Ended Halloween Hatch-A-Long 2018

[Pensmaster]

Should I leave my hatched chicks in the incubator or take them out. This morning when I got up 3 chicks had hatched overnight. During the day 5 more have hatched. The humidity and temp has been holding great. We have 2 that have about half way zipped but stopped and haven't progressed any the rest of the day. I can see their beaks and see them breathing so I know they're alive. I still have 3 other pipped eggs and 9 that haven't done anything yet. I'm really worried about messing up the hatch by opening the incubator and I don't want to risk the 2 which are half zipped either. Their membranes haven't yellowed yet, they're staying white and they have been rolled around a lot by the 8 hatched chicks.

Might try hatching in an egg carton, especially if they are shipped eggs. It keeps them upright and the others don’t use them as bowling pins. Also allows to keep incubator closed if you want. Mine hatched over a two day period this time so I did grab them out as we went.

 

[AshleySGM]

@penny1960 @Pensmaster
I went ahead and took the 8 out and checked the 2 half-zipped. They were dry so I helped. #22 pushed out the rest of the way by itself. #23 didn't so I looked closer and it was glued. So I assisted it out of the shell and its wing was stuck to it's head so I used a moistened paper towel to get it free. I had to bathe it in the sink to de-stick it. It's back in the incubator with #22 right now. Another egg #3 is zipping now. The water pans look dry or almost is that the problem and if so how is the humidity still up?

That's the chicks .

#22

#23

And the 3 pipped with the rest.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Might need to have another humidity gauge seems to me
I always ran doubles but is also why I have 4 silky

 

[AshleySGM]

I decided to follow my gut and added more water. That has to explain the sticky chicks at the end of hatches.

 

[pennyJo1960]

sure does

 

[WVduckchick]

one out another pipped had to actually put a board so the girls couldn't let them close then take a photo
View attachment 1579026 View attachment 1579029

Checked my girl when I got home, still not hatched. But I caught one of the older hens running the broody out of the box!! I bet it’s been happening a lot and I hadn’t seen it. So I moved the broody and her lone egg to a different broody box.

@penny1960 @Pensmaster
I went ahead and took the 8 out and checked the 2 half-zipped. They were dry so I helped. #22 pushed out the rest of the way by itself. #23 didn't so I looked closer and it was glued. So I assisted it out of the shell and its wing was stuck to it's head so I used a moistened paper towel to get it free. I had to bathe it in the sink to de-stick it. It's back in the incubator with #22 right now. Another egg #3 is zipping now. The water pans look dry or almost is that the problem and if so how is the humidity still up?View attachment 1579293
That's the chicks .

#22
View attachment 1579294

#23
View attachment 1579295

And the 3 pipped with the rest.
View attachment 1579296

Cuties!!

By the way, once they start a full active zip (I mean progress more than an inch or two in the proper direction) they should finish within about an hour. If they stop half way, just break off the air cell cap for them. They usually push right out after that.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Went to close door shut out the light for Silky there was now 2 peeps see what happens in the night now have to block the girls move them just to see not even touching the peeps

 

[AshleySGM]

@WVduckchick I think you're right. I added more water yesterday when I took the chicks out and one was starting to zip when I went to bed. I left the two I'd helped in the incubator overnight. This morning 3 new chicks hatched with no problems. I moved all 5 to the brooder and candled the ladt 9 eggs (which still hadn't done anything). Two have internally pipped, 5 look normal for lock down and 2 were obvious quitters so I tossed those 2. I didn't hear any chirping or tapping so I think they won't hatch. We got 13 healthy chicks out of 27 set, 22 locked down. I think there's some kinks to work out, namely the humidity first.

 

[N F C]

@WVduckchick I think you're right. I added more water yesterday when I took the chicks out and one was starting to zip when I went to bed. I left the two I'd helped in the incubator overnight. This morning 3 new chicks hatched with no problems. I moved all 5 to the brooder and candled the ladt 9 eggs (which still hadn't done anything). Two have internally pipped, 5 look normal for lock down and 2 were obvious quitters so I tossed those 2. I didn't hear any chirping or tapping so I think they won't hatch. We got 13 healthy chicks out of 27 set, 22 locked down. I think there's some kinks to work out, namely the humidity first.

13 is nice to have!

 

[pennyJo1960]

@AshleySGM actually that is a very good hatch rate .. have not been to silky coop yet hoping a few more hatched in the night