Finally hatching count 15...UPDATED WITH PICS...

[Three Cedars Silkies]

More pics...

 

[SusanJoM]

Wonderful pix and wonderful chix OTG.

As of this morning I've got 16 babies -- some EEs and some Ameraucanas. I lost 2 babies after they hatched (one that I helped but too late and one that got caught up in the internals of the hatcher).

I've still got some pips and zips, but I've definitely come to the conclusion that I should't have so many eggs in the hatcher at once.

I know it's okay to leave them in there for 24-48 hours, but they get too bunched up, and then I need to get them out, and then the laggards get hit with the outside air when I move 'em., and now I'm concerned that if they don't make it it will be because I was so greedy...?

I'll know a whole lot more when I get to the end of this hatch. Unfortunately I'm going to want to rush the laggards out so I can clean the hatcher since I've got a batch of silkies that need to move from the bator to the hatcher on Saturday.

Next time I do this I'm going to try not to have my hatches overlapping so closely. I guess I need to go find a paper and pencil and figure out the appropriate spacing....And/or, of course, maybe I really DO need that second hatcher.....????? Ohh la la....

In any case, the 16 babies are beautiful. It's looking as if there are only maybe 2-3 eggs in the two shipments that didn't develop, and the ones that I've lost seem to be due to ME and not anything to do with the eggs or the shipping.

Oh, this is Day 22, by the way.
Susan

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Yes, I loved using the carton!! Funniest thing is to have them hop back into the carton and go to sleep after having hatched and gotten out for a while. They don't go back to the eggshell...just the empty carton. This is my first hatch, so I don't know anything else, but I can only imagine.

This is what has hatched so far:

3 - light brahma
2 - americana
2 - I don't know what's - the guy said he had RIR's but those two dark ones definitely aren't RIR's!! They are chocolate brown with a tinge of white under their necks and on their wings. They were from light brown/cream eggs.
7 - white leghorn

We are keeping the light brahma, americana and the 2 dark ones for now. The white leghorns are up for grabs if anyone is interested!!

 

[rroven]

Day 23...peeping and lots of it but no pip...I keep checking but not a chip out of those eggs

I have been waiting for what seems like forever for these 10 Salmon Favorelles....

 

[Eggseronious]

Just checking in to see that everyones hatch is going fine keep up the good work.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Congratulations EVERYONE!!!

The babies all look fine and healthy!

I can't wait for mine to start doing something significant ...just one little pip would be so nice right about now

Thanks for the well wishes, too. I got some rest ..finally... but woke up with the beast of the beasts kickin' my butt, so I took some migraine meds and am now sippin' on a Power-C water.


Funny story ...very off topic here.. I used to always cuddle with my kitty, Aneesa, whenever a real bear of a mig would jump on me. Well, she's waiting for me at the Bridge now, so I haven't had a furry nurse since December last year. When I woke up this morning, feeling like a truck rolled over me several times and didn't finish me off... I thought of Obe and Tahti ..my little Sizzle roo and Silkie pullet... and how soft they both are. Yep.. got my babies out and bribed them with some treats (mealies on the livingroom floor!!! ..no, I'm not a real chicken person anymore ....I'm a foofoo chicken lady!

) Anyhow.. Tahti crawled right up in my lap and stuck her head under my arm ..went on to nuzzle and "purr" until my head started to free itself from the vice grip a bit.

I have chronic migraines ...most of my life.. all kinds of meds (ie., injectibles, orals, nasals, preventatives, and so on) ...very little relief. Even with a super doooper strict diet regimen ..preservatives and all that garbage FREE!

Anyhoo... I have discovered that chickens are good for something else!! I have feathered nurses now!

 

[babyboy1_mom]

Today is day 21 for me and I awoke to 4 little cuckoo marans in the bator. I have 2 more that have good sized pips in them, but haven't zipped yet. I see their little beaks every now and then at the pip hole, so they are still alive.

Next will be figuring out which are males and which are females. I have to wait until they are all dry and fluffy to see what size/kind of white spots are on their heads....lol

Congrats. on all of those that have new babies and good luck to those that are still waiting.

Dorothy

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Well the finally hatching count is 15 out of 18. All 15 hatched on day 21. When I got home from work today, I checked the remaining three that had not pipped. I noticed over the last few days that these eggs were much larger than the others had been...and they were heavier. I opened them and the chicks had not survived from day 18 to day 21. I noticed that there was a lot of fluid in them, so I assumed the chicks had drowned at some point. I assume this was because the aircell was not as large as it should have been. I had been keeping my humidity at 50-55% for the first 16 or so days of the hatch when I candled and found aircells too small. So I turned the humidity down to 35-40% for the several days until day 18...then back up to 70%.

From now on...I'l keep the humidity between 40-45%. I think this was the primary problem and I'm going to do my best to see that it doesn't happen again.

I used to manage a Thoroughbred horse farm for about 15 years and I always got so upset when something happened to one of the horses. One of my employees said to me one day..."You know, Judy, when you have livestock you're going to have deadstock sometimes". I've never forgotten that and it makes it a bit easier to deal with situations like today.

I'm grateful for the 15 that hatched and we'll move on to the next hatch! I'll be putting 3 cochin frizzle eggs into the hatcher tomorrow and about 30 other purebred eggs in on 7/1...yep they're due July 4th!!

Thanks for all the support and assistance you all gave during this, my first, hatch! Best hatching vibes to all of you!!

 

[mamaboyd]

Congrats on your hatch oldtimegator!! That's a really good hatch rate!
I now have 22 chicks hatched, 5 pips and eggs that have done nothing. I know for sure one of those eggs is no good and I'll be removing it tonight, the other 2 I will give another couple of days since it's still only day 21.

So who's ready for their next hatch??

 

[SusanJoM]

well, here's what the score is here at my house.

15 in the brooder
3 that developed/pipped/died
3 still in the hatcher
9 still undetermined (day 22 for 8 of them/day 20 for one of them)

Tomorrow I will terminate this hatch because I need to clean and sterilize the hatcher for a whole new batch that are due out of the 'bator by the end of the day....which means I've got another Day 21 coming up in 4 days.....Oh my...

My planning will be a bit better next time....
I hope, I hope, I hope....