Hands on hatching and help

[RubyNala97]

How long do you give your eggs past 21 days if they have not pipped- to candle/do something?

If there is no action on day 21, I would candle! I usually candle twice a day (morning and night) during lockdown, before any external pips so I can check for internal pips.

I am not sure the exact brand of the incubator, got it off Amazon. The temp has been 99-100, humidity was at 50-60, for the first 25 days. The automatic Turner turned every 2 hours. The air cells had been getting bigger at a nice pace so I didn't measure except one week when I couldn't be sure. They did get bigger after I had compared a few days later.

I did pull a couple out, at the recommendation of a friend and experienced hatcher a bit ago, to candle and saw that 3 had piped internally. 1 of which has what looks like a line where it may be trying to pip through. One small external pip on another.

Edited to add that the ducks are Pekin/Appleyard cross. Everything I read says 28 days is typical.

Is it forced air?

Well, he didn't do it for me so I had to. broke my heart, but I know it was the right thing to do. Poor thing was gonna be a frizzle too. Fact of hatching, some just don't come out right. But happily I have 6 beautiful ones.

ETA - my first ever cull, but I was proud of myself for doing it.

Both ducklings hatched!! Second one has a pinhead sized belly opening that should close quickly. The first one is already stumbling around and the second is trying!!!

Thank you, everyone. I appreciate all the help, suggestions and support. Thank you so much.

that's excellent news!!

Loving this thread e

Its my first time incubating and I have had two chicks hatch out in the last few hours. I should probably mention that i am 14 years old, and have been helping chicks out of their eggs for a long time now and have never had any troubles, its nice to know that I seem to be doing okay. However my system simply consists of chipping away at the egg . I am absolutely loving Backyard chickens! I am just starting to get into pekins, so i can start getting into some propper breeds as opposed to the mixed up lot we have

Oh and when can i start cuddling my little bundles of joy?

Thankyou everyone!!!

cuddle them as soon as they are fluffy!!

Ok, so one that piped first seems stalled, though it hasn't been 24 hrs. It has been like this for a few hours. What do I do?

I wait a minimum of 24 hours, usually more like 30. Just keep a eye on it and make sure it's peeping and membranes don't seem dry.

 

[RubyNala97]

So I was going to send Amy a pm (like I do during every hatch for advice and moral support) and I realized, "wait we have a thread for this"! I have a wrong side pipper, that pipped into the membrane. It's been only about 18 hours. The pip is super tiny but it just made a little crack. So there has just been a tiny bit of progress while I was writing this post. I'm thinking about giving it a few more hours to see if the chick will make the pip bigger itself or if I will need to go in and do it for him...

 

[WVduckchick]

I HAVE A DUCKLING!!!!!

Yolk fully absorbed. Looks good!!!

Both ducklings hatched!! Second one has a pinhead sized belly opening that should close quickly. The first one is already stumbling around and the second is trying!!!

Thank you, everyone. I appreciate all the help, suggestions and support. Thank you so much.

e

You seem very bright!  I will say that sometimes those "mixed" up breeds can be the best!  I have quite a few pure breeds but I also have a coop of backyard mixes.  My backyard mixes are usually my best producers.  I think that when the breeds combine a lot of times the best traits are what gets carried forward. 

was looking for you the other day. Didn't you recoup a slipped tendon? Is that baby still around?
I had one, but didn't get lucky with it.

Ok, so one that piped first seems stalled, though it hasn't been 24 hrs. It has been like this for a few hours. What do I do?

These are ducks, correct?
Ducks take longer, 40+ hours even, so don't panic too soon.

 

[zmcolbert]

Yes they are ducks.. Thanks, I was a little concerned with the color of whatever is sticking out slightly. It's brown. But I hear the duck making noise.

 

[SHillChickMan]

Ok I have a two day old baby chick that can't stand up. It kicks it's legs vigorously but doesn't seem to have balance or leg strength. I know you lose some but was wondering if there was anything I can do to help.

