Hands on hatching and help

[BigWeenMachine]

I can't imagine trying to trace the air cell when it's wobbly!! All of mine firmed up in the first 48 hours, so I didn't have to deal with that. As long as they are wobbly, if it were me, I'd keep them upright in hopes that if they did firm up it would be somewhere at the top and if they didn't then they'd still be somewhere near the top if the buggers made it to pip.

I hope you get more out of this hatch!

At some point you need to find a local person you can get some eggs from so that you have a better chance of experiencing a really decent hatch. There's nothing like seeing three-four- five chicks pipping back to back and popping out. My first hatch resulted in 1 out of 17 and I was glad for the one, at least I didn't totally fail, but that second hatch seeing all that activity just made it so worth it!

I dunno how much my failed hatch has to do with the shipped eggs, although many of them had messed up air sacs, but it sucks when you have a few outta that many that hatch. I had 31 eggs just a week ago and I am down to 13 in the hatcher with only two that have pipped and have a chance at making it (several I have opened up to find ducklings that tried to pip and are drowning so I have a few opened up and set back in the hatcher to see if they will take some breaths). I do have 2 ducks and one turkey that have hatched but those 3 and the two pipped only make 5 out of 31. Not very much fun to watch that many die..... Day 31 on anconas and day 29 on runners.

 

[Blooie]

Lockdown is tomorrow for me! I left the egg in the incubator that I was SURE quit last week and I decided to give it a good candle this morning since I saw Amy's video of the moving chick with no veins. And sure enough, I saw movement!! It's the craziest thing! There are no more veins in that egg. I know it won't hatch but these call eggs really have been a new experience! My one good egg is still alive but has about an inch where the veins receded. Only time will tell if it's strong enough to internally pip. What day do yours usually internally pip?
Yes, I think sometimes the air cells do look bigger because they are damaged and wobbling. I would keep them upright and being tilted until they firm up. Usually they will firm up by day 12. I have had some that were doing ok and then quit the day after I laid them down. Maybe they would have quit anyway, I can't know for sure. Give them some more time to stabilize. And I liked Friday's idea about tracing the air cells. I'm going to try that on my new batch of shipped calls. I'd keep humidity alittle higher like you are. I've found my shipped eggs do better with higher humidity until the air cells firm up. If you ever want some silkie eggs I will pack them as best I can and send eggs with tiny air cells, just let me know!

Good idea on the tracing. I'm going to try this!

for your eggs
This one may be growing. To hard to tell....
This one looks clear. But very hard to tell for sure by your pics. Can you hold the eggs with the air cell facing up and shine the light down into the air cell at an angle and take a pic that way?

I wonder if that's not part of what happened here. I had good signs in those 8 until I laid them down. The two that did hatch were the ones with the air cells that solidified.(Good thing I kept that notebook!) And the Green Magnolia that was still rocking on Thursday just quit doing anything at all. But it's confusing, at least to me anyway, to read that laying them down with the dip in the air cell facing up will help them hatch. Supposedly if you put the eggs touching, the tapping of them against each other it helps with the hatch. You can't really do that if you have to do the hatch with them upright. But then I ain't the brightest crayon in the box, either.

If I wasn't so leery of shipped eggs at this point I'd take you up on that in a heartbeat! Katie so wanted that Silkie!!

 

[FridayYet]

The way I look at it ( and may be wrong) is that all those " best practices" for hatching eggs are for eggs with solid air cells. Those you want laying down, dip up, touching, etc. Eggs with loose or severely malformed air cells need to be handled differently to give them a better chance, however small that chance may be.

There are many ways that work for people, it's just what feels right to me.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I wonder if that's not part of what happened here. I had good signs in those 8 until I laid them down. The two that did hatch were the ones with the air cells that solidified.(Good thing I kept that notebook!) And the Green Magnolia that was still rocking on Thursday just quit doing anything at all. But it's confusing, at least to me anyway, to read that laying them down with the dip in the air cell facing up will help them hatch. Supposedly if you put the eggs touching, the tapping of them against each other it helps with the hatch. You can't really do that if you have to do the hatch with them upright. But then I ain't the brightest crayon in the box, either.

If I wasn't so leery of shipped eggs at this point I'd take you up on that in a heartbeat! Katie so wanted that Silkie!!

Both Ross and I are incubating some of Ruby's silkie eggs. I have 14 going strong, mind you the shipping is shorter cause she's only like 5 hours away (or two days in postal time,

) but Ross is where? California, I think??? And all of hers are growing as well. We both had some wobbly cells but nothing major. I think one thing about Ruby's eggs is 1)She found the perfect place to store them so the air cells stay small and 2) the eggs themselves are quite small so not as much to jostle around. On top of that, she packs them great. And have you seen her birds??

lol I'd certainly consider it.

The way I look at it ( and may be wrong) is that all those " best practices" for hatching eggs are for eggs with solid air cells. Those you want laying down, dip up, touching, etc. Eggs with loose or severely malformed air cells need to be handled differently to give them a better chance, however small that chance may be.

There are many ways that work for people, it's just what feels right to me.

xs 2

 

[Ren2014]

Please meet Sweet Pea, the golden colored Cream Legbar rooster-to-be, and Yokel, the little dark Olive Egger and first to hatch, named after BYC's own @LocalYokel.








They hatched yesterday and by last night had the nipple waterer figured out. I only hatch smart chicks!

