever. I opened some and they are gone

But overall, this was a good experience and I can't wait to set more eggs later this week!

 

[WhoaNellie]

Bec,
What was the reason they were panting? Did you ever figure that out?
I've never heard of that so I am curious. And I'm at work, an hour from home, sure that my chicks are panting right now because I'm not there to help them. Yes....I'm slightly crazy. HAHAHA

 

[Bec]

I'm not sure why they were panting. The temp and humidity were good

Once I got them out, they were fine. After that no one else panted in there, just the first rowdy group. I looked it up on here and read that sometimes their own boy heat combined with the 99 degree incubator makes it extra hot for them, especially when they are learning how to run around and are more active. Some people say they are fine, some people say take them out. I opted to take them out. I am sure your babies are fine at home

Don't worry about them! Easy for me to say, huh?

 

[NakPakChick]

I should have checked the board when I set my eggs, I was right along with you all! I ended up with 12 out of 20. so 60%, not bad for my first hatch!

Bec, I believe I've had the same thing happen with my remaining 6 eggs. I'm steaming up the bathroom right now to take the whole thing in there and check it out. Today is day 23, and these 6 show no movement. My son thinks I look funny with my ear pressed to the bator listening!!

I have 9 more eggs in holding I want to set, see if they are fertile. How long do hens stay fertile after not being with a roo?
About a week ago something (I'm pretty sure it's my neighbors horrid dogs) took my roo right out of the the hen house at night. Found his feathers all over. So I want to see if I still have fertile eggs. I started setting them aside the next day, when I was sure he was gone.

 

[WhoaNellie]

It's funny because my temperature was pretty low this morning, I think like 92-ish. But I was leaving and you know how those LGs spike, so I left it alone. Maybe I made a good move in doing so?

Having all these chicks in the incubator running around is just ridiculous! They kept me up all night. THey we peeping, then it sounded like they were steam rolling the egg shells. Everything in there was crunching. It took me forever to get to sleep. LOL

It's so funny too. I couldn't imagine what all this talk about "easy clean up" was about. How could a few chicks make a big mess with just their shells?

Now I get it! If I ever get the incubator clean, it'll be a miracle!

 

[Bec]

Nellie, I am sitting here laughing out loud!!!

They are so noisy for being sooo little!!!! There is a lot of crunching, scooting, peeping, yelling , it took me forever to go to sleep too!!! Yeah I think leaving it like that was fine because mine did that several times and then it readjusted itself.

NakPak- I think they stay fertile for a while..like a week or 2..I may be wrong, but I think that's it. You had a great hatch for your first time around!

 

[lilblessings5]

do they always look half dead when they first hatch?

 

[Bec]

Yes, they flop their head around in all weird directions and rest very often!