First time hatching and Murphy's Law seems to be in full effect

[AmyLynn2374]

He is out! He just got out at 3:20p my time. I took a pic but my reception is poor.

If and when it shows up I will post it.

Awesome!! Congrats!!! How are his eyes?

 

[goats2chickens]

His eyes are fine. I tried to get a picture, but a black chicken just doesn't photograph well, IMHO. He isn't fluffy though except on his butt. It may be because I misted the eggs a few times because the humidity is only about 65% and they seem dry. The one that made an external pip isn't progressing as I would like but is still alive. There are two other eggs who have also pipped!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

His eyes are fine. I tried to get a picture, but a black chicken just doesn't photograph well, IMHO. He isn't fluffy though except on his butt. It may be because I misted the eggs a few times because the humidity is only about 65% and they seem dry. The one that made an external pip isn't progressing as I would like but is still alive. There are two other eggs who have also pipped!

I wouldn't expect him to fluff out as I would think that he'd be a sticky chick after seeing the condition of the membranes during hatch. You can get a warm washcloth and try to wash him up to get that dried fluid off or you can wait until it wears off eventually. A chick can take up to 24 hours to go from pip to zip. I don't ever let mine go past that with out starting an assist. I would keep an extra close eye on them and make sure the membranes aren't turnng that yucky brown/yellow that the first one had. That is a sign of them drying out and possibly becoming glued by the inner membrane. The membranes should be nice and white and papery.

Congrats on the pippers and the best of luck on their hatch!

 

[Naliez]

Ok... So today is day 18- lockdown. The standard Silkie eggs go in around 3pm today. They go in on their sides at 100* with about 80% humidity, correct? Is there anything else I'm missing?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok... So today is day 18- lockdown. The standard Silkie eggs go in around 3pm today. They go in on their sides at 100* with about 80% humidity, correct? Is there anything else I'm missing?

Unless you plan on opening the bator very frequently, you can go 70/75% humidity. If you see condensation-cut it back. Good luck!

 

[Naliez]

Unless you plan on opening the bator very frequently, you can go 70/75% humidity. If you see condensation-cut it back.  Good luck!

Ok! I haven't put them in yet bc I'm having a hard time with humidity. It's either too low (55-60) and now it's 90%.... Is 100 good for the temp? Is it different than incubation? Also, do I need to tilt the eggs or anything or just put them on their side? Last, they usually pip on day 20?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok! I haven't put them in yet bc I'm having a hard time with humidity. It's either too low (55-60) and now it's 90%.... Is 100 good for the temp? Is it different than incubation? Also, do I need to tilt the eggs or anything or just put them on their side? Last, they usually pip on day 20?

Some people will drop the temp one degree for hatch, others don't. I don't but I find because I am an extreme meddler and open my bator frequently during hatch that it ends up a degree less anyway...lol. You don't need to t ilt the eggs. If you candle and mark the air cells before you go into lockdown you can get an idea where they should be pipping (usually in the vicinity of the lowest dip in the air cell) and face that side up so you can see when they do pip. When they pip is up to them. My bator runs warm on the average during incubation so I generally see pipping by the end of day 19. Perfect temps you would expect to see pipping by the end of day 20, but could be 21. Generally if your temps were in a decent range between days 19-22 you should be hatching out.

 

[goats2chickens]

Unless you plan on opening the bator very frequently, you can go 70/75% humidity. If you see condensation-cut it back. Good luck!

I have condensation on the viewing windows whenever I add water?

I ended up with 3 chicks total.

The other two chicks a Favorelle crosses and look and did fine. I think the BCM are known for being difficult to hatch in these type of Bator's from what I have read. My next batch went in on the 25th so I take the turner out and add water on the 13th, I think. I am hoping for a better hatch this time.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have condensation on the viewing windows whenever I add water?

I ended up with 3 chicks total.

The other two chicks a Favorelle crosses and look and did fine. I think the BCM are known for being difficult to hatch in these type of Bator's from what I have read. My next batch went in on the 25th so I take the turner out and add water on the 13th, I think. I am hoping for a better hatch this time.

BCMs appear to be a problem for many people regardless of the bator...lol One of my fellow BYCers just finished his 2nd attempt in the Brinsea (Queen of the table top incubators) and dispite the fact he usually has 90%+ hatchers has stalled at about 55% with the BCMs and they are from his own birds.

Congrats on the three!!!

 

[goats2chickens]

BCMs appear to be a problem for many people regardless of the bator...lol One of my fellow BYCers just finished his 2nd attempt in the Brinsea (Queen of the table top incubators) and dispite the fact he usually has 90%+ hatchers has stalled at about 55% with the BCMs and they are from his own birds.

Congrats on the three!!!

Thank you! Who knew an old lady could get so excited over a couple of chicks, right? I am excited! And, that any of this batch hatched and to have the first one ever be a BCM - what else is there to say? Amazing.