Congratulations!aaaaaaaaaaaaa

I bought mine from a local landscaping business that sells chicks. Not sure where they ship their chicks and ducklings in from though. My runners I ordered from Stromberg's. I had some pretty good scrambling on the egg sacs from those though but that is probably from rough handling during shipping. I ordered my anconas from Nanthala Farms and they arrived in pretty good shape.

Did you ship yours and from which hatchery?

I bought all of ours from Ideal Poultry. The shipped eggs I bought on Ebay. I'v had horrible luck with shipped eggs

sooo tiny and sooo PRECIOUS!

CONGRATS!

Well, the little SWH that was late hatching died. Poor thing, only 3 days. Started with raspy breathing last night. This morning nor moving around much, sleeping a lot. Just went to check and was laying on back with whitish liquid coming from mouth. There are times you wish Mother Nature didn't know better.
Real bummer, Linda

even when it's expected and you know it's best it's still a bummer

I have realized that I need to keep up with the member interviews more on here. I was just reading some of them over and realized that for a year and a half one of the old timer members that I had thought was a guy all along is a lady...Oooops. I'm just going to consider everyone female if they have a gender neutral screen name...lol Everytime I think someone is a guy it turns out being a gal.

Gal here just in case you were wondering, lol

It really surprises me though the number of guys on here. It's really great seeing them be so active. All I get from my DH is "I hate ducks." He really doesn't, he just says that to annoy me, lol.

Okay, so the mamma runner duck who is the mother to my first 4 babies finally decided to give brooding a try. She has been hunkered down on a new nest for about 4 or 5 days now. She made the nest next to the house behind a bush. The only problem is that there is a huge winter storm warning through the weekend. We are supposed to get anywhere from 2 to 5 inches and a high of 41......

I'm afraid the eggs are gonna get wet or too cold and die. Should I pick up the mamma and her eggs and load them into the coop. I made her a secluded lil nest so she can feel safe. I don't wanna disturb her but the eggs could be goners if I don't and if she doesn't take to the new nest I can always bring the eggs inside and stick them in the incubator. Should I just let this go or try to move her in??? Storm should be here in about 2 hours

I know I'm late in replying but when I move nests, I always lock the momma in with them so she has very little choice. Sorry to read later yours abandoned but happy to hear you had incubator on stand by. I hope the storm wasn't too bad.

Mine at a month old still fit in my hand!

That's just amazing the size difference between calls and regular ducks. I hope to get some calls.

I've got a midnight hatcher!!

YAY!

Quote:

Thanks, Amy. I'm keeping them upright then. And I agree about finding local eggs, but for me it's just about being able to replace the older chickens and keeping a nice variety of backyard chickens going. So I guess I'm one of those really oddball hatchers who hasn't been bitten by the bug. Just a few to add once in awhile. But doggone it, and occasional really nice hatch would be lovely! I posted on the Wyoming page because Ken and I travel so much all around Wyoming with his duties and I'd be more than willing to pick up some eggs from someone as we go through their area. Around here locally everyone pretty much has the same stuff, and frankly I wouldn't be willing to buy eating eggs from many of them, let alone hatching eggs. I think there's someone in Cody, too, but I can't for the life of me remember her name. Anyway, you have been very helpful, as usual!

Not bitten by the buy yet? How many attempts? When you get that really nice hatch, you will be bitten

I'm not home right now so can't post the picture till I get home but when I opened it it was dead it nipped the vein and looked like it drowned in it... It's really sad to see that I will post the pic when I'm home....that other one pipped last night and was moving a lot last night how long till hatch time and will it rest and not be moving in around in the egg as much or should it be moving?
Thanks for all the help!!!

I dunno how much my failed hatch has to do with the shipped eggs, although many of them had messed up air sacs, but it sucks when you have a few outta that many that hatch. I had 31 eggs just a week ago and I am down to 13 in the hatcher with only two that have pipped and have a chance at making it (several I have opened up to find ducklings that tried to pip and are drowning so I have a few opened up and set back in the hatcher to see if they will take some breaths). I do have 2 ducks and one turkey that have hatched but those 3 and the two pipped only make 5 out of 31. Not very much fun to watch that many die..... Day 31 on anconas and day 29 on runners.

Not fun at all

 

[Ren2014]

So eggcited and happy for everyone with the pips, zips and hatches. I've still got a long ways to go. Day 11 of 35

I need to research why Muscovy eggs take so long. Does anyone here candle every day during incubation? I just can't stop checking mine, lol.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

So eggcited and happy for everyone with the pips, zips and hatches. I've still got a long ways to go. Day 11 of 35

I need to research why Muscovy eggs take so long. Does anyone here candle every day during incubation? I just can't stop checking mine, lol.

I do chicken eggs, but darn straight I candle everyday.

lol

 

[FridayYet]

Both Ross and I are incubating some of Ruby's silkie eggs. I have 14 going strong, mind you the shipping is shorter cause she's only like 5 hours away (or two days in postal time,

) but Ross is where? California, I think??? And all of hers are growing as well. We both had some wobbly cells but nothing major. I think one thing about Ruby's eggs is 1)She found the perfect place to store them so the air cells stay small and 2) the eggs themselves are quite small so not as much to jostle around. On top of that, she packs them great. And have you seen her birds??

lol I'd certainly consider it.

xs 2

Ross is in Georgia, on the coast.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ross is in Georgia, on the coast.

Georgia? Well, why the heck did I think California????

 

[Blooie]

Georgia? Well, why the heck did I think California????

That's okay, Amy...you're only most of the country, a few mountain ranges, a dessert and a couple of rivers off....

I know, I know...get back in the corner, Blooie!