hatching with egg cartons-Update-

[ozark hen]

thanks, I honestly don't know how much it is swallowing. All the other chicks come running when I put my fingers down in the brooder with food on them or tap the floor of their brooder. This one keeps cheeping very loudly. I keep dipping the beak to make it swallow water. It seems to flat out refuse food from me. I am afraid to put it in with the other chicks as yet. I don't know how they will do with it if I am not constantly watching. I have wondered if it would follow their lead to water and food? I am so worried over this one. I just love it. Thanks for your input.

 

[speckledhen]

It's time to put it in with the others, I think. Let them show it by example.

 

[ChickNLittle]

Hey FlufNStuff, I almost had the same problem. I candled my silky eggs on the 18th day, and put them in the egg carton. When I candled them, I was sure there were at least 9 eggs with movement, I wasnt too sure about the other three. The next morning I woke up and there was a pip, then another one pip in the afternoon and by evening I had 4 or 5 pips. But there was no progress. Anyway, I just left them alone and checked on them. For the next two days, nothing more. I said something is not right, so against some peoples better judgement, I started helping. Little by little. Even after I made the openings a little bigger the chicks were not making any progress. So I experimented with one of them and peeled some of the shell off, still nothing after a while, so I peeled some more. That went on until I had peeled almost the whole air sack off. Finally I seen a piece of the tip of the beak, so I very gently rubbed the membrane off his head. Then I gently laid him and the rest of the shell on the floor of the bator. He began to make progress. So I started on another one. When I got those two making progress on the floor of the bator. I waited to see what was going to happen with them, while I kept my attention on the others who were still not making any progress. A few minutes later they were out. About one hour later they were scooting around and having a grand ole time. Still nothing with the others. I said, alright I am going to try the same thing, so I ended up doing that with all the ones that had pips. They all made progress. I had one of them that was bleeding after I peeled some of the shell off. I made sure his little face was out of the blood path, and I took a hand-towel and applied just a little bit of pressure for about 60 seconds. The bleeding stopped and he was fine. I ended up doing that with another one as well, but only because he came out kicking and screaming and he cut the cord too fast and I just applied pressure on his little belly where the cord was, again for 60 seconds and he is fine too. ) I lost one because he died in the shell because I waited too long, and there were two other eggs that never pipped. I am wondering if it is because the silkies are very light chicks. But then again, I know there are some people who have hatched the silkies in the carton as well, so I don't know. I have a hatch coming up on the 22nd of White Leghorns. I am going to try putting them in a carton and see what happens. Watch....those big mambo jambo's will do just fine with the carton method.

I'm just happy everybody survived and they are now in the brooder having a great time. And you know what....every time I stick my hand in that brooder, they all want to jump in it. They must think I'm mama hen.

I think there are some instances where helping may save the chicks life. Its all a matter of knowing when you have to intervene I guess, and sometimes that is a very hard call. But I had a feeling that if I didn't intervene, I was going to lose them anyway. Now I have the "seven dwarfs". Tehe!

 

[ozark hen]

Quote:
LOL I figured that out finally last night. I took a sweet, non aggressive chick out of the other brooder and put it in with her in the incubator overnight. I just put them both in with all the others and watched for awhile. Pecking went on but she stood her ground and pecked back.

But I see her pecking at their feet and when they peck at food she is right there with them.

Ordeal..............over!
Thanks for everyone's advice, thoughts and prayers.

 

[speckledhen]

 

[Katy]

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

do u always have to put somethf in the bator to hold the eggs up

 

[championny]

Vamp, some people prefer the egg carton, and others just to lie them in the incubator floor. It's all a matter of preference.

I like the carton, because it makes clean up a lot easier. And as my first time trying it, I love it.

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

Thanks for the tip

 

[chirpchirpchirp]