Hands on hatching and help

[LadyCluck77]

Sticky chick update: I washed the chick in the sink with warm water and dawn detergent, placed her back in the incubator when she seemed cold, and checked on her early this morning.
She was laying down, but breathing, so I mixed up a packet of Sav-a-chick electrolytes, and gave her a bit on the end of a saturated q-tip. She took a little, so I put some in a small Tupperware lid and left that in the incubator. She still is quite sticky, despite the bath, so after some more rest I might wash her again. She is sitting up and her head is up, but she still seems weak. She favors sitting on her haunches instead of the feet. Her bum also seems to have a trail of yellowish leakage, but that may be leftover sticky goo.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

only seem to be having issues with temps after it goes into lock down with having to run around -75-80% humidity and of course only if I fall asleep. so trying to figure out whith the higher humidity requirement here how to counter it

Usually higher humidity drives it down and decreas of humidity raises it. But.... that's my experience with OUT a digital control for my bator. So, you may be onto something. I do have to adjust and play with things at lockdown but it doesn't usually go too wonky. I adjust down at the end because the theory (and it seems to be truth for me at least) the chicks are throwing off some of their own heat and my temp creeps up a little toward the end anyway.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Sticky chick update: I washed the chick in the sink with warm water and dawn detergent, placed her back in the incubator when she seemed cold, and checked on her early this morning.
She was laying down, but breathing, so I mixed up a packet of Sav-a-chick electrolytes, and gave her a bit on the end of a saturated q-tip. She took a little, so I put some in a small Tupperware lid and left that in the incubator. She still is quite sticky, despite the bath, so after some more rest I might wash her again. She is sitting up and her head is up, but she still seems weak. She favors sitting on her haunches instead of the feet. Her bum also seems to have a trail of yellowish leakage, but that may be leftover sticky goo.

If she can move freely and none of the stickiness is hindering her abiity to do so, I would just let the stickiness wear off naturally instead of multiple washings. It will take many days. I had one in my silkie hatch, but it's better than stressing an already weak chick out.

 

[slordaz]

Usually higher humidity drives it down and decreas of humidity raises it. But.... that's my experience with OUT a digital control for my bator. So, you may be onto something. I do have to adjust and play with things at lockdown but it doesn't usually go too wonky. I adjust down at the end because the theory (and it seems to be truth for me at least) the chicks are throwing off some of their own heat and my temp creeps up a little toward the end anyway.

yeah if i get very many that pip at once with a digital controller for temp it will spike anywhere from 102-110 in high humidity, so next hatch will have the cooler ready and try. Was a much better hatch rate this time than the other attempts until temp spike killed em. watching these 3 really close due to so much veining still didn't open the others a breathing hole as they aren't internally pipped yet, major veining still but they are moving

 

[RubyNala97]

Do I need to turn them at night as well? I was thinking 3 times a day and 2 times a night to total 5 times or do you mean 5 times during the day?

I do 5 times during the day.

Ok @RubyNala97 I have updated pics!!! First one is the one that hatched white, but is feathering in gray I THINK this is my little dancer...lol I am not sure which of the two grays with vaults is my avatar, but I think it's him/her.... Notice the coloring around the neck.... Looks brown...partridge???? My other gray/silver...or "Blooie" as we tagged it. All of the whites ended up showing at least one spot of "paint" some more than others. One of the "blacks". So, this one has me stumped.....lol I thought awe, just a paint...but when I got it out to take pics I noticed the black "paint" spot on the wing was actually.... Brown and black. One single feather. I could not get as good of a pic as I wanted. It's weird.....lol My other "black". One of the whites that has a tiny light splotch Another one with just a touch of black And another.... The most prominent paint out of the bunch Apparently I missed one of the whites/paints...lol Cause I'm a pic short. Hard to tell these buggers apart.

For some reason I am no longer getting any email notifications. It's the weirdest thing! Anyway, I LOVE the pics!! That one white one definitely seems to have 1 partridge feather. Is it a barred pattern?

first external pip just now 21 eggs went into lock down, including one that apprears may be twins

How's the twin egg?

I don't trust myself to touch the eggs when I am half asleep. I can barely walk straight when I check the bator in the middle of the night...lol

Exactly!!!! X2

Dont mind the highlights ive been studying pretty hard lol

I don't agree with the 12 hour guideline. I go with 24 hours. I think messing around to soon only complicates things. You really don't want to start exposing membrane when it's not necessary. Just my 2 cents. Lol.

I had two silkie mix chicks born with huge holes in their stomachs where their unbiblical cords were. I put a scant amount of EMT gel on them with a tiny piece of gauze.it was the size of a pencil eraser. After two days I wet the gauze and removed it and the bellies were closed. I love that EMT paste. It has healed so many chicken injuries.

What is EMT gel?? I like to have a fully stocked hatching/chick/chicken first aid kit'

You must live in a very very dry environment. If I incubated at 50-55%, they would all drown. I use 25-35%. No number is good for everyone. Watching air cells does work for everyone! Everyone needs to find what works for them!

X3!

