February 2017 Hatch-a-long

[CuzChickens]

Lol!

Wait, maybe I shouldn't laugh

Haha, its fine. I am hopefully going to profit a bit this year as I start selling chicks. Winter just ate me and my savings up, but I haven't needed my parents to buy food yet, so I'm still above ground.

I just remembered I won a $50.00 Amazon gift card in August, I could use it....

 

[butterfliesdoku]

I just went back through the thread and apparently I set them 10 days ago, not 14. So due March 7. I need to mark it on my calendar so I don't forget again!

I did the same thing. I thought I was expecting chicks this weekend but they won't be here until the 27th/28th...

 

[WVduckchick]

How long can a chick stay zipped before it needs help. Is there a reason why a chick pips but can't finish hatching by its self. It always happens to me. I just need some advice please.

As long as the membrane stays white to gray, I try to let them do it. If I can get reaction from knocking on the window. If it looks brown or dried looking, it's time to help. I've had some take 90 minutes and do fine, but usually 30-60 minutes is normal.

Also some breeds need more assistance than others. I've had to help alot of seramas.

Pipping and not continuing can be several causes. Malposition, drying out, weak chick, etc. Gut calls on whether to assist or not.

I apologize for over-posting!
I'm looking for help, ideas...just about anything constructive. Above I wrote a too-long rambling post. I will try to synopsize:

My silkie hen is on a clutch due to hatch tomorrow/next day. There is one olive egg that I put under her even though I knew the time delay was unreasonable.(4+days)
I hope my hen stays on the "late" egg and hatches it herself. However...
I am needing other ideas for backup plans.
I don't have an incubator, so I want to see about how to create one with my limited building abilities. 

What I have here:
heating pad, one large plastic insulated cooler (15 in wide x 13 in tall x 10  in wide the short side) ; Styrofoam cooler (11 1/2 in wide at top/10 1/2 in wide at bottom x 11 in tall x
7 1/2 in wide the shorter side); egg crates of cardboard, assorted kitchen stuff. The thermometer I bought does not seem to work.

I searched the term "home made incubators" and found some info that is unfortunately way over my head in supplies and skill.

I strongly prefer that my broody goes through with it as she knows how to be a hen much better than I do. But, I feel I need to be prepared just in case.

I know it's all my doing that I'm in this position to begin with. I'm just reaching out to the people whose kindness and expertise never cease to amaze me!

To add a little bit More emotion around this egg, the hen who laid the egg was killed 2 nights ago by a predator.

Please and Thank you, in advance, for any and all ideas, directions, suggestions.

Practice with anything that you can maintain 99ish temp and 65-70% humidity! I saw a hatcher made from kitchen bowls with saran wrap over the top, vented with a few holes, heated with a heat lamp! It took some babying, but they made it work.

Experiment! (I do highly doubt that the broody will stay 4 extra days, but maybe)

 

[jessnurse05]

Out of 10 eggs that went into lockdown I've had 6 hatch and 1 more pip! I set them at noon on a Friday so it is still technically day 21. This is the most chicks I've had hatch successfully so far! I'll get pics when they are in the brooder and dried off.

 

[MontainBourbons]

Only got 2/30. Chicks got too big, somebody on thi thread said that they were fine but I guess not. I'm going to try dry hatching, humidity was 35% and I'm goig to try 25%, does anybody have it any lower?

 

[HeritageHenNut]

The very first duckling is here

 

[yeye5]

As long as the membrane stays white to gray, I try to let them do it. If I can get reaction from knocking on the window. If it looks brown or dried looking, it's time to help. I've had some take 90 minutes and do fine, but usually 30-60 minutes is normal.

Also some breeds need more assistance than others. I've had to help alot of seramas.

Pipping and not continuing can be several causes. Malposition, drying out, weak chick, etc. Gut calls on whether to assist or not.
Practice with anything that you can maintain 99ish temp and 65-70% humidity! I saw a hatcher made from kitchen bowls with saran wrap over the top, vented with a few holes, heated with a heat lamp! It took some babying, but they made it work.

Experiment! (I do highly doubt that the broody will stay 4 extra days, but maybe)

Well, I'm encouraged that if someone can get it done with kitchen bowls, then I might not be as bad off as I thought.
I retested the thermometer I bought again last night but it isn't working (still). Rather than light bulbs/heat lamp, if I use the heating pad and elevate the egg to get to the right temp, could a simple container of water (not on the heating pad of course) create enough humidity???
I'm torn on this decision--when to take over or when to let the broody continue. If she acts like she has lost interest or pushes the egg away then it's obvious, but I fear that interfering too soon puts it even more at risk.
I have these crazy imaginings of carrying the egg in a sports bra next to my body for X number of days. Not. (I'd do it but it wouldn't work).

 

[yeye5]

The very first duckling is here

That little quacker is beyond adorable! Congrats and keep 'em going!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Only got 2/30. Chicks got too big, somebody on thi thread said that they were fine but I guess not. I'm going to try dry hatching, humidity was 35% and I'm goig to try 25%, does anybody have it any lower?

the ones I just hatched incubated at 16%

 

[Cerise1924]

The very first duckling is here

Welcome, cutie!