First Time Hatching Anyone With Me??

[blueducklings]

Kelly's Chickens :

Question--How long can you keep eggs before you put them in the incubator? I want to breed my BO rooster with my biggest BO pullet but she only lays about every 3-4 days. I'd like to get a dozen eggs before I put them in the bator. Would I have to hold them too long to do that?

7 days if you don't turn them, and up to 10 if you do. I turn mine reguardless and never use eggs beyond 10 days. Mostly 7days. 14 eggs form 2 ducks? that makes 2 perfect rows in my bator. UNLESS someone decides to go broody or molts, then I'm out of luck.

They have been known to go broody over golf balls.

 

[destinydot6]

Quote:
yeah i did what you said and helped it out at little but he got out the rest of the way and there was white hard stuff in with him and his right foot is crippled,
my last set of eggs was due to hatch today and 1 pipped yesturday and started coming out but then stopped and i just left it alone and this morning i checked it still hadnt came out but was still okso i didnt touch it and 3 hours later i checked again and it had drowned in some yellow nasty stuff! i should had helped it but i didnt want another 1 with messed up feet

I'm so sorry

That's tough... I just had to help 3 duck eggs hatch and I did the steamy bathroom trick. They had been squeeking at me since Sunday. I ended up pipping them enough to break the membrane so they could breath and put them back in. Left it alone until Monday morning and saw no progress so then opened them up more. Could easily see the babies and all were breathing/squeeking so again, left them to try and get out. I watched them ALL day Monday and saw them kind of struggling. I figured that IF they hadn't gotten out by Tuesday morning, I would get them out. BEST decision I made. They were all STUCK on the membrane! The humidity was probably too low the week before hatching (I was on vacation and someone else had the bator) and they started hatching three days early. Not enough time to get the humidity safely up. It was at 88% starting Saturday night but since they came early.. well... you know.

ANYWAY.. I am happy to report that after a touchy first day hatched they are all doing well. One had a neck strain or something. While the other two were getting up and around he just laid there kind of floppy

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/81805_ducksjusthatched.jpg

I was really worried but then this morning he's up and around with the rest. PHEW!! I LOVE Sav-A-Chick... that stuff is awesome

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/81805_ducklings.jpg

awe congrats there sooo cute!
the one i helped had a floppy neck as well and all it did was lay around till this morning themits up and around except for its foot but i think that they have to use both there necks and feet to push so they can be up and running soon after they break out,next time i will know!

 

[blueducklings]

Quote:
I'm so sorry

That's tough... I just had to help 3 duck eggs hatch and I did the steamy bathroom trick. They had been squeeking at me since Sunday. I ended up pipping them enough to break the membrane so they could breath and put them back in. Left it alone until Monday morning and saw no progress so then opened them up more. Could easily see the babies and all were breathing/squeeking so again, left them to try and get out. I watched them ALL day Monday and saw them kind of struggling. I figured that IF they hadn't gotten out by Tuesday morning, I would get them out. BEST decision I made. They were all STUCK on the membrane! The humidity was probably too low the week before hatching (I was on vacation and someone else had the bator) and they started hatching three days early. Not enough time to get the humidity safely up. It was at 88% starting Saturday night but since they came early.. well... you know.

ANYWAY.. I am happy to report that after a touchy first day hatched they are all doing well. One had a neck strain or something. While the other two were getting up and around he just laid there kind of floppy

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/81805_ducksjusthatched.jpg

I was really worried but then this morning he's up and around with the rest. PHEW!! I LOVE Sav-A-Chick... that stuff is awesome

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/81805_ducklings.jpg

awe congrats there sooo cute!
the one i helped had a floppy neck as well and all it did was lay around till this morning themits up and around except for its foot but i think that they have to use both there necks and feet to push so they can be up and running soon after they break out,next time i will know!

One of my help out ducklings had a hard time coming out and she had a dried up curled foot as well and I squirted the foot down with water and when it came out of the shell I rubbed it a bit. It is flat and you can't tell it was ever curled up.

 

[luvchicks8]

One is out and peeping away!!

 

[blueducklings]

So cute! That is going to be one dirty soft toy.
Is this a Genesis 1588?
Looks like the same setup as the one I have.

 

[luvchicks8]

Quote:
Sure is Genesis. Nobody else is hatching yet

Yeah we save mcdonalds stuffed animals for the cause lol

 

[latebloomer]

hatching has begun in vermont

 

[blueducklings]

What is the new population of vermont??
What flavour did you get?

 

[latebloomer]

sixteen bbs oprington chicks out of twenty-one eggs

had to cull one that was deformed, and one, ray, had spraddle leg, but recovered

fifteen survivors happy and healthy

how are you babies doing?

 

[ItsAZOO32]

Quote:
I have to ask because I have never gotten a response from anyone. How do you cull a chick without "hurting" it? I.e. Quick and painless??