Finally in lock down again. * Update - pics!*

[midget_farms]

correct - I have a home made incubator - I cant hatch with the turner in so I have removed it for this first hatch. Once I had a pip I wont open the incubator any longer or they could be shrink wrapped. So - The second set is just going to have to hang in there for 3 or 4 days. Then I'll turn them for 1 day & back to lock down.

Lets hope! They should be OK though.

 

[midget_farms]

WHOO HOOO!!

I came home to 1 buff orp chick!

I have 1 more unzipping and 2 more pips - I've got 23 total BO eggs in there + 6 EE's due this time.

Since I just started day 21 at 3pm I'd say I'm doing OK.

The egg has some water in there - which kind of worries me - especially for the second batch - they are going to be soaked

I'll try to dry them out for the day before they go into lock down & maybe not bring the H up for that batch until I see a pip.

Ha - I can't wait to see how many hatch!

 

[midget_farms]

The egg in the last picture - it hasn't changed or moved in 6 hrs. I think it gave up the ghost : ( It doesn't look like it got through the membrane so probably couldn't breath.

I have 5 other pips at the moment & 1 of those is really giving it a go.

Lets hope I wake up to 25 chicks! Or at least 25 pips!

 

[chickenfeverforever]

I had one just like this today. Never made it past the pip or membrane. He didnt make any progress for 12 hours. I took him out and he was not alive. Ihave since had 2 hatch and one pip!!! Good luck to u!

 

[midget_farms]

I woke up this morning to 3 hatched (1 from yesterday) and 2 stuck in the egg. Shrink wrapped. I helped them out & washed them off in the sink to get the membrane off of thier feathers. They are doing well and showing no ill effects from being stuck.

I have 3 more pips not counting the dead one.

I'm concerned about the shrink wrapping though - the humidity has not dropped below 75% so this should not have happened.

I added a bunch of steamy water & have the H at 83% right now. I dont want any more of that going on.

None of the EE eggs have pipped. These were shipped long distance. There are 6 - 5 of which I was certain were good going into lockdown. 1 was a ?

I'll give the rest of the eggs this weekend & see what we get.

So far so good!

 

[chics in the sun]

I actually read somewhere that the shirnk wrapping was from too much humidity. I'm a complete newby - but the explanation made sense. Can't remember it now, but it had to do with the membrane not drying out enough.

 

[mommas_got_peeps]

I can soooooo see myself "incubating" next year..looks like fun!!

 

[ChestnutRidge]

I had asked about this. Chicks can get "sticky" but not shrink wrapped from the humidity being too high. The goo they are in is too gooey and they can't move or turn to zip.

Here's the thread: "Shrink wrap" vs. "Sticky chick"? https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=491421
I summarized everybody's comments in the first post.

ETA: There are pictures of shrinkwrapped and sticky chicks on the thread.

I'd make sure the vents are open and try to keep humidity lower, like high 60s to mid 70s.

 

[midget_farms]

Quote:
Great advice. On this hatch though I'm going with super high humidity. This is my 4th hatch in this incubator and the first three were super DRY. I'm certain I lost most of them because of this. I may even turn down the fan a notch or two.



Update - Its 6 hrs past the end of day 21. I have had 9 chicks hatch. 1 thought it was a duck and drowned in the chick waterer. What the heck - these things are supposed to be chick proof. IN any case I have 8 peepers at the moment and I have 2 pips.

The 9th chick just hatched in the last 2 hrs and the 2 pips are from this afternoon - so I don't expect them until tomorrow.

I still have like 14 more eggs due on this hatch. I'm going to be ticked if I don't at least get to 50% (13).

I've never had great hatch rates because I'm still working out the kinks on airflow and humidity.

But this hatch seems to be going OK - except for the duck and the one that started to zip but didn't break the membrane. That accounts for 2 of my 27 eggs that locked down. 2 more were ?? when the locked. So that leaves 23 that had a good chance. 9 have hatched so 14 left.

I'm at the stage now where I'm holding my breath!

 

[ChestnutRidge]

Quote:
Sounds good!

Best of luck!