Hands on hatching and help

[AmyLynn2374]

 

[AmyLynn2374]

 

[ChcknNurse]

So many incubator/hatching threads, not sure which I should discuss this on. But, since I've been chatting most with you today...

Personally, I mark my air cells. I mark before I set them, day 7/15/18. If I pull them to candle, quick, I'll make a quick mark at the lowest point. I used to worry a lot that they wouldn't lose enough moisture. Now, I see that ballpark. And, I am amazed how much it grows during lockdown.
The first batches of eggs I set, I used permanent markers. Almost everything hatched. Then, I read this was a no-no and only use pencil. I tried, but for many this didn't even mark well.

Now, I use kid-safe markers (non-toxic). I have looked on the inside of the shells of permanent marker eggs, after hatch and there was nothing that came through. Still, just in case, I moved to non-toxic.

I find marking the air cells gives me a visual of how these air cells are progressing. At lockdown, it's awesome, as I can see the lowest point that the chick can hit to be inside the air cell. Let me tell you how important this is for me with terrible saddles! Originally, I drew dotted lines for the moving air cells and solid for the fixed portions. But with these, the air cell line is so haphazard that I need a better idea of the safe zone. At least, I don't need to worry about those within the zone.

 

[RubyNala97]

Sold them all! I had to take my sales ads down within 48 hours and still had more requests. I had posted the pics on the fb silkie page and had a ton of people ask if I would ship...lol

I kept 10 out of 3 different hatches. I got some pics of them today out in the run with the big silkies. I believe they are 7/9/11 weeks now. I'll put some pics up.

They are adorable. I've never shipped chicks before and I don't think I will. I won't say never but I can't see myself doing it. I am barely getting any eggs in the last week. Between broodies and well I don't know. I still have some girls that are not broody but no eggs. I dewormed everyone last week maybe that threw them off? It's frustrating though. These guys need to keep paying their rent! I'm so glad you've been able to sell chicks! I'm telling you the Silkies go fast!!

 

[Blooie]

@RubyNala97 Yep, boys. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. LOL I had no previous experience with Silkies, so got all excited thinking I had some girls in there. Simple lack of knowledge on my part, that's for sure. But there isn't one of them who ended up out there that didn't have streamers and varying decibles of crow. We still have Smudge and King Tut. The others are happily living with a huge, extended family (kids, mom, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins) who loved them so much that it's gotten bigger than the original little boy's request to have one for 4H. Now they have a few coops of them. And I posted these a few months ago but think you may have missed it....Kendra and Smudge, and a not so clear photo of Smudge and King Tut (photo center) out enjoying the snow when it was 9 degrees:

 

[ChcknNurse]

Oh and I wanted to say that in my experience 8 out of 10 times my mal-positioned pippers will hatch all by themselves when they are ready. I have no problem being totally hands on but I always give my eggs lots of time to do it on their own first if they can.

Totally agree-- intervention seems to create the need to intervene (reminds me of something else).

 

[Blooie]

@Annjee , another tip I learned here on BYC for marking air cells, especially on shipped eggs, is if the air cells are loose, when you mark the cells use a dotted line for the detached or loose area. Then next time you candle, do the same thing. If and when those areas firm up, you'll know because the solid line gets longer and the dotted one gets shorter. If you see the dotted line getting shorter, those cells are settling out nicely there. Worked incredibly well for me, especially being new to this whole incubation thing and not always sure what I was looking for. At least those cells were something I could understand and follow right up to hatch, even when they were less than perfect!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

View attachment 1021719 So many incubator/hatching threads, not sure which I should discuss this on. But, since I've been chatting most with you today...

Personally, I mark my air cells. I mark before I set them, day 7/15/18. If I pull them to candle, quick, I'll make a quick mark at the lowest point. I used to worry a lot that they wouldn't lose enough moisture. Now, I see that ballpark. And, I am amazed how much it grows during lockdown.
The first batches of eggs I set, I used permanent markers. Almost everything hatched. Then, I read this was a no-no and only use pencil. I tried, but for many this didn't even mark well.

Now, I use kid-safe markers (non-toxic). I have looked on the inside of the shells of permanent marker eggs, after hatch and there was nothing that came through. Still, just in case, I moved to non-toxic.

I find marking the air cells gives me a visual of how these air cells are progressing. At lockdown, it's awesome, as I can see the lowest point that the chick can hit to be inside the air cell. Let me tell you how important this is for me with terrible saddles! Originally, I drew dotted lines for the moving air cells and solid for the fixed portions. But with these, the air cell line is so haphazard that I need a better idea of the safe zone. At least, I don't need to worry about those within the zone.

I use pencil. I mark 7/14/18. I especially like the fact I can put the side up and see all my pips.

They are adorable. I've never shipped chicks before and I don't think I will. I won't say never but I can't see myself doing it. I am barely getting any eggs in the last week. Between broodies and well I don't know. I still have some girls that are not broody but no eggs. I dewormed everyone last week maybe that threw them off? It's frustrating though. These guys need to keep paying their rent! I'm so glad you've been able to sell chicks! I'm telling you the Silkies go fast!!

I only charged $5 a chick, well below breeder prices, can you believe I had someone ask if I'd take less?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I'm pretty sure I will never ship chicks. Eggs, probably next year, but not chicks.

 

[ChcknNurse]

@Annjee , another tip I learned here on BYC for marking air cells, especially on shipped eggs, is if the air cells are loose, when you mark the cells use a dotted line for the detached or loose area. Then next time you candle, do the same thing. If and when those areas firm up, you'll know because the solid line gets longer and the dotted one gets shorter. If you see the dotted line getting shorter, those cells are settling out nicely there. Worked incredibly well for me, especially being new to this whole incubation thing and not always sure what I was looking for. At least those cells were something I could understand and follow right up to hatch, even when they were less than perfect!

Thank you! Very similar to what I've been doing . These air cells started with all sorts of dotted lines. If it's scrambled I put a letter on it. It takes a lot of time. But, I've been surprised what can survive.