February 2023 hatch-a-long

[lilwanderer]

Just leave it It has a job to do - absorbing yolk. Once they pip they take a long, long break. It seems like ages and sometimes i think they died but they're ok. From pip to zip ( and hatch) is around 24 hrs. So do nothing i know, i know

Thats what i decided ill do after i had put the olive oil on it, I'll let it kick free on its own time.

 

[kurby22]

I think i'm going to lose one of my silkie chicks - the one that hatched last with my assistance. She was perky and running about but she isn't eating. I can tell she's hungry - she's constantly running after other chicks watching them eat and trying but she just can't figure it out. She's not well coordinated, maybe because she's weak. Falling over. Chirping all the time. I just gave her some wet feed - it was easier for her to peck at the right place. But i don't think it was a lot - she soon started running after other chicks again. She's drinking but i think only when other chicks are drinking. She pooped this morning but it was small.

I don't think it makes any sense to intervene anymore tell me what you think please...

I have assisted some that have lived and some that have not it’s a crap shoot. Sometimes they are just malpositioned or shrink wrapped…other times there are internal issues I’m sorry your baby isn’t doing well.

 

[Sally PB]

I forgot to show you my layer mixes - nothing special,

They're chicks! Of course they're special!!!

 

[gimmie birdies]

Day 19 for the lock down eggs (6). Last i checked they were in the aircells, and had a good slope.

 

[KDawn02]

I'm not sure what's wrong. I put my eggs into lockdown on Thursday night and the temperature and humidity have been totally fine until last night (Friday). About 1130pm, my hygrometer was reading 104.5 but my incubator was reading 99.5.... They have been both synced up and reading around the same until this point. I changed the battery in the hygrometer and changed it's placement and on the floor of the incubator next to the eggs out was reading 106! I don't trust my hygrometer now .... Wondering if the higher humidity is messing with the temp readings. I also have a laser thermometer and when I point at the bottom tray with the water in it, it's reading pretty high. Anyway, I fussed with the eggs and the readings for hours last night and I couldn't get the temp to lower on the thermometer unless I drastically lower the temp on the incubator. Finally at 3am, I ended up just deciding to trust my incubator thermometer... They've made it this far! This morning is day 20 and no pips and only one egg is moving when I talk to it...I really hope it didn't kill my babies, I'll be devastated!!!

Well there are two eggs moving so not a loss yet! Also, I quickly candled three eggs and saw one internal pip moving, one chirping when I candled and one with no movement. I'm hoping I'll get at least a couple from my first hatch! My kids and I are impatiently waiting

 

[coffeeaddict]

One baby just hatched, another is externally pipped and one internal on Day 19. I have no idea what these final batch chicks will be. They came from a huge open flock. The huge egg is still silent. I hope that it makes it okay. I'm dying to know what kind of chick will come out of that huge egg.

 

[Breezed]

Thank you so much!!! I won't give up

I came to say I had an egg that looked worse than yours and everyone said it wasn't going to do anything...well that little sucker hatched yesterday and is a lively little thing. I am so glad I didn't give up and gave it a chance. Good luck to you and yours!!

 

[kurby22]

Well there are two eggs moving so not a loss yet! Also, I quickly candled three eggs and saw one internal pip moving, one chirping when I candled and one with no movement. I'm hoping I'll get at least a couple from my first hatch! My kids and I are impatiently waiting

Any news? The waiting is SO hard!!

 

[Breezed]

I'm really late to the February party. Yesterday was my first hatch day ever. I started with 12 but only 4 made it to lockdown. Most were mail delivered and botched up badly so I didn't have high expectations. 1 appenzeller spitzhauben hatched yesterday, and 1 blue cochin bantam hatched last night. I have a 2nd blue cochin bantam that just started a tiny pip yesterday around 5pm but it hasn't progressed any since. I also have a crested cream legbar egg and there's been no signs of movement or pipping. I had a very hard time candling because it is so blue I couldn't see much. I'm hoping it's just a late bloomer but probably not. The spitz and cream legbar are the only two eggs that survived the mail delivery. The bantams are from my own flock and my little roo was just killed last week so I'm excited to at least have his babies.

 

[dreamofwinter]

Day 18! Aaaaahhhh!
I've been worried about air cells on a couple of eggs - apparently one of my Buff Orp hens lays really sturdy impermeable eggs because those two have much less air cell growth. All of them seemed small when I candled a few days ago so I've been running humidity lower than 40%. When I candled last night things were looking better - most of the cells were getting a little slope on them.

Today I'll take out the turner and put in some shelf liner, and crank the humidity back up. I'll also get the brooder up and running in case I have any early birds as so many of you have had.

I'm trying to not get my hopes up too high. I started with 13 eggs and had 2 clears and 2 quitters. On the other hand I'm not sure what I'm going to do with 9 chicks, especially as I've got another 4 chicks on order from a local Brahma breeder. Hopefully I can find local homes for some of the barnyard mix chicks - I've heard demand is pretty high these days. All those people who think they'll be saving money by raising their own chickens. Ha ha!