Hatch Cam is LIVE

[Audio51]

Darn! I stepped away for a bit and missed both of those last 2 hatches! Just watched you adjusting arrows though....

 

[hokankai]

I always follow my gut, and I would help it. I just took out a pipped JG that wasn't progressing and its beak was cemented to the shell! If its ready I would just help it out very carefully.

Adam just hatched, and Mickey didn't make it. It looks like it turned in the shell, but didn't zip for some reason

 

[Audio51]

Poor Mickey...

I have 5 of 8 fertile eggs on Day 18. Just moved them out of the turner and set up a barrier wall using cardboard held in place with toothpicks thru the mesh. I also have the eggs sitting on a shallow wee carton top to keep them from rolling around as other chicks hatch. I am trying to get the humidity up without going too far up. I'm using a foam incubator. Last hatch (my first attempt) was a disaster. Of 9 eggs, 6 were fertile. 3 started to develop but stopped very early on. 2 started but died about 1/2 way. The 3rd one looked fully developed but never pipped. I was running the humidity way too high I think and the temps were off. I purchased a hygrometer designed for hatching this time and verified that my previous settings were not correct. I have been keeping the temps pretty much right on with only brief, occasional fluctuations of less than 1 degree. These eggs were started under a broody hen and moved to the incubator after 1 week (I had more valuable eggs I wanted to trust to the hen). I hope I end up with some live chicks this time. Having a great time watching yours hatch. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this!

 

[emilee427]

Thank you for taking the time to do this!! My kids have been watching all day and we have enjoyed it very much. We are expecting our very first hatch in 11 days and are very excited!!

 

[hokankai]

It is so much fun but very stressful, LOL. I slept like a rock last night but I'm already tired again.

So far 13 chicks are out! Another is thinking about hatching

 

[emilee427]

We are only doing 12 because it's our first time. Being new at this I am knowledgeable up til day 18. After that, I'm not sure what to do. Turn off and move egg turner out, and don't open incubator. That's all I know lol.

 

[hokankai]

Hahaha yup after that it's pretty much a gamble.

I actually stopped turning at day 16.5 because I was getting a lot of chicks die from being in the wrong position. Things are going SO much more smoothly! I also did not up the humidity until I had internal pipping, so I don't really have a real lockdown. It's not a cut-n-dry deal, so be ready and calm if you need to assist. I've had two this round that were pipped for so long the fan dried their goop and they were stuck, so I had to open the incubator to fix it. I actually open the incubator a lot, BUT I do it in a steamy bathroom or make sure the humidity is above 80% when I open it and then close it ASAP. Lowest humidity has dropped is 65%

You just have to experiment and find what works best for you, and have a little luck

 

[hokankai]

7 hatched overnight: Gandalf, Merry, Aragorn, Nugget, Phil, Godwin and Jase!

That makes the tally 24/39 so far! And my little "?" egg is PIPPED, hahaha. I've been calling it mutant baby because it has looked really weird, but now it's name is Legolas

 

[emilee427]

Lol! Mutant! I live in Louisiana so humidity is usually 70ish naturally. So is that a good thing? Right now it's 64% outside.

 

[melissaG]

I am enjoying this entirely too much!!!! (I'm not addicted to chicks, no not at all

)