Hands on hatching and help

[wabbit1964]

Of the last hatch the one I helped didn't make it as I posted previously. I did have one hatch who seems to have splayed legs. I did the taping to help. Can move a bit better now but still not so great getting around. It is much smaller than the other chicks who hatched at the same time. I am trying to get it to eat food. It does drink water for me when I hold it near the water dish. They hatched on 4/14 so I know that any absorbed egg yolk has long since been used up and it now needs nutrients so needs to eat.

Other than that I had a hatch due 4/17 I posted on one of these threads about my frustrations with the temps in the styrofoam Farm innovaters still air incubator so expected this hatch to be late. I had two hatch yesterday. No signs of any more and then today the heating element quit in that incubator. UGH. These were eggs I got from someone else so I am really hoping I can get some more of these eggs to hatch out.

That is my update. Congrats to everyone else on the successful babies.

 

[Blooie]

Although Ruby has amazing silkies and I hear she does a great job packing them, you may want to look for some locally, or at least from a closer state. Just want you to have a fun, successful hatch especially if it's for Katie.

The chances of me finding anyone around me who has Silkie eggs are slim to nil. Lots of chickens, but all the standard layers....folks in these parts just don't go in for any of those "fancy stoopid looking birds that ain't really chickens", as one person I spoke to said to me. <sigh>

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Great news Amy! Sounds like things are going well!

So far so good!

Looks like the other nn is starting to zip!

The chances of me finding anyone around me who has Silkie eggs are slim to nil. Lots of chickens, but all the standard layers....folks in these parts just don't go in for any of those "fancy stoopid looking birds that ain't really chickens", as one person I spoke to said to me. <sigh>

LOL.

 

[RubyNala97]

Well, Ken and Katiebug won. Looks like I'll be groveling to @RubyNala97 for a few Silkie eggs. And I'd better read up on Silkies...never had any. But this morning before school when Jen was dropping Kendra off for the day Katie was with her. She had printed out photos of different colored Silkies - there was a gray one, a brownish colored one, and one that looked almost blue...probably just a different shade of gray or vice versa. She didn't say a single word except, "Can I hang these on the fridge so we can look at them, Gramma?" Oh, boy. Oh boy oh boy oh boy.

Yay!! I'm so excited! You just let me know when you're ready!

So I've been out of the loop here for a few days but I'm trying to get caught up I have two shipments of eggs due to arrive tomorrow so I'll be setting some of my own along with them!

I've been so aggravated with my hovabator the last few days. It's been spiking to 105 empty which its never done before. I've got it back down where it should be but it looks like I'm going to have to watch it really closely. I've got the Brinsea mini ready too but I can't fit everything in there

The first couple of times I used the Hova it held temp like a rock. Every time I use it, it seems to get worse at keeping steady temps and last hatch after the eggs hit 10 days or so and start generating heat I could barely keep it in check. The heating element is kicking on when it shouldn't. I thought about ordering a more dependable new one (either a Genesis or Brinsea Eco 20) online and switching the eggs over in a few days when it arrives, but I hate the prices on those things lol.

Ugh. That stinks! I hope you can figure out something. Maybe check your local Craigslist, I know mine never has incubators but I've seen some people around here get very sweet deals!

Hey guys, hope everyone's hatches are going well. So, here's an update on all the babies. All are well, even our lil ducky that pipped out the side and hatched late with his yolk unabsorbed. He is a lil goofy, and perhaps a lil retarded so we named him Donald, LOL. Anyways, since the temp hit 50 today I decided it was time to let the lil poop machines out of the house. They've been cooped up in the living room of our house for 3 days because of the crappy weather so the big ducks were sooo excited to go out and play. Here they are taking a swim! If you happened to notice above, there was no turkey..... When I first let them out I took them over to the big pond I built outside the duck coop. The turkey tried to swim in the pond with the ducks and I had to snatch him out of the water even though he swam quite a ways without going under. Then Mr. Puffles came up and tried to fight him and after breaking that up my kid's cats tried to stalk him and eat him. By that time, Sghetti and Heff (the 2 daddy ducks) had run across the yard and attacked him and also ran the ducklings out of the pond. After putting all the babies in the pen they ignored the turkey and it sat in the corner by itself. Sooo, I took him inside the coop/shed to where his mom and aunt were sitting diligently on their eggs. I set him down next to his mom on the right and she immediately nestled him under her chest and took him in!!! You can't see him in this pic but he is tucked under his mom's wing. Those silly birds picked the dumbest spot to lay eggs. They're on a tarp which is on top of some sprinkler tires about 3 feet off the ground. The baby turkey already fell off the tarp once so if it happens again I will have to take him back inside. Those turkeys sure are good mamas though.

