EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[Sally Sunshine]

Happy new year everyone! I probably won't be on much today or tomorrow soI'm wishing it to you now

The show girls are all fluffed up now

AWWWW!!!!!! too cute!!! congrats Jess!!!!

Actually, scratch that- I just checked again, and WE HAVE A PIP!!!!

YAY!!!

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Congrats!!!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

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Yup, that's how my calculations were made (0.65% per day). They are on day 9 now.

A few questions/requests for advice (@Sally Sunshine or whomever) - once the hatcher is up to temperature:

1) Should I move the Marans eggs NOW (or wait until day 14 like with your Seramas)? Instinct says now, but thought I'd ask. (The no candling window is 10-14 days, as I recall, so I figure that would go for no switching 'bators, too.)

2) Should the humidity for them be something like 50% (that's what we used last time I had air cells growing too fast)? Then reweigh on day 14 and see where we are and then adjust? I only have one that's lost 14.3% already (though it is a viable one) - The others are 8.5, 9.1, 9.2, 11.3 and 11.6% weight loss - wiggler is 9.2.

3) Since I can't see into the marans eggs well to identify ideal pip position, any tips on that? (Will they roll into that position anyhow?)

- Ant Farm

I agree with Paddler, I would move them now. What were you running at? 35? maybe 45 will be enough, dont overkill humidity. you have plenty time to get them right, I would hold candler over them in two days after new humidity and let that guideyou. its better to get humidity right than worry about candling trust me, think about it this way.... I hatch so many chicks in coolers and those two lamps in them are always going on and off!!
are you sure by the end you cant see at least in the air cell, the size and darkness difference should guide you later on. you need a new candler love. you can try the lay and balance lowest dip up but for some reason in my bators with the wires it never works right, I candle.

Ugh - I have C-spine issues as well - not super bad yet, but badness coming (degeneration combined with an accident in the past).

so sorry Kristin!!! please do what you can as you go on. It will only get worse so do your homework and see what all you can do to prevent worsening!

Thanks - I moved them this morning, humidity is about 50-55% in the hatchers, am hand turning them. I'll turn down to 45% if you think that's safer. I have two very strong flashlights (recommended on our incubating with friends, in fact), I honestly think the shells must be a bit funny or something (given the weight loss they have had). If I had more hatching experience I'd have a better feel for whether the air cells I'm seeing are right (too dark to trace them).

Imma gonna go try to candle them again, 'K?

- Ant Farm

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Happy new year! And a good morning!

For all the butter lovers here!

@BantyChooks can you put this in the recipe section please?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

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That chicken is totally sun faded and trash now, I need to redo it lol

maybe just practice in the snow first

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: oh no! But I do like that hoodie!!

My hatch that was coinciding with Banty's is turning out poorly

they all seemed to develop slowly the last week or so of incubation...temp must have been off. Except the one is already out and in the brooder for over 24hrs now...another had internally pip'd and I checked them all before I might lose them (the shell of the one was incredibly hard)... the one insternal pip had rotated over night without breaking the shell anymore and suffocated

I heard him cheeping too, and thought he's freeing himself that's what the noise was about...I had the puppy in my room last night and dreaded getting up for any reason as it meant potty trip...now I'm kicking myself for being selfish, I coulda saved that chick...another passed as well, it's brain wasn't in its head! And an eye wasn't fully formed plus malshaped beak...how did it make it to hatch day is beyond me. 2 left. One looks small, the other looks right on schedule now... put some Vit E oil on its exposed membrane since its all I have that shouldn't be harmful but keep it moist.

awwww I feel your pain with the puppy issue. well I go pee in the middle of the night and everyone has too!! uggggg. Good luck with the others, and hope you get temps calibrated!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: you can even have a big difference with air cells in the SAME Breed, depending on age of the egg.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I'm at day 20.. one of my egg has already piped internally.. it has cracked the shell but the white membrane didn't seem to pierce.. (it has been 3hours)
My question is, how much the oxygen in the aircell will last ?
I don't want to help but if it only means piercing the membrane I would..

@Milagro02 HAVE AN UPDATE
PLEASE>>???