 

[WVduckchick]

Ok I have a two day old baby chick that can't stand up. It kicks it's legs vigorously but doesn't seem to have balance or leg strength. I know you lose some but was wondering if there was anything I can do to help.

Are the legs spraddled out to the sides?

 

[SHillChickMan]

No....it lays on one side but doesn't appear to be spraddle legged. Seems like more of a balance issue......seems very vigorous otherwise. Thanks

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Depending on where you live is right.

Humidity at my house is finally rising (because it's night) and we are up to 15%. Hatching "dry" at my house is a death sentence.

But I totally agree - If everything is right on schedule, you don't need to adjust your humidity.

Oh yeah. Up north, we're still not out of the chilly weather and lots of us are still heating our homes and that makes for very dry air, especially wood stove and wood pellets stoves. I can run dry spring/summer and stay about 30%, mid fall and winter w/o anything it holds about 16% so a wet sponge is needed.

I HAVE A DUCKLING!!!!!

Yolk fully absorbed. Looks good!!!

Awesome!

Both ducklings hatched!! Second one has a pinhead sized belly opening that should close quickly. The first one is already stumbling around and the second is trying!!!

Thank you, everyone. I appreciate all the help, suggestions and support. Thank you so much.

Double awesome!! Congrats!!

Loving this thread

Its my first time incubating and I have had two chicks hatch out in the last few hours. I should probably mention that i am 14 years old, and have been helping chicks out of their eggs for a long time now and have never had any troubles, its nice to know that I seem to be doing okay. However my system simply consists of chipping away at the egg

. I am absolutely loving Backyard chickens! I am just starting to get into pekins, so i can start getting into some propper breeds as opposed to the mixed up lot we have

Oh and when can i start cuddling my little bundles of joy?

Thankyou everyone!!!

Welcome to the thread. Great job for someone so young! Dry and active is when I start my cuddling!

I love my mixes.

You seem very bright! I will say that sometimes those "mixed" up breeds can be the best! I have quite a few pure breeds but I also have a coop of backyard mixes. My backyard mixes are usually my best producers. I think that when the breeds combine a lot of times the best traits are what gets carried forward.

My mixes are awesome layers too.

Thankyou ! Hehe yes i love them to, especially because you never know what tbe chicks will end up like

, no one else in my family is really keen on the pekins , but i have a weakness for the cute and cuddly ones !

Not knowing is the thing I like best and the variety of not having all of them look the same.

Ok, so one that piped first seems stalled, though it hasn't been 24 hrs. It has been like this for a few hours. What do I do?

Give it time.

So I was going to send Amy a pm (like I do during every hatch for advice and moral support) and I realized, "wait we have a thread for this"! I have a wrong side pipper, that pipped into the membrane. It's been only about 18 hours. The pip is super tiny but it just made a little crack. So there has just been a tiny bit of progress while I was writing this post. I'm thinking about giving it a few more hours to see if the chick will make the pip bigger itself or if I will need to go in and do it for him...

Keep us updated!!

These are ducks, correct?
Ducks take longer, 40+ hours even, so don't panic too soon.

Good catch. There's my weakness. I forget people hatch out things other than chicks...lol

Ok I have a two day old baby chick that can't stand up. It kicks it's legs vigorously but doesn't seem to have balance or leg strength. I know you lose some but was wondering if there was anything I can do to help.

An odd leg/foot problem here or there isn't uncommon, but if you start having multiples in one hatch you should look at the layers and egg quality and the temps and humidity during incubation to pinpoint if there's something a little off causing the problems.
I would ask too about spraddle leg first. If you can add a pic that would also help.

 

[SHillChickMan]

I have 17 others that seem fine.....just want to help this one if I can
Not sure if I know how to add a pic on here

 

[WVduckchick]

I have 17 others that seem fine.....just want to help this one if I can
Not sure if I know how to add a pic on here

Are you giving vitamins in their water?