Hatching Updates for this weekend, MORE PICS!!!

[d_rooster]

The chenille wire is apparently to make little soft rings to corral each egg and keep it from rolling all over the bottom of the incubator when the chicks are rocking the eggs right before hatching and after the first chicks hatch and start stumbling around into the other eggs. I've seen several photos on the recent posts where people are using these to keep the eggs in place during the last few days of the incubation process.

 

[Tsagirl]

flying_squirell.....

Thanks!!! I am keeping my fingers crossed

I think one already is a dud, but that means I have 20 eggs that are good so far! Hopefully I would love to have all of them hatch!!

congrats to all of you and goodluck on everyones hatches......fuzzy buts to everyone!!!!!

Take care!

 

[msbliss]

Magical, that's the only way to describe it.

When I took the eggs off the turner a while ago I was going to candle them (day 18). As I was moving them, they were very active in my hand and I decided since they seemd good, no cracks, etc. I'd just let them be...no candling. Now the humidity is up & we're ready for some babies!

Feeling them moving so strongly was amazing....

 

[Tsagirl]

well I at least have 2 good ones. About a half hour ago 2 of them were wiggling and one rolled all the way to the side of the bator!

I love watching them move!

 

[crysmom]

i'm on day 20 and one of them pipped! these will be my first silkies. And out of the batch of eggs I only got one buff, and its the first one to pip! yeah! two of the others are rolling around and I cna hear a lot of peeping

 

[Tsagirl]

good luck to you!!!!!!

What is so funny about hatching eggs is that I am more hysterical then my daughter and she is way into hatching these eggs.

Good thing about this though with kids, they really learn alot about life!

 

[LoneCowboy]

I'm on day 19, not looking good. Only one egg left, and I don't see any movement in it at all. I think this whole hatch is a bust.

 

[Tsagirl]

lone cowboy.....how many eggs did you have and when is day 21? Did you candle?

 

[CovenantCreek]

I've got 4 BR eggs that'll go into the hatcher on Friday and two dozen or so Dellies that will be joining them on Sunday.

 

[d_rooster]

Oh LoneCowboy, don't give up yet. Maybe you'll still get something to hatch.

Well, tonight I checked on broody Betty and it looks like she has two of her six Silkie eggs already pipped and she is just finishing day 19. She had made her nest on top of a bale of straw which I had moved to the coop area (4 x4 ft) of my chicken tractor (4 x 12ft) before setting her up with the hatching eggs. This morning, I had opened up the hinged coop area and filled it up to the level of her nest with more wheat straw. Now when the babies hatch they won't be in danger of falling out of the nest and not being able to hop back in. This morning Betty appeared to have hunkered down and wouldn't give up sitting for the food that I sprinkled in front of her. I think that she knows something important is about to happen.

My incubator eggs are a day behind Betty and have no pips at present. Tonight was the end of day 18 and I installed the non-skid mat on top of the wire incubator rack, added another sponge, and put the eggs on the mat with the chenille wire surrounding them. I also used a hot glue gun to put a plastic canvas cover over the exposed side of my incubator fan, which used to be a personal computer fan. Now the incubator is on lock-down until after hatching is completed.

All things considered I am very relaxed at this stage of the incubation. Of course, the two glasses of wine with dinner really helped with that. For all nervous hatchers out there I heartily recommend a medicinal glass or two of wine.