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my silkies are outside now lol

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the black cochin, is this white cochin's baby!!! :O

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my EE started laying me green eggs!

congrats on the eggie!!! love that cochin!!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Sally, I dug out the OvaScope and put the eggs small end down on them and put the high intensity one on top so I could get photos. All air cells look too big for 10 days to me... Two are clearly dancing... @Sally Sunshine













- Ant Farm

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Over the holiday my father told me that at my preschool we used to play with white bantam cochins (he got far enough in the description that I figured it out - really small, white, from China, very fluffy looking, had feathered legs). I have no memory of this at all. So, I suppose the seeds of chicken math got planted earlier than I ever thought!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Well, I tromped all over the "wild" part of the back yard (it's not a big yard, but I let that part go wild to the point that it's almost like being in the woods). Goodwin's feathers are strewn here and here over the entire acre (not in a way that's due to wind blowing). But I did find his foot, though nothing else. So I know he's gone. Searched extensively and absolutely no sign of the pullets. They were both great flyers (which is how they all got into this predicament in the first place), so maybe they somehow got up and over my 8 foot fence via a tree or branch - if they are lucky, maybe they'll be someone else's chickens now (if not, they'll fall prey to the many neighborhood dogs behind my house...). What a dreary sad day - I hate when this happens.

I bought the materials to build the brooders today (plus the folding tables to put them on), so I'll work on that tomorrow. I think I'll raid the freezer tonight for dinner - ratatouille and steamed edamame.

For everyone in lock down sitting on their hands!!!

- Ant Farm

awwwww dang, was hoping to read good news from you, so sorry. see any prints of predators?

Since I popped in out of know where talkin about my crazy hatch results... here's the two survivors... I'm wondering if I might have got lucky with the silkied chickens that I love so much about the breed having...

First one out almost two days ago now...grey, yellow and white down/feathers A-dorable

Trying to show the very tiny pin feathers I haven't seen a chick before, so hoping that means silkied...of course I can't see them show up on the photo...they are like black pins...very narrow...but thicker than the fuzz...

Just found the last one like this, naval is dry and closed now at least, and eyes wide open



Just gave it a small bit of liquid vitamin...


Other side


Put a fresh clean cloth in there and propped it up on the dry sponge... hopefully it will relax for a bit and let the vitamins help it level itself out. It's sibling was flipped over and crazybtoo, gave it a shot of vitamin(drop) and put it in the snuggle cup...as you can see it's doin great

Fingers crossed

PS: of course the little booger is all over the incubator anyways... :sigh: I MUST go make dinner for the kids not stare at this incubator

AWWWWW so cute!!!! I love blue babies!!! well blue chicken babies uggggg that reads so very wrong!!

Quote:

Yup, that's how my calculations were made (0.65% per day). They are on day 9 now.

A few questions/requests for advice (@Sally Sunshine or whomever) - once the hatcher is up to temperature:

1) Should I move the Marans eggs NOW (or wait until day 14 like with your Seramas)? Instinct says now, but thought I'd ask. (The no candling window is 10-14 days, as I recall, so I figure that would go for no switching 'bators, too.)

2) Should the humidity for them be something like 50% (that's what we used last time I had air cells growing too fast)? Then reweigh on day 14 and see where we are and then adjust? I only have one that's lost 14.3% already (though it is a viable one) - The others are 8.5, 9.1, 9.2, 11.3 and 11.6% weight loss - wiggler is 9.2.

3) Since I can't see into the marans eggs well to identify ideal pip position, any tips on that? (Will they roll into that position anyhow?)

- Ant Farm

I agree with Paddler, I would move them now. What were you running at? 35? maybe 45 will be enough, dont overkill humidity. you have plenty time to get them right, I would hold candler over them in two days after new humidity and let that guideyou. its better to get humidity right than worry about candling trust me, think about it this way.... I hatch so many chicks in coolers and those two lamps in them are always going on and off!!
are you sure by the end you cant see at least in the air cell, the size and darkness difference should guide you later on. you need a new candler love. you can try the lay and balance lowest dip up but for some reason in my bators with the wires it never works right, I candle.

Ugh - I have C-spine issues as well - not super bad yet, but badness coming (degeneration combined with an accident in the past).

so sorry Kristin!!! please do what you can as you go on. It will only get worse so do your homework and see what all you can do to prevent worsening!

Thanks - I moved them this morning, humidity is about 50-55% in the hatchers, am hand turning them. I'll turn down to 45% if you think that's safer. I have two very strong flashlights (recommended on our incubating with friends, in fact), I honestly think the shells must be a bit funny or something (given the weight loss they have had). If I had more hatching experience I'd have a better feel for whether the air cells I'm seeing are right (too dark to trace them).

Imma gonna go try to candle them again, 'K?

- Ant Farm
lol you go girl yes your eggs are freaking amazingly dark for this time of year too!!