Hands on hatching and help

[casportpony]

Scary and interesting! This has been a massive learning curve!

How are your eggs doing?

 

[turkeybirdpecky]

We have 6 Hatched and happy, they are so sweet. One in particular comes running to me when it sees me. Is that normal or am i imagining things?

a bunch piped and peaking out, they seem ok. But haven't zipped since as early as early morning. Should I be worried? Or when should I worry?

And yikes. One I found piped NOT in the air cell. It wasn't moving, but i wasnt convinced it was dead. I opened up the air cell to make sure I was seeing things right and there was what looked like the beak tooth against the outer membrane of the pip (still on the broad end but on the otherside- air cell was on an angle). again not sure, I couldnt see anything. I prayed alot and lifted up the outer membrand as gently as I could and sure enough, the chick was barely alive, but the beak was pretty much cleared of membranes once I moved the external one. It responds to touch (wet soft paintbrush on membranes). I opened the shell up around like a zip, avoided the outer membrane; the inner is very moist. but i thought it might help it out when it was ready(?)? It's breathing and movement picked up a bit. We put a little coconut oil on membrane. And put it back. I don't know what to expect. I'm letting it rest and absorb.


There's a few that haven't internally piped. Little concerned. I had to step out for a minute but I'm thinking about investigating whenni get back, as long as there moving right? How do you tell if they pip the wrong end inside?

I have a large family and my husband is calling the chicks my "chickdren" because I'm guilty of hovering over the bator . I'm worried I did something wrong to effect the chicks during the incubation.

 

[turkeybirdpecky]

My daughter just contacted me, she thinks that chick didn't make it.

 

[FunClucks]

We have 6 Hatched and happy, they are so sweet. One in particular comes running to me when it sees me. Is that normal or am i imagining things?

a bunch piped and peaking out, they seem ok. But haven't zipped since as early as early morning. Should I be worried? Or when should I worry?

And yikes. One I found piped NOT in the air cell. It wasn't moving, but i wasnt convinced it was dead. I opened up the air cell to make sure I was seeing things right and there was what looked like the beak tooth against the outer membrane of the pip (still on the broad end but on the otherside- air cell was on an angle). again not sure, I couldnt see anything. I prayed alot and lifted up the outer membrand as gently as I could and sure enough, the chick was barely alive, but the beak was pretty much cleared of membranes once I moved the external one. It responds to touch (wet soft paintbrush on membranes). I opened the shell up around like a zip, avoided the outer membrane; the inner is very moist. but i thought it might help it out when it was ready(?)? It's breathing and movement picked up a bit. We put a little coconut oil on membrane. And put it back. I don't know what to expect. I'm letting it rest and absorb.


There's a few that haven't internally piped. Little concerned. I had to step out for a minute but I'm thinking about investigating whenni get back, as long as there moving right? How do you tell if they pip the wrong end inside?

I have a large family and my husband is calling the chicks my "chickdren" because I'm guilty of hovering over the bator . I'm worried I did something wrong to effect the chicks during the incubation.

The friendliest ones, the ones that run and come see you, are often the roosters. Many turn mean once they reach maturity. Enjoy your chicks now while they are small and sweet, but be careful giving them your heart until you know they're hens. For roosters, it takes at least 2 years before I allow myself to think about becoming attached, most roos that are going to become mean do it before that point. Others may have different opinions and experiences, but I've tried with multiple roos to get them to be nice and had no success. There's nothing sadder than having to process a roo you loved because it turned mean and is attacking your kids and your husband (not gonna rehome a human aggressive roo). I've done that, had my heart broken, and won't be doing that again if I can help it.

I give it 24 hrs from pipping until I want to see zipping, and 24 hrs after that of zipping time before I start to worry.

If it's pipping in the wrong end, it could be fine, or it could not make it - I've had both. Sometimes it's the shape of the egg that causes that, sometimes it's an abnormality in the chick. You know they pip the wrong end because they don't pip internally, they go straight to external pipping. Most of the time, mine that do this are fine. I might peel the outer shell away a very slight bit to make sure they keep having oxygen as they zip, but I try to keep the holes as small as possible, membranes moist, and let them zip on their own.

 

[turkeybirdpecky]

It's day 23 (I set them I. The evening the first day.. does it make it day 22?)

I decided to see what was going on. Forgive me if I'm a dummy.

What do I do!!!?????

I cant find a beak. Its very liquidy and veiny.

 

[FunClucks]

It's day 23 (I set them I. The evening the first day.. does it make it day 22?)

I decided to see what was going on. Forgive me if I'm a dummy.

What do I do!!!?????

I cant find a beak. Its very liquidy and veiny.

View attachment 4060370

Day 22 or day 23 you say? This one looks like it's not done yet and has a lot of development left to go, which is not what it should look like at day 22 or day 23. Either it got put in the incubator quite a bit later than the others or was very slow to develop. When they're slow to develop like this, something is wrong with them, and they don't make it. I'm sorry, but this one isn't going to hatch. Red veins mean it's still growing, not ready to hatch yet - those disappear right before hatching. But the main problem is we're not seeing chick down and relevant body parts. I just see egg yolk. You can perform an autopsy and see how far it got if you have the interest and stomach for that. It's not dead yet (because you can see the red veins, and it's yellow instead of grey or black in the yolk liquid). You can put it back into the incubator if you want to, but I expect it to die over the next few days.

 

[turkeybirdpecky]

I set them on the 5th around supper time (ont. CA).


Awe, that's sad. Makes sense though.

 

[turkeybirdpecky]

I set them on the 5th around supper time (ont. CA).


Awe, that's sad. Makes sense though.

Day 22 or day 23 you say? This one looks like it's not done yet and has a lot of development left to go, which is not what it should look like at day 22 or day 23. Either it got put in the incubator quite a bit later than the others or was very slow to develop. When they're slow to develop like this, something is wrong with them, and they don't make it. I'm sorry, but this one isn't going to hatch. Red veins mean it's still growing, not ready to hatch yet - those disappear right before hatching. But the main problem is we're not seeing chick down and relevant body parts. I just see egg yolk. You can perform an autopsy and see how far it got if you have the interest and stomach for that. It's not dead yet (because you can see the red veins, and it's yellow instead of grey or black in the yolk liquid). You can put it back into the incubator if you want to, but I expect it to die over the next few days.

It does have down, and responds to touch. But the egg has light on both sides when you candle it.

 

[SilkieGlammy]

i had my first bunch start hatching yesterday, when i tell you ppl had me so terrified to open the incubator i was soooo stressed out. reading this post and the one on the assist process has been a god send!!! thank you all for posting your stories they really help!!

 

[Strawberry74]

I have a goose that should hatch around day 29. It's day 28 and I can see the gosling moving inside the egg, but the air cell is not growing like it should and it's not shadowing. All of its other hatchmates have shadowed and internally pipped by now and externally pipped. I'm fairly certain it's malpositioned, but I can't find a bruise or anything in the pointy end to even try to help. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to proceed? Or should I give it overnight? I figure if I don't start doing something soon it's going to die regardless and maybe, just maybe I can help this baby, but I definitely don't want to screw it up. Any advice is appreciated.