First Time Hatching....Round 2

[Long Last Farm]

Chicks can go three days without food or water--that's why they can be shipped as soon as they hatch.

When he is dry and fluffy, and no other eggs seem to be hatching, you can take him out and put him in a warm brooder --about 95 degrees. Just put the lid back on the incubator quickly.You can do this in a day or two after he hatched.
Many people do not use pine shavings in the brooder for 2-3 days because they are afraid the chicks will eat the shavings. You can use paper towels if you want.

Make sure the chick has water and chick feed he can reach. You can dip his beak in the water gently to show him how to drink.

I hope your other chicks hatch, because your little one is a flock animal, and will miss having buddies.
Mostly, he will just sleep and eat and drink for a couple days,
If he peeps very lodly, he is probably too cold. If he tries to stay away from the heat lamp, he is probably too warm..

Good luck! I think you will do fine. I hope your other eggs hatch soon.
Pat

 

[HiddenHill Heretic]

H, Great Idea for a thread. I learned alot my 1st hatch, which came through and finished March 15, 2011. I hatched out 19 of 24 Welsummer, Blk. Ameracauna, Lav. Orpington, Barnevelder, and Olive Egger. They are all growing well and happy little girls??? This hatch I have had some different challenges. A power outage for 3 days which involved woodstove overheating and a midnight dash to a friends house, with incubator, a Brinsea Eco 20 with turner, my 31 eggs packed in tightly, and my 19 chicks and emergency brooder set up. Upon return, I found a bulge in the plastic base of my incubator, obviously allowing air to enter. I covered with plumbers ABS tape, then candled the next day, the 18th of this run. 21 of 31 look good and went into lockdown. With the run around and temperature changes, anything I get will be great, though secretly, due to my last hatch, I expect relative success, at least 15 chicks. We'll See. I also am trying hatching in cartons this time, with the hope the eggs will not be banged about by hatched chicks. My 21st day begins tomorrow at 6:45 PM PST. The current eggs I have were picked up from a lady 2 hours from home, and include Black Minorca, Blue Andalusian, Blue Wheaton Ameracauna, Orloff, Light Sussex, and Faverolle. After this hatch, I will be forced to take a break to send back my incubator to Brinsea. Though I do have a broody...... Hmmmmm

 

[Missicaye]

Thanks so much for the advise, Pat.
No other chicks seem to be ready to hatch, although it is only day 19.
Ive put my 1-2 week old welsummer & marans chicks in a cage next to the bator so the lil peep can have some vocal company.
(Although I did not hatch out any of these myself)
I hope the lil thing does well too while all by itself for a few days.
It is finally drying off, strong enuf to hold its head up, moving about the bator sucessfully and preening.
I've brought my office work home so I can keep an eye on the little things! lol
I'm exhausted and not getting a thing accomplished!!
Thanks

 

[KZ]

I just moved my eggs to the hatcher! Saturday the 9th is the due date! I can't wait to see what happens.

An incubator is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get. Hehe

 

[kfchickenlady]

I had a chick hatch on day 19, one on day 20, then today at day 23, 2 early this morning, and 2 just now, im done. I read somewhere that late hatching means temp fluctuations or too low of a temp. But then I think to myself, what about the day 19 and 20 chicks? Well, all are super healthy, although I will say the later ones took longer to get it together and wake up, but as for me, I am DONE with hatching until I get a better incubator. I have a borrowed forced air LG with turner, but reading reviews I find out that they are only reliable for the first few years and this one is borrowed and OLD.

good luck to all on this thread! Pics later.

 

[Long Last Farm]

you are welcome, Missicaye. Let us know how things work out!

 

[Missicaye]

Thanks and I will.
Heck, you would think, after 16 years of having/raising chickens, this incuubating thing would be easy..... NOT!!
If all goes according to plan, and everything hatches, I will have a flock of 50.
My husbands gonna kill me! lol

 

[Hannah hen]

Possible trouble this morning! Temp is down to 96.5.

I'm not sure how long or how low it might have gotten. Grandma was hot yesterday and turned on ac but temps in house were 64 this morning. I've already got it back up, but with less than a week to go we don't want to loose them now. Temps were good last night so hope we will still be ok. Time will tell.
Any body have more chicks this morning?

 

[Long Last Farm]

not yet...I'm on day19..Is it true that banty eggs may hatch a day or so early? I've never hatched them before....

 

[latebloomer]

not yet for me either, on day nineteen as well

went home at lunch and all quiet