First Time Hatching - incubator edition

[cluckingheck]

Coccidiosis is in the soil. It's kind of a complicated thing if you start reading in to it your head will start spinning with different opinions on it, lol. I just stick to what works for me and if I begin to have issues I'll change my practices. My thoughts are, if you lost chicks to it then there's no harm in feeding it to your chicks for a period of time while they're becoming accustomed to what is found in your soil. After a few days to a week you can bring a clump of grass with dirt attached for them to peck at and eat as well. Just make sure to give the chicks chick grit if they eat anything other than the chick feed.

Yeah, it’s been pretty wet this fall-winter and I didn’t know if that had something to do with it too with all the mud being kicked up. I know when I got their parents as chicks back in March, they stayed in the brooder that’s in the coop until around 8-9 weeks and they didn’t leave the coop until around 14 weeks ( I was paranoid, okay lol ) and that was during the summer so it was pretty dry. I didn’t lose any of the broody’s chicks, but I think they’re growth was stunted a bit. They’re all almost 9 weeks old and Nelly hasn’t weaned them yet. Here’s them tonight after I shut the coop up

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Yeah, it’s been pretty wet this fall-winter and I didn’t know if that had something to do with it too with all the mud being kicked up. I know when I got their parents as chicks back in March, they stayed in the brooder that’s in the coop until around 8-9 weeks and they didn’t leave the coop until around 14 weeks ( I was paranoid, okay lol ) and that was during the summer so it was pretty dry. I didn’t lose any of the broody’s chicks, but I think they’re growth was stunted a bit. They’re all almost 9 weeks old and Nelly hasn’t weaned them yet. Here’s them tonight after I shut the coop up
View attachment 2498095

Oh my gosh that's the SWEETEST thing!!!

 

[cluckingheck]

Another one has pipped

 

[cluckingheck]

The one that pipped around 10:50-11am hasn’t made any progress. When should I be worried about that? Is it okay if they make no progress in that 24 hours?

 

[cluckingheck]

I remember my first time incubating! It was a blast, the hardest thing to do is to just let them be! As much as they look like they are struggling or giving up I wait till day 23-25 to intervene. I had one take 24 hours to come out after externally pipping it was agonizing to watch! I don't know if you mentioned this but for lockdown you cranked your humidity to about 65% right?

Yeah, the humidity has been raised. I really do hate the wait, that’s why I’m kind of glad some of these should be hatching while I’m asleep. I’m just a little worried about one that hatched around 11am today because it hasn’t made any progress since externally pipping

 

[aart]

I’m just a little worried about one that hatched around 11am today because it hasn’t made any progress since externally pipping

they aren't hatched until they are all the way out of the shell.
It is hard to wait!
Sit on your hands....remember.......

Yes that's normal. It can take up to 24 hours from external pip to zip. They internally pip, begin to start using their lungs for the first time, as carbon dioxide builds up in the shell it stimulates the chick to make that external pip allowing oxygen to enter the egg, right now the chick is working on absorbing the yolk sac and blood vessels surrounding it on the internal membranes. Once all of that is complete they will begin pecking at the pip and rotating, pecking as they go, that's the zip.

 

[cluckingheck]

the temp. brooder is ready for the babies ( well, almost, i still have to bring up the heating plate from the barn )

 

[cluckingheck]

it pecked at a different place in the shell

 

[cluckingheck]

okay...is it okay that only three have externally pipped? i know another has internally pipped, but that’s it. i haven’t heard or seen any movement from the others. is that normal?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

okay...is it okay that only three have externally pipped? i know another has internally pipped, but that’s it. i haven’t heard or seen any movement from the others. is that normal?

Lol deep breath everything is progressing as it should. There's nothing to be done right now but wait, I know it's hard. You will probably wake up to chicks and pips in the morning.