Love it! Love the pics of the ducklings and the beautiful turkey moms!!

@RubyNala97 Hey Ruby, what was your friend's name again that has anconas? I think I wanna order some ducklings instead of eggs. After removing another runner egg from the bator and having 2 more I think are quitting I just don't like the shipped eggs. Out of the 8 remaining eggs that look good, 3 of them have wacky air sacs and I am almost counting on those to quit before hatch day next week. I was just wondering if your friend shipped ducklings. Thanks.

Wasn't me! Lol. Hopefully, whoever it was will chime in.

Ok, so my first two silkies are doing well. The one that pipped so early and spent 24 hours sitting there was quite sticky bythe time he got out, and even a quick bath didn't get too much of that stuff off his back and head so he's not the fluffiest yet, but he's going to be a doll when he is. The little white one decided to make it's appearance when she heard her sibling out and the chick music and had very little sticky on her head bt has fluffed up pretty well and is the friendliest little thing. Of course I will get better pics once they are better fluffed. Both were the earliest hatchers I have ever had, hatching out at the beginning of day 18. Came from from running errands and had a nn zipping out. He looks so huge after having the silkies hatch...lol He was a little wetter than normal, which I expected because of keeping the humidity higher for the silkies. I haven't pulled him out yet to check the navel and feet. He's a loud one though. He and my video are motivating the second nn that pipped to make progress. Now, for the rest: there are 12 silkie eggs in there, one of which is externally pipped, 8 that are internally pipped, 2 that are a little farther behind and one I have no idea on. 7 Spitzhabens (out of 9 set with an early quitter and an after lockdown quitter) 4 are externally pipped the other three are internally pipped I had stuck 4 nn eggs in there I had collected while waiting for delivery of the silkies not realizing how small the silkies are. (My nns are huge.) Surprisingly on eis out, one is working on it, one looks like a possibility and the last I will be surprised if it hataches. So, hopefully the pippers will be out by tonight, which would give me 9 hatchers so far and very promising outlook on all but 2 maybe 3 of the rest.

Oh my goodness! Look at those little babies!!! So happy, Amy!!

Of the last hatch the one I helped didn't make it as I posted previously. I did have one hatch who seems to have splayed legs. I did the taping to help. Can move a bit better now but still not so great getting around. It is much smaller than the other chicks who hatched at the same time. I am trying to get it to eat food. It does drink water for me when I hold it near the water dish. They hatched on 4/14 so I know that any absorbed egg yolk has long since been used up and it now needs nutrients so needs to eat. Other than that I had a hatch due 4/17 I posted on one of these threads about my frustrations with the temps in the styrofoam Farm innovaters still air incubator so expected this hatch to be late. I had two hatch yesterday. No signs of any more and then today the heating element quit in that incubator. UGH. These were eggs I got from someone else so I am really hoping I can get some more of these eggs to hatch out. That is my update. Congrats to everyone else on the successful babies.

Try giving him some hard boiled egg yolk.

 

[Laurel Meadows]

YAY!!!!! I know one of the things w/the 1588 model is somewhere in fine print it says not to go over 65% humidity. I know a couple people that have ran the humidity higher at lockdown and it's thrown off the settings and it's had to be reset. Both people called the manfacturer to find out how to do it.

Wow that's interesting to know! I don't know how anyone could keep it under 65% when chicks are hatching since that always causes mine to jump to 75-80% range. I do run 65-70% at lockdown so if I did get a Genesis that might cause me some issues! I have a 1602N model (still air) now with a wafer so maybe they are affected too??? I thought it might be having lots of eggs in it causing the spikes but it's now empty except for the thermos and hygros. I'm stumped!

