February 2017 Hatch-a-long

[yeye5]

My February babies are growing so fast. Wing feathers are coming in. Tails are showing in a few. Amazing how fast they grow! I have 4 definite frizzles of my 19 chicks. Was hoping for abbot more than that, but will keep fingers crossed that I've got at least one or two pullets out if them!

That one on top is adorable! I love the color markings. What breed is it? Congratulations of the great hatch!

 

[yeye5]

@yeye5 You have an inquisitive mind, like a scientist! I have never heard that question posed before, about a "waiting" egg trying to hatch with other chicks, but... it's been discovered recently that turtles eggs do exactly that!
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-...e-embryos-communicate-to-synchronize-hatching

Interesting, hm? I think there's so much we don't know about the natural world, and it is people like you who start wondering and figuring things out.

Thanks for the link! I'm very excited to read it.
I simply know that any living being is conscious in its own way--and even if humans don't yet understand the consciousness of the creature, it would be arrogant to think we humans are the only creatures with awareness.
I'm not saying that chickens self-reflect.
But everything in nature seeks to establish relation to its surroundings, has capacity to connect, has feelings and emotions, etc.
(A simple example of this is that animals can become depressed due to separation from other connected animals).

I'm also just one of those annoying humans that is always asking "why...". The more puzzled I am with something the more I seek to understand it.
So far, this mornings walk-about still had no peeping noises. In an hour or so I'll open the coop and see if anything has changed.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

We're having a troublesome day here in chicken world.
I'm hoping I mis-remembered the day that Mima (broody silkie) started sitting on the eggs, or it's day #22 now.
Late Nov. hatch, she pushed out a couple (I opened and were non-viable by the time she pushed them out). Those eggs were 1 1/2-2 days late too. I decided to sleep on it and woke to 3 beautiful peeping perfect chicks.

IF I remember properly, she began sitting on February 4th. IF that's correct, the eggs would be at day #22 today.
It's hard to believe that not a single one has hatched. No pips that I can see, nor peeping from inside.
She is an excellent mama hen, never has abandoned a nest and never has pushed out a viable egg.
I am really bad at candling.

What do you all think? If I remove the eggs to try candling, I fear it will discourage her and she might leave the nest entirely. I could always just wait but...how long?

Is it a sort of good thing (albeit confusing) that they're all doing/not doing the exact same thing? (meaning it's improbable to get a zero hatch rate)?
Several eggs are teeny tiny ones laid by her daughter (whose eggs are even smaller than Mima's). One egg is the olive egg that I've been hoping will hatch (the one that is 4-ish days behind the others), and there are 2 medium size. She covers them surprisingly well.

Please, anyone who can even guess what to do and how to do it, I need ADVICE, Directions?

Sorry for my long-winded post...Again. I am thankful for any and all replies!!!

I just go out after dark and candle them right there at the nest box.

 

[theceltichorse]

@yeye5

My chicks are a barn yard mix of various breeds. The 4 pictures are of some of the Olive Eggers I think! I had so many hatch out unexpectedly that I now get confused as to which is which! LOL Guess time will determine when the pullets start laying.

I got the eggs from GardenWren here on BYC. Out of 20 eggs, 19 hatched. The last egg was fully developed but DIS. Here is a picture of the eggs I got. If you are ever looking for Olive Eggers with the possibility of Frizzles, look her up. Can't say enough good things about her packing and am beyond happy with the chicks!

 

[WVduckchick]

Thanks for the link! I'm very excited to read it.
I simply know that any living being is conscious in its own way--and even if humans don't yet understand the consciousness of the creature, it would be arrogant to think we humans are the only creatures with awareness.
I'm not saying that chickens self-reflect.
But everything in nature seeks to establish relation to its surroundings, has capacity to connect, has feelings and emotions, etc.
(A simple example of this is that animals can become depressed due to separation from other connected animals).

I'm also just one of those annoying humans that is always asking "why...". The more puzzled I am with something the more I seek to understand it.
So far, this mornings walk-about still had no peeping noises. In an hour or so I'll open the coop and see if anything has changed.

