Hatching Updates for this weekend, MORE PICS!!!

[d_rooster]

Today's report:
After the first chick hatched out last night I stayed up until 2:30 a.m. hoping the second pip would hatch. No such luck. Went to bed and woke up at 6 a.m. to find second chick hatched out - another grey Silkie. Went back to bed. Woke up at 9:30 a.m. to find a third egg pipped. Went about my business. Raked leaves, cleaned up hickory nuts from walkways and driveway, fed my big chickens, checked on Betty and her chicks. J

Just came inside for lunch and daughter tells me a third chick has hatched - looks light in color, probably a white one. Also, the remaining two eggs in the incubator are now pipped. I figure that by this afternoon all five that were in the 'bator will be out. Once, they are all fluffy and dry I will be taking photos of them to post and taking them out to introduce to Betty's nest. I have followed the cardinal rule of not opening the 'bator and it seems to be the best advice on this forum.

 

[msbliss]

Donald, CONGRATS!! Can't wait to see pics. Those silkies are so darn cute! Sounds as if we were on the same sleep schedule, you & I. It's just sa darn hard to walk away from the 'bator.

And I TOTALLY agree...not opening the bator during the hatch, as much as it was ridiculously difficult, I'm CERTAIN it allowed a nice healthy hatch to happen. All the yolks have been absorbed, membranes have been wet enough for the chicks to hatch on their own - although a few of the membranes looked pretty darn thick & strong for the babies to get through once zipped, they did it nonetheless.

Hope to see pics of Betty when she gets 5 more little chicks added to her nest! That's gonna be precious!

 

[LoneCowboy]

Congrats!! My hatch was a 100% failure. But you just wait, new bator in the mail, and eggs being shipped the monday after Christmas. I should have some fuzzy butts in about a month. Stay tuned!

 

[d_rooster]

Daughter and I snapped some photos today of Betty's recently hatched chicks.

Here they are:
These are all chicks from eggs I got from Dipsy Doodle Doo. Good things come from her chickies' eggs!

Light colored Silkie, will this one be white?

Another light colored Silke

A grey Silkie, could these turn out to be splashes?

Another grey Silkie

The fifth one, another grey, would not cooperate with the photo op, but jumped out of daughter's hands and headed back to the safety of mom Betty.

Photos of the three incubator chicks didn't turn out because of glare and humidity, but I'll post those pics once all have hatched and on their way to join Betty and the other chicks.

 

[Katy]

Cute babies!

 

[d_rooster]

LoneCowboy, Sorry, that your hatch was bust.

Maybe the new incubator will help. Are you still getting that Hovabator Genesis with the turner for Christmas?

 

[d_rooster]

Finally, all chicks have hatched! Broody Betty and I had a tie on the hatch rate. We both started with six each and both hatched out five for a total of ten chicks. So I would consider our hatching a wonderful success.

When I went to bed last night around 11:00 p.m. there were still two left in the incubator to hatch. One had zipped a little and the other was still just a small pip hole. I woke about 2 a.m. and wandered down to the sunroom to check on their progress and they had made no progress at all. They were still moving a little, but their efforts were becoming weaker and weaker. So, when I could stand it no longer, I finally intervened by zipping them all the way around and put them back in the incubator for the final escape. Both were out by 3:30 a.m. and I went back to sleep.

When I woke this morning, both of the assisted chicks were on their feet and running around. Maybe they would have made it without my intervention, but for my own sanity I felt like I had to help. One of the chicks I assisted turned out to be one of the largest chicks of the hatch.

I pulled Betty's last unhatched egg and candled - it was clear. So I removed the egg, and replaced it with one of the incubator hatchlings. Betty look surprised, but quickly moved over and covered it with her wing. I can tell that Betty is going to be such a good mother.

I promised daughter that she could hold the rest of the incubator chicks before they went to their new mom. I'll snap some more pics then.

 

[d_rooster]

Here are some more pics of four of the incubator chicks.

Big chick, starting zipping but I assisted

The last to hatch - assisted

Probably the cutest one of the bunch. Don't know if it will be white or light grey. The other light colored chicks have more of a yellow cast.

Another grey Silkie chick

The fifth chick from the incubator has already gone to be with Betty and the others in the outdoor coop, so that one missed the photo op. A shame, as it had quite a little up-do going on.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Way to go, Donald! Are you sure you haven't done this before?
I have some other eggs for you to try if you have room in the bator. I'll email you!
Lisa

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi again!
I forgot to address the COLORS!
The yellow chicks will be white, the silvery-white chicks will be splash, the gray chicks will be blue.

Lisa