Hands on hatching and help

[pipAchick]

HAPPY EASTER to all the back yarders out there! BTW

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hello just joining, but WOW I wish I had found this thread before! Thanks for the less critical encouragement&points posted...
Just did our first hatch (after finding this site) everything was whacky-bater got unplugged for 3+hours(accident). Candeled on day 20(pre-pip) had miscalculated days possibly. First Chick hatched in day 20...

Still going strong. I took it out too early but thank heavens- because the rest got cooked

they looked like dehydrated jerky. HAD I helped I'd have a lot more chicks right now,,,BUT dusting myself off and trying again soon! DEF a student here&thanks for all those who share it does help a ton!

I wish I knew what to tell you about that bit of sac left, but if that chicks eating&drinking or at least alert. I would wait&see if it resolves itself. Keep us posted!

HAPPY EASTER to all the back yarders out there! BTW

Yes, Happy Easter everyoone!!! Welcome to the thread!

 

[tabinal]

I wish I knew what to tell you about that bit of sac left, but if that chicks eating&drinking or at least alert. I would wait&see if it resolves itself. Keep us posted!

Thanks. It is alert and sitting in the bator. All the excess clazion or whatever it was holding the yolk to the shell was trimmed away and I put some mupricon ointment on it to lubricate it and hopefully keep down germs. Now I just wait. Luckily the rest of the hatch went well. Day 23 and 17 of 18 hatched. Still waiting on the caboose. I believe it is still alive but it hasn't pipped

 

[RubyNala97]

The 4200 has an automatic turner.  The Brinsea Oct 20 just has me.    Got some eggs in each.  The ones with the air cells I was most questioning are in the Brinsea. Most of the cells must have been what is referred to as "detached" then, because they were not staying in one place at the top of the egg and did look like a bubble in there.  Turn the egg, the bubble followed.  Others stayed up near the top but showed some wobble up there so by definition it sounds like they were "loose". Thanks for that clarification.  It helped.

The first 24 hours they were in the incubators I had them in cartons just so I was positive they would have all the time I could give them to stabilize without me accidentally jarring them.  After that I hand turned them all.  Then the next day I put the ones in the 4200 in the turner and plugged it in, and I cushioned the ones in the Brinsea by putting a couple of the wire dividers in there and then tucking the eggs in a bit of torn paper toweling around each so they wouldn't flop all over and maybe break when I turned the Brinsea from one side to the other.  It's worked well to allow them to turn without being tossed around.

Sounds like I will be fine to leave them be and keep them upright, but I do know it will be important to monitor the placement and size of the air cells as I go on.  I guess I still have plenty of time to wait and decided whether I lay them flat closer to hatch, depending on what the air cells show me.


Thanks. everybody!!  I'm afraid, though, that you haven't seen the last of me!  

You're doing a great job!! I received a batch of shipped call duck eggs on Friday. I was very excited to get them from a fellow BYC member. Packing was better then excellent but unfortunately ALL the air cells were totally detached! Like you said, they will float all the way to the pointy end if you tilt the egg. It's so sad because I know these eggs could have made beautiful ducklings. I still set them and I'll be shocked if I see development in a few days. all we can do with shipped is try our best!

Can we meddlers think of a new name other than "lockdown"? I'm pretty sure I've had that incubator open 50 times in the last 48 hours :/

Good news is that ie hatched 21 of 23 with three assists! I'm thinking that's gonna be the final count but I'll leave the non pippers another day.

Yeah, I think it should just be called "hatch time". Because I don't technically lockdown anything until I have an external pip. I will up humidity if my air cells are good on day 18/19. But I will open and candle freely until I see or hear those first pips.

Great job on the hatch, btw!!

I did the eggtopsy just now. The egg with the weird floating stuff was clearly rotten, but the other egg in which it was hard to see....there was a perfectly formed chick inside, with its little beak poking out of the membrane, stuck in that position. I never saw a pip in the shell, either by looking or by candling. I don't know what happened, I wonder if it was rolled like the other Buff Orpington and couldn't get a hole out? I can't help but think if I had candled it earlier I could have saved. it.

When you can see the contents of the egg freely move around as you gently turn the egg, that's a big indicator that the chick is dead. And don't beat yourself up. Each hatch is a learning experience. Next time you'll have a better idea what to look for. The only thing you can do with an internal pip is make a safety hole if it doesn't make an external pip in 24-36 hours.

Thanks. It is alert and sitting in the bator. All the excess clazion or whatever it was holding the yolk to the shell was trimmed away and I put some mupricon ointment on it to lubricate it and hopefully keep down germs. Now I just wait. Luckily the rest of the hatch went well. Day 23 and 17 of 18 hatched. Still waiting on the caboose. I believe it is still alive but it hasn't pipped

Sounds like you did the right thing for the little guy! Great hatch!

