Hands on hatching and help

[WVduckchick]

What cuties! Love the first pic. My hatch was over on Friday. 1 egg did nothing. I finally opened it yesterday and it looked very similar. Fully formed chick, yolk sac not fully absorbed but more yellowish and it seemed to be in the right position. I hate that because you really don't know why it didn't pip!

That's what I was thinking... what the heck went wrong? Everything looks so right. Geez, its frustrating!

How many did you hatch this time?

 

[xopp]

Hiiii!
I'm hatching my first lot of eggs. We started with six and three of them didn't develop/stopped developing. They're due to hatch tomorrow and I haven't heard or seen any movement or change since they went into lockdown. How long do I leave them in lockdown before I can candle to check for internal pipping and where would I go from there? I think I'm all for being more hands on especially if I can save a little life or two!!!

 

[samandemsmommy]

I didn't have anything until day 20 late and it was the internal pip and we could hear them peeping. They didn't pip externally until the next morning. One hatched on day 21 and 4 hatched on day 22

 

[AmyLynn2374]

They are all so cute! Congrats!

 

[ShanandGem]

Well, I ended up with 6/11 hatching, which for my first hatch I am reasonably happy with. I suspect a couple were no good at lockdown; I seem to remember not seeing any movement when I candled, but deciding to put them in anyway. I am gong to candle less too.
Next time I will try to go a little drier at incubation (maybe 35%) and higher at lockdown. I think I had some issues with shrink wrapping and maybe smallish air cells. I had two pip internally and not make an external pip. The last two chicks that did hatch needed a lot of help to get out of their shell, and their inner membrane seemed to be a struggle to get out of.
I would like to buy a fan for my bator before I hatch again to help solve the constant question of 'is it hot enough?'. Other than that I felt like I had all the tools on hand to deliver a whole bunch of babies and when help was needed I was ready in that regard. I have 5 in the brooder this morning and the last one is drying in the incubator.
Cleaning that incubator is not a job I relish today. Blech.
Thank you for the help and wisdom and support everyone. I tend to search the forum before asking a question so it may not seem like I needed/wanted much help but I was online constantly searching for answers as questions came up. This forum is a gold mine of knowledge.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hiiii!
I'm hatching my first lot of eggs. We started with six and three of them didn't develop/stopped developing. They're due to hatch tomorrow and I haven't heard or seen any movement or change since they went into lockdown. How long do I leave them in lockdown before I can candle to check for internal pipping and where would I go from there? I think I'm all for being more hands on especially if I can save a little life or two!!!

You can candle whenever you are comfortable. I'd recommend giving them to the end of day 21 and then if there's still nothing give them a peek. There's not much you can do for them until they've been pipped for a while and have let the vascular system shut down. I don't usually see too much movement from my eggs until they start peeping or they externally pip. You've still got time, so worry yet and if you're temps have been a little to the cool side you may just see a slight delay in the hatch.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Well, I ended up with 6/11 hatching, which for my first hatch I am reasonably happy with. I suspect a couple were no good at lockdown; I seem to remember not seeing any movement when I candled, but deciding to put them in anyway. I am gong to candle less too.
Next time I will try to go a little drier at incubation (maybe 35%) and higher at lockdown. I think I had some issues with shrink wrapping and maybe smallish air cells. I had two pip internally and not make an external pip. The last two chicks that did hatch needed a lot of help to get out of their shell, and their inner membrane seemed to be a struggle to get out of.
I would like to buy a fan for my bator before I hatch again to help solve the constant question of 'is it hot enough?'. Other than that I felt like I had all the tools on hand to deliver a whole bunch of babies and when help was needed I was ready in that regard. I have 5 in the brooder this morning and the last one is drying in the incubator.
Cleaning that incubator is not a job I relish today. Blech.
Thank you for the help and wisdom and support everyone. I tend to search the forum before asking a question so it may not seem like I needed/wanted much help but I was online constantly searching for answers as questions came up. This forum is a gold mine of knowledge.

The biggest reason I started this thread was so we could collectively give help to those who needed it, so don't feel like you asked too much. You are utilizing the thread for what it was meant for, and I am glad to see that!

Shrinkwrapped and small air cells is pretty close to opposites. Shrinkwrapped chicks are due to the inner membrane drying to the point of shrinking and pulling the chick so tight that it can't move while too small air cells signifies not enough moisture loss so the membrane would be nice and wet and sticky.

You did good. And have fun cleaning that bator...lol

 

[ShanandGem]

The biggest reason I started this thread was so we could collectively give help to those who needed it, so don't feel like you asked too much. You are utilizing the thread for what it was meant for, and I am glad to see that!

Shrinkwrapped and small air cells is pretty close to opposites. Shrinkwrapped chicks are due to the inner membrane drying to the point of shrinking and pulling the chick so tight that it can't move while too small air cells signifies not enough moisture loss so the membrane would be nice and wet and sticky.

You did good. And have fun cleaning that bator...lol

Hmmm... well now I have to rethink my humidity again! lol
I am not going to overthink the failed eggs, which is a challenge for me. I have 6 healthy (so far) chicks in the basement that I am going to fuss over and enjoy with my daughter. I'll get that smelly bator cleaned up and ready for another hatch in a few months.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hmmm... well now I have to rethink my humidity again! lol
I am not going to overthink the failed eggs, which is a challenge for me. I have 6 healthy (so far) chicks in the basement that I am going to fuss over and enjoy with my daughter. I'll get that smelly bator cleaned up and ready for another hatch in a few months.

I hope you post with us when you set again so we can follow along!

 

[samandemsmommy]

This was so fun, I just set more last night. Fingers crossed that it turns out just as good!!! 2 serama, 2 chocolate bantam orpington, and 5 CCL eggs