At one time, I was planning to raise some quail. I hatched one small set, then while the 2nd set (3 dozen) was incubating, my husband's appendix ruptured and required immediate, massive surgery. Quite an ordeal, and recovery afterward, so I ended up selling off the quail.

But, getting slowly to my point.. lol.... I was told, and found it true, that quail zip/hatch in pairs or more. Hours may pass between hatchings, but when one started zipping, I could almost always count on at least one more starting. Sometimes 2 would hatch and kick out at exactly the same time. It was cool!

 

[lilwildrabbit]

Actually makes sense that they would hatch at the same time because it would protect them from predators in the wild and give them a better chance of survival

 

[yeye5]

I just go out after dark and candle them right there at the nest box.

Thank you. What do you use to candle them?
I'm not good at the process and have only tried it a few times. All of the tries were with bad eggs so that doesn't help my learning curve a bit.
If they have any chance at all, I'm scared to mess that up by annoying Mima (broody).
Also, I have that olive egg from my beautiful hen that was killed in a predator attack (I refer to it in this thread but you might or might not have seen the post). Impulsively I added that egg (before the hen was killed) and it's some days behind the expected hatch. That's another reason I'm avoiding risks. If none of the others hatch I'm still hoping for that little olive person in there...

 

[jbenson]

Got home from a weekend out of town to a 'bator full of peeps. Getting them into the brooder today and I'll count how many then. A good number did not hatch, but I had some temp issues in the last week and I think I lost a number at that time. Neither of the polish hatched, but I have 5 more of them to go in the next round tonight.

 

[yeye5]

At one time, I was planning to raise some quail. I hatched one small set, then while the 2nd set (3 dozen) was incubating, my husband's appendix ruptured and required immediate, massive surgery. Quite an ordeal, and recovery afterward, so I ended up selling off the quail.

But, getting slowly to my point.. lol.... I was told, and found it true, that quail zip/hatch in pairs or more. Hours may pass between hatchings, but when one started zipping, I could almost always count on at least one more starting. Sometimes 2 would hatch and kick out at exactly the same time. It was cool!

I hope your husband is fully recovered!

The quail hatching in pairs IS amazing! BTW I loved the article! Thanks
Nature is so vast and complex. I'm sure we, as humans, know only itsy bitsy aspects of it. Who knows, maybe in 10 years we'll be saying, "Of Course they hatch together, doesn't everyone?"
Maybe I spend too much time thinking, contemplating...all along I've been so attached to that olive egg. By some miracle (or lunacy) I did put the egg in despite the lack of any logic to it. Maybe this is all about keeping Mima on the nest so she hatches that special egg.
Myrtle is gone. The 2 other eggs I have from her were laid 2-12 and 2-14. Not to say I won't Attempt to get them hatched, but the likelihood goes down every day...so I'm hoping and praying for that egg, ALL of the eggs of course. I just can't get another one from Myrtle.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thank you. What do you use to candle them?
I'm not good at the process and have only tried it a few times. All of the tries were with bad eggs so that doesn't help my learning curve a bit.
If they have any chance at all, I'm scared to mess that up by annoying Mima (broody).
Also, I have that olive egg from my beautiful hen that was killed in a predator attack (I refer to it in this thread but you might or might not have seen the post). Impulsively I added that egg (before the hen was killed) and it's some days behind the expected hatch. That's another reason I'm avoiding risks. If none of the others hatch I'm still hoping for that little olive person in there...

Honestly, if you think it will bother her, then don't mess with her. Just wait for the surprise!

But... if you decide to check....
I use a small mag-lite flashlight, with foam paper attached to the top, taped on. Simple yet effective. The higher number of lumens, the better you will see.


Shine the light into the air cell end. You are looking to see the size of the air cell, looking for blood vessels, and movement by the chick inside. No movement does not indicate death. Look for the blood vessels! Also look for "clear" areas, where the light passes through. Late in the game, it should be mostly dark, with mostly only air cell visible.