Hands on hatching and help

[arr36]

All five have now hatched - 3 Serama and two buff orp/Cornish game cross (those guys are destined as meat birds, the Seramas not so much!!). So lovely having a 100% hatch as my last two batches were just horrible and upsetting with only 2/24 making it to a week of age, and then they got killed by a crow aged 1 month. This was a dry hatch and that seemed to work with beautiful air cells. I think the fact the eggs were from my hens helped too as there was no travelling. So I'll be trying dry hatch with shipped eggs next time and maybe no autoturn. These guys were hand turned when I remembered and at best it was 3x in 24h. Such a relief just watching them come out by themselves perfectly. I am happy to help them out when needed hence being on this forum but I prefer not needing to.

 

[Lacrystol]

Are you sure it was fertile? If not, the momma could've cracked it open and eaten the yolk! That is the only thing I can think of to explain an empty egg with no baby to be found!

Yes it was because last night when I candled it, it had internally pipped, I was soo exciting hoping to see it this morning but it's GONE???

 

[Lacrystol]

I have had this happen before, with a first time mummy hen. I figured she either squashed it accidentally and then ate it, or heard it cheeping and freaked out and ate it. Or maybe there was something wrong with the chick and her instincts took over maybe? So sorry. I hate it when there are mysteries like that which you just can't figure out.

SHE IS A FIRST TIME MOMMY, so I guess that is a possiblity, maybe not her but could be her Roommate..

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Yes it was because last night when I candled it, it had internally pipped, I was soo exciting hoping to see it this morning but it's GONE???

Yikes.. I'd be freaking out checking everywhere. Sorry. It's just awful you can't find it... was she Ina brooding pen with her chicks?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

All five have now hatched - 3 Serama and two buff orp/Cornish game cross (those guys are destined as meat birds, the Seramas not so much!!). So lovely having a 100% hatch as my last two batches were just horrible and upsetting with only 2/24 making it to a week of age, and then they got killed by a crow aged 1 month. This was a dry hatch and that seemed to work with beautiful air cells. I think the fact the eggs were from my hens helped too as there was no travelling. So I'll be trying dry hatch with shipped eggs next time and maybe no autoturn. These guys were hand turned when I remembered and at best it was 3x in 24h. Such a relief just watching them come out by themselves perfectly. I am happy to help them out when needed hence being on this forum but I prefer not needing to.

Congrats!! That's great to hear!!

Yikes.. I'd be freaking out checking everywhere. Sorry. It's just awful you can't find it...

was she Ina brooding pen with her chicks?

My first time momma spitz hatched out 2 last October. A yellow and a black. She was a dedicated broody, but she sucked at mommy hood. Had the chicks out within the first 24 hours, paying them no mind. When I found her out there the yellow baby was crying trying to get back under her and she was paying him no attention and kept kicking him as she scratched the dirt. The little black one was no where to be found. I looked all over and couldn't even find a chick body. So I took the other one and brooded him inside. She still wanted to be a momma, but she was just not good with the new ones. Now she went and co parented with my banty's 3's who were a couple weeks old and she was a wonderful auntie to the older ones who were already going in and out. She would even cover my banty at night along with the babies....lol

 

[arr36]

 

[2crazyflockers]

I don't put water in mine at all.  your kind of close to me, 79 is HIGH exspecially for the first few weeks of hatching.  Lower is BETTER.  I believe the temp is already preset but I would get another gage just for verification, you can always make the adjustments.  temp should be at 99-100 with a fan.

You can place a towel over the bator if the temp drops to much but 97 I wouldn't worry to much about it.  You see once the egg reaches the correct temp they can hold that temp for a while.  NO 97 will NOT hurt the eggs it may delay them but I would NOT stress over it..

If you made the adjustment then watch it.  It may go wacky on you, you want to make sure it doesn't get to high.  A towel over it will help keep the temp at an accurate temp.  this will stop any drafts that are getting to it because with that drop sounds like that's what happening..

great! Thank you soo much!! Yes I bumped it up and have been over it every 10-15 minutes to make sure it didn't get too hot because the temp in the house is now rising too so didn't want to get too warm got it up to 99.5 and turned the knob to get it set there! I will try a towel tonight to be on the safe side!!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Adorable!! Look at the size difference...lol

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Yes it was because last night when I candled it, it had internally pipped, I was soo exciting hoping to see it this morning but it's GONE???

If you have hanging feeders or waterers in there, look under them. One of my chicks wandered under the water during my last broody hatch but by the time I moved it it had died of cold. I would also look in the bedding. I had one that I didn't see because it was yellow and almost matched the pine shavings. It had been pecked in the head and was laying still but I brought it back to life under the heat lamp.

 

[RubyNala97]

Well I'm freaked out now. The 'cemani' hatched and, well, I don't think it is one. It's got pink skin and the fibro on the legs is not expressed very well at all. Plus it's got chipmunk patterning in silver. I lean towards it being a cross, but the girls have been locked up with only cemani roosters for at least two months now. Can they hold sperm that long? Granted the egg came from three weeks ago, of course, so closer to when they were free ranging with the flock. I'm just really nervous that I either sold cross eggs to people, or that one of my hens or roosters is somehow throwing this. Someone did just hatch out the first batch of eggs I sold for the year, that I had sold as possible crosses, and they got all purebreds so at least there's that.

I've read 4 weeks. But I'm sure it could go a little in either direction.

I helped. Do I do more?

I was thinking if it didn't push out in about 30 mins that it might get glued in. Is it out now?

Have you ever considered using the rubber shelf liner on the floor? It makes it easy to clean up and it gives the little guys some padding and helps them grip too once they are up and moving.

Good observation! I agree.

I made a "wall" out of the foam inserts that go between the rails in the Brinsea. Stacked them as high as I could, and a couple still found their way over I did see where someone uses baskets, and puts the baskets INSIDE those bags that you can get for delicate laundry items. I haven't tried it, but would consider it for different breed hatching. Like these things:

Very interesting!! The eggs actually hatch in the bag? Wouldn't be very easy to watch but good for it purpose.

Maybe just attach more screen directly across the top of what you already have. Did you see that pic of PD's? Those chicks were in a fairly shallow shelf with a top on it. Doesn't seem to affect them at all.

Great idea!!!

I've got a peachick! It hatched early this morning. And another one is yelling at me from inside its egg, so hopefully soon I will have two peachicks

!! Pics, please!

Hello! I am semi new. I have posted here or there over the years but mostly just do a lot of reading through the threads. I have been reading through this one for 2 days now waiting on my first batch of chicks to hatch! I made a homemade incubator last month and set 6 eggs from my flock. There are 5 that were good to go as of day 18 but I haven't candled since and so far three have pipped! Another is rocking around! This is so exciting I had to share with someone besides my husband who thinks I've lost it! Lol I can't pull myself away from the incubator!!!

That's exactly how I felt I the beginning. Everyone in the house was sick of hearing about anything to do with hatching/chickens! It is so great to have BYC, I love it!

Waited 24 hours then went in to help - but it was dead. It wasn't fully developed so maybe it pipped too early? But the other pip is out and doing great! Now to see if the six other eggs decide to come out and play... In other news, my husband and I went to the feed store to get more guinea hen chicks, but they were sold out. So we came home with 2 buff orppingtons, 2 cherry eggers, and 1 bantam instead

I never heard of cherry eggers! What are they?

SHE IS A FIRST TIME MOMMY, so I guess that is a possiblity, maybe not her but could be her Roommate..

Someone beat me to it, but I was going to say that if it got cold it could be laying down and now covered in any type of bedding. I would gently rake through everything.