Hatch-Along - Setting eggs this weekend (Jan5/6) WHOS WITH ME!

[SarahJaneB]

Pictures!!!! The thermometer showing humidity- the chicks finally got off of it so I could see where things were at inside the bator,, the last one is my assist chick- keeping my fingers crossed it pulls through, the membrane was drying out and starting to brown....not what I wanted to do on my first hatch, but felt so bad about losing the other chick and not trying to help it.

Very exciting! Great pictures! Hope the little assisted one makes it through. I Just now have my first ever pip!!!!! It's killing me waiting for more to happen now lol

 

[SusanRenee]

A bit worried... I have an Ameraucana egg that is pipped at the wrong end... hope all goes well!

 

[Conchis]

well it looks like I'm only going to get 3 out of the 9 I started with. One Wheaten Maran and 2 Americauna. They are cute as buttons!

 

[tammir]

#9 is out and about!!!

I've moved the first seven over to the brooder and just have the last two that hatched left in the incubator. On the down side, my son is running a fever this morning so I had to call off sick from work....feel bad that my little guy isn't feeling well but glad that I can keep an eye on the littlest baby that finished hatching out during the night. My mean rooster gets a stay of execution since I'll be home today -another story I know, but he attacked my son a couple of weeks ago (no blood drawn) and while he was a beautiful bird before the lab went after him he would try to spur anyone spending more time than he thought was necessary in the run. The dog plucked his tail feathers clean off and did some other minor damage, but nothing too serious considering what he's done to the flock in the past. If I hadn't left the door open when I ran in after hearing my son screaming, the dog wouldn't have gotten in, but that was the least of my concerns. Until he's gone, my son is absolutely terrified of going in to gather eggs or see the other chickens.

Hope those of you still waiting for chicks have good luck today!

 

[Outrun Acres]

We went to bed at 12:30 last night. Didn't hear anything, didn't see anything. My husband got up at 5 this morning and came to get me out of bed because he heard chirping! It's only 7 and the chick is almost completely out of it's shell! Soooo exciting! Hatching is so fun! I can't wait until my son wakes up so he can see it. No peeping or pips on any of the other eggs yet.

 

[fisherlady]

We went to bed at 12:30 last night. Didn't hear anything, didn't see anything. My husband got up at 5 this morning and came to get me out of bed because he heard chirping! It's only 7 and the chick is almost completely out of it's shell! Soooo exciting! Hatching is so fun! I can't wait until my son wakes up so he can see it. No peeping or pips on any of the other eggs yet.

Awesome!!! Congrats!

 

[CamiLynn]

Well, the "bird flu" struck my house and I'm just too sick to go to work!

My little chick (#4) that gave me a big scare last night, is going strong today. Still working on his fluff and still has membrane stuck to it's back, but all in all still doing well.

I still have 2 eggs that are now on day 23 with no action at all. I candled last night, and just dark w air sack, so no idea if alive it dead. I have my one and only bantam egg on day 21 today, but no action there either. I really really want the bantam to hatch...so hoping it does!

I'll continue to deal w my "bird flu" and keep an eye on my bator. I'll be watching the thread for updates as well. Fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed!

 

[fisherlady]

Very exciting! Great pictures! Hope the little assisted one makes it through. I Just now have my first ever pip!!!!! It's killing me waiting for more to happen now lol

Congrats on first pip!!! Hoping it is progressing today!

A bit worried... I have an Ameraucana egg that is pipped at the wrong end... hope all goes well!

sending some good vibes your way!! Hope it makes it!

well it looks like I'm only going to get 3 out of the 9 I started with. One Wheaten Maran and 2 Americauna. They are cute as buttons!

Sorry only getting the 3, but glad to hear those 3 are out and ok! Pics!!!

#9 is out and about!!!

I've moved the first seven over to the brooder and just have the last two that hatched left in the incubator. On the down side, my son is running a fever this morning so I had to call off sick from work....feel bad that my little guy isn't feeling well but glad that I can keep an eye on the littlest baby that finished hatching out during the night. My mean rooster gets a stay of execution since I'll be home today -another story I know, but he attacked my son a couple of weeks ago (no blood drawn) and while he was a beautiful bird before the lab went after him he would try to spur anyone spending more time than he thought was necessary in the run. The dog plucked his tail feathers clean off and did some other minor damage, but nothing too serious considering what he's done to the flock in the past. If I hadn't left the door open when I ran in after hearing my son screaming, the dog wouldn't have gotten in, but that was the least of my concerns. Until he's gone, my son is absolutely terrified of going in to gather eggs or see the other chickens.