Ok so I have all my eggs in the 2 incubators. One is an auto turner and the other is manual. Question number 1.. there is no door. I have to take the lid all the way off to turn eggs. Every time temp and humidity go down. Is this going to effect my hatch? 2nd question.. how do I know the turner is working in the auto. I haven't seen it move yet and I'm starting to freak out. If they have been in there for a day without turning is it a lost cause now?

I would not put shipped eggs in an auto-turner right away. Especially if the air cells were on the big side. Give them some time to firm up or they could detach.

Sticky chick update: I washed the chick in the sink with warm water and dawn detergent, placed her back in the incubator when she seemed cold, and checked on her early this morning. She was laying down, but breathing, so I mixed up a packet of Sav-a-chick electrolytes, and gave her a bit on the end of a saturated q-tip. She took a little, so I put some in a small Tupperware lid and left that in the incubator. She still is quite sticky, despite the bath, so after some more rest I might wash her again. She is sitting up and her head is up, but she still seems weak. She favors sitting on her haunches instead of the feet. Her bum also seems to have a trail of yellowish leakage, but that may be leftover sticky goo.

I hate to say this but the chick may have aspirated on some of the sticky goo in the shell. When that happens they act very lethargic. Keep an eye out for any fluid seeping from the nostrils or bubbles coming out of the beak.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I do 5 times during the day.
For some reason I am no longer getting any email notifications. It's the weirdest thing! Anyway, I LOVE the pics!! That one white one definitely seems to have 1 partridge feather. Is it a barred pattern?
How's the twin egg?
Exactly!!!! X2
I don't agree with the 12 hour guideline. I go with 24 hours. I think messing around to soon only complicates things. You really don't want to start exposing membrane when it's not necessary. Just my 2 cents. Lol.

What is EMT gel?? I like to have a fully stocked hatching/chick/chicken first aid kit'
X3!
I would not put shipped eggs in an auto-turner right away. Especially if the air cells were on the big side. Give them some time to firm up or they could detach.
I hate to say this but the chick may have aspirated on some of the sticky goo in the shell. When that happens they act very lethargic. Keep an eye out for any fluid seeping from the nostrils or bubbles coming out of the beak.

Yes, it is....lol

 

[Blooie]

Silkies went out to live in the run with the other one weekers I got from MPC. So far they are doing great. We did lose one little yellow one....still not sure what happened but she never seemed to be growing like the others and wasn't as active either. Glad I decided to keep them in the house a few more days than I usually do, but NOT glad that Katie found her. Sluf (the little NN that came out of an Australorp egg), Wilbur (The Cream Legbar once called Sweet Pea) and of course the Olive Egger Yokel (the first ever hatch here) have been out for sometime and are fully integrated with the adults.

I can't thank you all enough for your assistance and support. And of course, @RubyNala97 for showing that shipped eggs don't always mean bad eggs!!

 

[WVduckchick]

Well, I'm having a great experience with my shipped eggs. e

19 eggs received. 2 were clear, 1 blood ring within the first week. All other 16 made it to lockdown. So far 9 have hatched. 2 still have pips. Of the other 5, 4 were similar looking eggs, like from the same hen, and 3 of them had alot more fluid at lockdown, but I could still see movement at that point. I pulled one of them when I got chicks out, and it was DIS, so I assume the other 3 are also. Last one could be DIS also, or could still hatch.

So overall, I am ecstatic with the results. For having the lethal gene carried from their Japanese roots, I consider myself very lucky today! Will post some pics soon.

Oh, the smallest one weighed 13.2 grams when I got it out of the bator. That's the weight of 5 pennies! Lol they are a little bigger than the quail I hatched, but not much!

 

[Blooie]

Well, I'm having a great experience with my shipped eggs.

19 eggs received. 2 were clear, 1 blood ring within the first week. All other 16 made it to lockdown. So far 9 have hatched. 2 still have pips. Of the other 5, 4 were similar looking eggs, like from the same hen, and 3 of them had alot more fluid at lockdown, but I could still see movement at that point. I pulled one of them when I got chicks out, and it was DIS, so I assume the other 3 are also. Last one could be DIS also, or could still hatch.

So overall, I am ecstatic with the results. For having the lethal gene carried from their Japanese roots, I consider myself very lucky today! Will post some pics soon.

Oh, the smallest one weighed 13.2 grams when I got it out of the bator. That's the weight of 5 pennies! Lol they are a little bigger than the quail I hatched, but not much!

 

[PD-Riverman]

That doesn't bode well, accidently fell asleep 6 hours, as everything was stable for and in the fan forced it spiked up to 102 assuming for quite awhile as humidity dropped from 78 down to 55

temp spike killed 9 4 were clear and got 3 that when checked were still barely moving. wetted the membrane down only 1 pipped just below so opened small whole for it to breath but these 3 still got a lot of veins, replaced in incubator

Solardaz, do you have to stay awake all during lock-down to keep re-setting your temp? I personally do not feel a temp spike of 102 would kill the embryo/chicks. I again feel if its a day 21 or 22 egg and you break it open if it has a lot of veins, bleeding etc -----You had problems for days-----that egg is days behind. Sorry for the problems---hope it gets better.