Ok, so my first two silkies are doing well. The one that pipped so early and spent 24 hours sitting there was quite sticky bythe time he got out, and even a quick bath didn't get too much of that stuff off his back and head so he's not the fluffiest yet, but he's going to be a doll when he is. The little white one decided to make it's appearance when she heard her sibling out and the chick music and had very little sticky on her head bt has fluffed up pretty well and is the friendliest little thing. Of course I will get better pics once they are better fluffed. Both were the earliest hatchers I have ever had, hatching out at the beginning of day 18. Came from from running errands and had a nn zipping out. He looks so huge after having the silkies hatch...lol He was a little wetter than normal, which I expected because of keeping the humidity higher for the silkies. I haven't pulled him out yet to check the navel and feet. He's a loud one though. He and my video are motivating the second nn that pipped to make progress. Now, for the rest: there are 12 silkie eggs in there, one of which is externally pipped, 8 that are internally pipped, 2 that are a little farther behind and one I have no idea on. 7 Spitzhabens (out of 9 set with an early quitter and an after lockdown quitter) 4 are externally pipped the other three are internally pipped I had stuck 4 nn eggs in there I had collected while waiting for delivery of the silkies not realizing how small the silkies are. (My nns are huge.) Surprisingly on eis out, one is working on it, one looks like a possibility and the last I will be surprised if it hataches. So, hopefully the pippers will be out by tonight, which would give me 9 hatchers so far and very promising outlook on all but 2 maybe 3 of the rest.

Adorable babies and a nice hatch going! Yay!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yay!! I'm so excited! You just let me know when you're ready!
Ugh. That stinks! I hope you can figure out something. Maybe check your local Craigslist, I know mine never has incubators but I've seen some people around here get very sweet deals!
Love it! Love the pics of the ducklings and the beautiful turkey moms!!

Wasn't me! Lol. Hopefully, whoever it was will chime in.

Oh my goodness! Look at those little babies!!! So happy, Amy!!

Try giving him some hard boiled egg yolk.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Wow that's interesting to know! I don't know how anyone could keep it under 65% when chicks are hatching since that always causes mine to jump to 75-80% range. I do run 65-70% at lockdown so if I did get a Genesis that might cause me some issues!
I have a 1602N model (still air) now with a wafer so maybe they are affected too??? I thought it might be having lots of eggs in it causing the spikes but it's now empty except for the thermos and hygros. I'm stumped!
Adorable babies and a nice hatch going! Yay!

I think it's only an issue with the digital ones. I couldn't remember what one you had. That's why I am leaning toward the 1583 if I ever am able to "upgrade". It has the same picture window as the 1588, but not the digital controls.
And thank you!

 

[FridayYet]

The chances of me finding anyone around me who has Silkie eggs are slim to nil. Lots of chickens, but all the standard layers....folks in these parts just don't go in for any of those "fancy stoopid looking birds that ain't really chickens", as one person I spoke to said to me. <sigh>

LOL, I meant Colorado/Utah/Idaho/Montana, not necessarily your home town.

 

[RubyNala97]

Oh and I forgot that I wanted to share that I stopped after work today to see my "chicken friend" Kate and she gave me some true icelandic, buff brahma and bantam Ameraucana hatching eggs!! Now if the new bator would just get here already!
(Amy, I'll need your advice on setting the silkies with these other breeds. 4 of the eggs are green too)!

Wow that's interesting to know! I don't know how anyone could keep it under 65% when chicks are hatching since that always causes mine to jump to 75-80% range. I do run 65-70% at lockdown so if I did get a Genesis that might cause me some issues!
I have a 1602N model (still air) now with a wafer so maybe they are affected too??? I thought it might be having lots of eggs in it causing the spikes but it's now empty except for the thermos and hygros. I'm stumped!
Adorable babies and a nice hatch going! Yay!

Yes, that's one of the reasons I didn't get the digital after Amy told me that. I always go above 65% at hatch time. I just ordered the 1583 and I was reading that the non-digital models are super easy to get and install replacement parts for. Maybe you could replace the heating element?

I think it's only an issue with the digital ones. I couldn't remember what one you had. That's why I am leaning toward the 1583 if I ever am able to "upgrade". It has the same picture window as the 1588, but not the digital controls.
And thank you!  

I will fill you in on all the details after I get it!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

2nd nn is out! Looks like one of the Spitz might be thinking about zipping...... these better be the Spitz eggs....I was sure they were her's when I collected them.......lol (I'm 99% positive...lol)