Hope those of you still waiting for chicks have good luck today!

Sorry your youngster is sick... heck of a way to get a day off

But glad there is a bright side!! Congrats on your #9!!!

 

[fisherlady]

Well, the "bird flu" struck my house and I'm just too sick to go to work!

My little chick (#4) that gave me a big scare last night, is going strong today. Still working on his fluff and still has membrane stuck to it's back, but all in all still doing well.

Make sure you stay bundled up and keep warm... I heard incubators and brooders both give off a lot of heat, so you may want to stay close to them till you feel better!

Glad to hear #4 is going strong!

 

[SilkieSensation]

So that egg I thought had pipped??? Not so much, just a smudge on the egg. I can home from workt this morning to no new changes. No peeping, pipping, or anything! So I completely redid the wet sponges, wet paper towels, etc to keep the humidity up, and am praying that they're just slow on the uptake.

I mean can I seriously make it all the way to day 21 and then have NO ONE hatch?? I tried candling 2 of the eggs, and it's so dark, that I can't see inside. I'm taking that as a good sign that they're in there, but I can't tell it they're moving or not...

Any ideas, hints?

Give them a couple more days & keep an eye on the membrane if you candle again. If the edge starts to look ragged or wet the chick is dead. If it looks firm or you see little jerky movements not corresponding to your movement of the egg then you have a live baby.

Well, we are 18 for 18 over here! After eight hours of silence, the last egg pipped and zipped this afternoon. Poor little guy is still moving a little slow and looks like he just wants a nap! But everyone else is moving with lightning speed! Once 18 fluffed up most of the way, we moved the last nine from that stinky dirty incubator to the brooder with the others, and they're all chirping away happy as larks. 18 is in a corner in an old box for checks, just to try and gain him a little time to rest up without everyone climbing all over him.

Thanks for the hatch-a-long, peeps! This was so fun! I can't believe all 18 that went into lockdown actually hatched! And these are active little birds. I can't wait to see what they look like feathered out. Thus far, we have probably 10 fairly different looks amongst the 18...and a handful with feathered legs, even! They were all a random barnyard mix of bantams (2 roos, 5 hens), although in the same coop were some polish hens and a full sized roo, so if polish lay relatively small eggs, they could in theory be a mix of any of the above. But many of them are totally beautiful! We're all in love! And watching them in the brooder is better than any tv. My kids are going to be totally entertained for the next few weeks.

When I get some good daylight pics of the chickies tomorrow, I'll post. Hoping those of you waiting for chickies are rewarded very soon!!!

A LF roo can & WILL breed a bantam hen. If the banty roo is big enough he can even breed the big girls. If any of the babies have a poof on top of their heads you have a Polish cross. Sometimes their eggs can be a bit smaller, but usually not as small as a true banty.

A bit worried... I have an Ameraucana egg that is pipped at the wrong end... hope all goes well!

Keep an eye on that one. Often they don't make it simply because the reason they didn't get turned is a physical issue & they are not strong enough. Other times it's a humidity issue that makes the membrane too tight to let them turn & they can make it with help. You really can't tell which it is until you get them out. Don't help too soon, because usually they can get out if it's not a physical issue unless the membrane is super tight. If none of the others have pipped the wrong end it's more likely to be something with the chick than it is the humidity.

Well, the "bird flu" struck my house and I'm just too sick to go to work!

My little chick (#4) that gave me a big scare last night, is going strong today. Still working on his fluff and still has membrane stuck to it's back, but all in all still doing well.

I still have 2 eggs that are now on day 23 with no action at all. I candled last night, and just dark w air sack, so no idea if alive it dead. I have my one and only bantam egg on day 21 today, but no action there either. I really really want the bantam to hatch...so hoping it does!

I'll continue to deal w my "bird flu" and keep an eye on my bator. I'll be watching the thread for updates as well. Fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed!

We don't get bird flu here. We get bird fever.