 

[tabinal]

My caboose has not pipped at all but I am sure I heard a soft peep inside. I think. When I candled just now, i thought I saw faint movement, but not sure if it was purposeful or gravity. Today is 23. I'm tempted to open a peep hole in the top so I can see what is going on. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[RubyNala97]

My caboose has not pipped at all but I am sure I heard a soft peep inside. I think. When I candled just now, i thought I saw faint movement, but not sure if it was purposeful or gravity. Today is 23. I'm tempted to open a peep hole in the top so I can see what is going on. Any thoughts or suggestions?

You can take your finger nail and tap on the air cell and when you do it should peep at you. Also once they internally pip the egg will feel very light weight. Has the hatch been over for awhile?

 

[JillZ]

My latest update:

I didn't break an egg today. The end!

By
Blooie

First, I am SO glad that this thread exists! Thank you Humidity Queen! and Second, Blooie, you made my day. You literally made me laugh out loud.

Just to be clear, my first hatch rate was a “what kind of disgusting, irresponsible human being are you to only get that many chicks out of 23 eggs?” My hatch rate: .096774. A miserable cry from 100. But I'm trying again and am on day 11.

This is Phil. He’s my favorite chick of all time. He WAS shrink wrapped. He tried for 36 hours to zip and just couldn't do it. So I helped him and cried the whole time, just knowing that I was probably hurting more than helping. But apparently I wasn't. After 3 baths in 3 days, complete with blow dries, the hard stuff stuck to him finally came off. After rushing to the pharmacy and buying Selenium, crushing it in my coffee grinder, adding sav a chic to his water, dropper nursing him for 4 days until he finally drank on his own and then started eating his food WITH Selenium added, his crooked spine and neck straightened out and he could walk without falling over. He is only about 1/2 the size of his 2 siblings, but he eats and drinks well and runs around seemingly happy. Assisted hatches are definitely worth it in my book! So, I'm definitely following!

 

[caesargirl]

First, I am SO glad that this thread exists! Thank you Humidity Queen! and Second, Blooie, you made my day. You literally made me laugh out loud. Just to be clear, my first hatch rate was a “what kind of disgusting, irresponsible human being are you to only get that many chicks out of 23 eggs?” My hatch rate: .096774. A miserable cry from 100. But I'm trying again and am on day 11. This is Phil. He’s my favorite chick of all time. He WAS shrink wrapped. He tried for 36 hours to zip and just couldn't do it. So I helped him and cried the whole time, just knowing that I was probably hurting more than helping. But apparently I wasn't. After 3 baths in 3 days, complete with blow dries, the hard stuff stuck to him finally came off. After rushing to the pharmacy and buying Selenium, crushing it in my coffee grinder, adding sav a chic to his water, dropper nursing him for 4 days until he finally drank on his own and then started eating his food WITH Selenium added, his crooked spine and neck straightened out and he could walk without falling over. He is only about 1/2 the size of his 2 siblings, but he eats and drinks well and runs around seemingly happy. Assisted hatches are definitely worth it in my book! So, I'm definitely following!

Well done. He's adorable

 

[AmyLynn2374]

First, I am SO glad that this thread exists! Thank you Humidity Queen! and Second, Blooie, you made my day. You literally made me laugh out loud.

Just to be clear, my first hatch rate was a “what kind of disgusting, irresponsible human being are you to only get that many chicks out of 23 eggs?” My hatch rate: .096774. A miserable cry from 100. But I'm trying again and am on day 11.

This is Phil. He’s my favorite chick of all time. He WAS shrink wrapped. He tried for 36 hours to zip and just couldn't do it. So I helped him and cried the whole time, just knowing that I was probably hurting more than helping. But apparently I wasn't. After 3 baths in 3 days, complete with blow dries, the hard stuff stuck to him finally came off. After rushing to the pharmacy and buying Selenium, crushing it in my coffee grinder, adding sav a chic to his water, dropper nursing him for 4 days until he finally drank on his own and then started eating his food WITH Selenium added, his crooked spine and neck straightened out and he could walk without falling over. He is only about 1/2 the size of his 2 siblings, but he eats and drinks well and runs around seemingly happy. Assisted hatches are definitely worth it in my book! So, I'm definitely following!

That's a great story! He's adorable. Welcome to the thread!!

 

[pipAchick]

My caboose has not pipped at all but I am sure I heard a soft peep inside. I think. When I candled just now, i thought I saw faint movement, but not sure if it was purposeful or gravity. Today is 23. I'm tempted to open a peep hole in the top so I can see what is going on. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Did you puncture a little hole? The suspense is getting to me-bet your beside yourself!? What's your humidty at?