Hatched even in the worst conditions!

[lswatson111304]

I hatched 3 silkie babies out of my death bator (LG still air) on sunday. I was completely shocked that they hatched. First, they made it through shipment. Detached air cells and all. Then they made it through 22 days of horrible temp fluctuations. I'm in Texas and our weather has been freezing one day, and in the 70's the next. Its been absolutely nuts. Because I don't have central air and heat, there is no stability in the house temp wise. If it gets cool, we turn the heat on, if its hot, we turn it off. Well, at night though, the room they were in would drop really low. So our nights in the bator were usually at about 96degrees. Then back up to 100-101 during the day when it would heat up. Because the temps were so unstable, I wasn't able to turn the eggs like I should have because the bator would drop so low. So we are talking like 1 turn a day, some days 3. Seriously felt horrible, and I really didn't even have much hope. Then we get to lockdown and they didn't even look fully developed, but they were still alive. I decided to do lockdown a day late because of the low temps. Despite it all, on day 21 they started to pip. One, on the small end of the egg!!! It took everything in me to leave them alone. I decided early on that I would NOT intervene at all, and if they didn't hatch, they didn't hatch. Went to bed with 1 pencil eraser size hole in an egg (the one pipping on the wrong end), and 2 small pips in the other 2. Woke up to 1 chick. Left for church. I was sooo worried about the one on the small end because it hadn't made progress in 24 hours. Went to church, and came back home to 2 chicks, the one made it out on its own from the small end. Shortly after church I was able to get video of the 3rd chick hatching. Soooo awesome and cool! So they all hatched on day 21.5 - 22.

 

[CALI CHICK]

CONGRATULATIONS! I am so thrilled for you and your three new babies.

I am on Day 4 of incubating 16 shipped silkie eggs. I'm sure the air cells are detached in some if not all.

I candled one and saw a very fluid, moving air cell. I am trying to keep from candling them, but I've turned them 3X a day. Not turning them might be what saved yours! Maybe I shouldn't be turning mine so much. So far, I haven't seen any development, but it is early. Did you have them laying on their sides or in cartons?

This is my first experience incubating. I'm using an old Brower 845-still air. I've managed to stabilize the temps between 100-102 for the last day or so. But, I've had overnight lows to 97 and an occasional jump to 104. I'm doing a "dry incubation" and it is staying around 25%. It dropped to 16% once, so I added warm water to some sponges. Do you think I have a chance at hatching any? Where did you get your eggs from? Mine came from Georgia (to California) in one day!!

 

[lswatson111304]

If I remember correctly mine came from NC to TX. Took 3 days.
So here is the deal, same shipper sold me eggs about a month and a half earlier and all died. I had them upright in a carton and I turned them 3x/day just like you are supposed to. I had more stable temps too and none made it. Well, I assisted one hatch, and he died shortly after. I tried hatching all these upright in a carton. I had 3 others that made it to lockdown alive, but died before pipping.

Then I had a broody and shipped eggs. She hatched 5 out of the 8 eggs. All had air cell issues as well. Some all the way down the side, and still hatched out fine. Ms broody had them on their sides and constant turning and we still had an amazing hatch.

These 3, were upright in a carton for the first 15 days or so, and then I put them on their sides. I figured if broody could hatch hers on their sides, so could I! LOL Sure enough, they hatched!

So YES you have a chance, but I have NO IDEA what variables will give you more success!

 

[CALI CHICK]

I'm getting egg cartons ready to put them in during the afternoon turning. I think it's a good idea to "train" the air cells back up toward the top of the egg. I wish I'd done it sooner, but maybe it's not too late. BTW-I'm using styrofoam cartons with the bottoms and b/n each little cup cut out for airflow. Is this pretty much what you did?

Thank you for your detailed post. Great information! You mentioned alot of variables that can go either way and alot of "bad" conditions...but the chicks made it.