First hatch!: wiggling and scratching!!

[7isheaven]

Good news - a little late.

Little Caesar is up waddling around now! I think he's going to be okay. I'll try to post a pic. Tomorrow.

Still waiting on the 6 eggs. Giving them til Sunday. Then I plan to take them outside for autopsy.

I'm very happy that friends of ours decided they wanted them so we can visit them anytime. I'm going to recommend they join this forum.

Deborah

 

[geobird]

Great story and pictures and everything! I have my first three fluffy butts from my diy bator running around in the brooder in the bathroom! I had to help two of them out of their shells because over 24 hours had gone by, one had mostly unzipped and the other just a small hole. When that membrane gets sticky it really binds them up, and next time, if I have to, I will use wet cotton swabs to help free it. The other one needed no help at all, it must have burst from its shell in no time, the shell broken cleanly around and the chick running amok in the incubator when we got home from running errands.

Peace!

 

[Lacrystol]

Awweee how cute, it is very stressful but exciting at the same time. I know i haven't been able to sleep and mine don't go into lockdown until Monday... congratulations on you newly hatches..

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

that the 6 eggs hatch!!!

 

[7isheaven]

The last six were all dead.

I don't know what the cause. They all looked like complete chickens. Including Humpty Dumpty- So he DID survive the intial crack!!!

There was a lot of liquid and yolk in them, but have no clue what's normal. . Egg #17 was wiggling on day 20, but was one that died. So I am wondering if the banging around by chicks early on day 21 killed it. [half hatched on day 21 and the other half on day 22] I would definitely do the egg cartons on lock down next time. I am wondering if there is a incubator that has a way of separating out chicks from the eggs w/o compromising the pips. I was thinking a two level incubator w/ eggs on top then space around the edges so hatched chicks 'fall' down to the bottom soft level and can't get back to the eggs. [Even in the cartons, chicks were jumping up on them, laying on them and pecking at them. . . And they were pecking at Caesar through his 'zip' hole and I wonder if that slowed him down and caused him to dry out too much [or just get too exhausted by stress] I told my friend that's taking the chicks that if he wants to build a new incubator that I want to help him build my idea! [he's built his own before].

We buried them in our 'pet graveyard' ie the back corner of the yard and said a prayer. Then later I had to explain to my confused 3yo that I had not killed them, but were already dead inside the egg!

I will probably have to explain that over and over ad nauseum. note to self, don't include 3yo in autopsy session.

Little Caesar is doing well. I added him to the rest of the 'flock' of babies yesterday. He's a little smaller than they are, but maybe he's just 2 days younger and they are already putting on weight! lol. . . I have not noticed any negative behavior. They are all eating like little piggies. . . They will go to their new home in a few days. At least they will be at friend's house so we can visit them.

My dh took 'serious' photos of some them today. . .

When we get all the video/photos done and uploaded on my blog, I will post again.

blessings,

deborah

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Oh, so sorry about the remaining eggs!

 

[jdowie]

Hello,
First time hatching eggs here. I have 14 in the hatcher. I am having a lot of trouble maintining humiity, and they are uck eggs so it nees to be even higher than usual. Any tricks? It's a little giant still air incubator. Also, they were set to hatch today (day 28). We started to see them wiggle last night, an they are still wiggling today. How long from wiggle time should I expect to see a pip? I'm so nervous!

Thanks,
Jon