Hatch date May 17! anybody else?

I have to argue that point. lol I just took my last 3 late eggs out of the hatcher... thinking I need to clean up for the next flock. I always float test. Two jiggled, so back in the bator with them. The third dropped like a rock.

I always open eggs to see how developed they are. I'm weird like that and keep stats to try and improve my hatch rate. Low and behold, I cracked the top open and a whole bunch of peeping started up. To late to just throw back in the bator. I put a warm wet towel around the egg and carefully took off the top of the egg. No blood, good, good, peep peep, good good. Then the little Cochin just popped right out. Almost dropped it. Now back in the hatcher it went. Most active chick I've ever seen and I could have just chucked a non floater. I'll never toss an egg, always look, even if it is depressing seeing a DIS.
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We gotta give 'em every chance.

BTW... I just stood and watched my little Bantam hen HELP a chick hatch out of the egg today. Never have seen that before. She very carefully pecked at the shell and removed tiny pieces, all the time clucking and encouraging the chick. Out it popped and she tucked it right under her. So cute. Didn't know hens helped chicks like that. Soooo cool.
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I've seen several hens help chicks hatch. I always leave my non-hatched eggs in the incubator at least a week after they are supposed to hatch, though I don't do any 'egg-topsies' on them. I never have float tested an egg and I don't recommend it either.
 
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I have left my in, and will remove them tonight or tomorrow...

Thats so cute ive never heard of a hen helping thats adorable...
 
I have left my unhatched eggs in as well...including the 3 from Luna, my broody. I'll give them till Sat or Sun night.


Moved the 6 from the bator to Luna last night. All seems very well today. Yay!
Just got done vaccinating the 9 chicks against Mareks.



Paintedhorsegirl, how are your babies doing? Is the one any stronger and walking better?

Val
 
I still have only the two chicks but the little one that I helped hatch is doing better. She's looking fuzzier and more active every time I check on her, she is walking better..Her curled toes arent so curled anymore, I might not need to put on chicken shoes afterall..
 
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The chick didn't make it...it was "breach" and still had a large yolk sac attached to it during the egg-topsy.
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Have another batch in the 'bator...we'll see in 3 weeks....

Hopefully you will have better luck this time..I think Im going to try again in another week or so i will set some more and give it another go
 
I ended up with 2 hatching out of 6. Mine was a broody hatch on shipped eggs. One broke early on - down to 5. I had candled all 5 and thought 3 may be good. 2 did hatch and she was still sitting on the other 3. I candled one again last night - no good, so I took it. Now sitting on 2. Will not leave the nest but is doing her best with the 2 hatched chicks. Went to feed store today and bought 3 chicks that just came in yesterday. I have them in the brooder in the garage. Will try to put them under her tonight and remove the 2 eggs (let's hope she can't count). DH thinks I am insane. This has been both fun and educational!
 
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Mine was still not walking at all. Those eggs were not my eggs, so I gave the two chicks that hatched to my friend that I had bought them for (it was her incubator I borrowed). There are still two more eggs under one of the broodies, the other one that hatched the deformed chick seems to have lost interest, and I really don't think anything else will hatch. It was difficult to candle the dark eggs, but I really don't think they ever even started developing. I'm going to contact the seller on those. They weren't even shipped eggs. They were picked up at a swap, so 2 out of 12 would indicate some serious issues, especially since they were dividided up between two broodies and an incubator.
 

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