...,, i've been hoardering (ordering) silkie eggs from quite a few breeders for quite a few months now .... just about every one of them has offered LOTS of helpful tips on hatching.... i've had an overall 50% + at aminimum on hatch rates the eggs that i have the biggest problem with are the ones who from day 1 have an abnormally shaped air cell....
i've learned to keep 'em upright with minimal turning the first week and i usually have no problem bringing them to 'pip day' .. that's where the problem comes in.... if almost all have pipped (or if zipping starts) and there's still any that haven't pipped, i'll candle the egg and break thru the shell at the widest point of the air cell with the tip of a box cutter and then using a toothpick work enough of the shell away to see whats going on and to give myself enough 'operating room'.... if i see the beak has poked thru the membrane, i'll usually leave them be and see how they progress with regard to everybody else and go from there.... if they haven't poked thru the membrane and i can see their beak under it, i'll break the membrane as close to the beak as i can while avoiding veins.... both of the above situations, i've learned to work with, but would still like to avoid....
the one's that i can't help at all are once again the ones with the distorted air cells --- upon necropsy (if ya can call it that), the chicks beak is somewhere tucked under the chick with no hope of ever touching the shell...
i've got the brinsea units with auto temp and hum contols... 99.6 degrees throughout incubating, 50% hum the first 18 days, 65 - 75% the last 3 -4 days (my hatches usually run 22-22.5 days...
also -- i ALWAYS lay them on their sides the last 3-4 days --- is there better success keeping them upright? ... just doesn't seem natural, but what the hey, nothing really about hatching silkies is.. lol
i've also found with the silkies with high vaults, i sometimes have to help them a little more by breaking the shell away from around the vault and making judgnent calls as needed......
.. maybe i'm interfering too much, but i'm finding the less i do , the less successful the hatch....
any and all suggestions are appreciated!
tia,
john
i've learned to keep 'em upright with minimal turning the first week and i usually have no problem bringing them to 'pip day' .. that's where the problem comes in.... if almost all have pipped (or if zipping starts) and there's still any that haven't pipped, i'll candle the egg and break thru the shell at the widest point of the air cell with the tip of a box cutter and then using a toothpick work enough of the shell away to see whats going on and to give myself enough 'operating room'.... if i see the beak has poked thru the membrane, i'll usually leave them be and see how they progress with regard to everybody else and go from there.... if they haven't poked thru the membrane and i can see their beak under it, i'll break the membrane as close to the beak as i can while avoiding veins.... both of the above situations, i've learned to work with, but would still like to avoid....
the one's that i can't help at all are once again the ones with the distorted air cells --- upon necropsy (if ya can call it that), the chicks beak is somewhere tucked under the chick with no hope of ever touching the shell...
i've got the brinsea units with auto temp and hum contols... 99.6 degrees throughout incubating, 50% hum the first 18 days, 65 - 75% the last 3 -4 days (my hatches usually run 22-22.5 days...
also -- i ALWAYS lay them on their sides the last 3-4 days --- is there better success keeping them upright? ... just doesn't seem natural, but what the hey, nothing really about hatching silkies is.. lol
i've also found with the silkies with high vaults, i sometimes have to help them a little more by breaking the shell away from around the vault and making judgnent calls as needed......
.. maybe i'm interfering too much, but i'm finding the less i do , the less successful the hatch....
any and all suggestions are appreciated!
tia,
john
