Help! Early hatch?

[Bone Bunny]

So I need some advice!

I have never hatched anything before, by myself. When I was a kid my papa use to hatch quail, but he def did not do how they say you are supposed to do it. And that was SOOO long ago I don't remember how he did it. So please stick with me.

A friend of ours inherited a mix flock a few months ago, that included a 3 breeding pairs of Ayam Cemani's, a brahma rooster, a couple of naked necks, and a few breeds I don't know, and a few ducks. They have always free ranged, so that's what he has allowed them to keep doing once they had settled. The AC coop is seperate from the rest of the flock. (The roosters are ok with the others when free ranging but do not like them in their coop) Something attacked the AC pen at the beginning of April. All that is left is 1 AC hen and 2 AC roosters.

The single AC hen started laying again at some point, but on June 9th the flock had been attacked again but by a hawk. The AC stopped sitting on over a dozen eggs she had and the duck in the other pen started trying to crack all the eggs in the other pen (chicken and duck alike). July 10th I was brought about 2 dozen various eggs from both pens. He had saved what he could and asked me to incubate them to see what would happen.

I only have 1 incubator. We literally just started collecting things we would need to breed, because we figured we had a year to do it in. So I hastily made a make shift incubator to accommodate what I couldn't fit in the store bought one and have been have been turning those every few hours by hand. I know which ones are the Ayam Cemanis, but I have no clue what the other ones are. The female duck had been sitting on chicken eggs too. The AC ones that looked like they were fertile I put in the store bought one incubator (magic fly -self turning- and it only holds 9 eggs) and the others I put in a makeshift one, and its actually working I think, several of the eggs have grown in weight.

Here's my problem. He had no clue how long they had been sitting on the eggs. I had read that hens will keep them a certain way so they all hatch roughly in the same time period. I was going to do the hatching tray changes in a couple of days, because I had weighed the eggs 2 days ago. They were at 1.6 oz. Almost all the eggs are roughly the same weight, with a few I am pretty sure have nothing in them. I thought it would be at least another few days before moving them to the hatching tray, but low and behold one of AC's in the magicfly popped out about an hour ago. Not gonna lie, I panicked, and I went ahead and pulled out the autoturn tray so the rest of the eggs from the magicfly are now on the hatching tray.

I was told not to remove the chick from incubator till the others hatched, but I am worried it may be days. as I don't know how far along the rest are since they are from a mixed bunch. Should I go ahead and move the single to a small brooder close to the incubators? The little thing is having a fit just chirping its beak up. Then it will go silent for a few min and I have to go running, hoping nothing happened to it. Its taking me like 45 min to write this port because of that. It is very feisty! Already trin to escape if the incubator is even cracked and pecked my hand while i was trying to remove the tray.

Please great chicken people, what should I do, I'm a little overwhelmed.

(Adding a pic of the wee one)

 

[SmiYa0126]

So I need some advice!

I have never hatched anything before, by myself. When I was a kid my papa use to hatch quail, but he def did not do how they say you are supposed to do it. And that was SOOO long ago I don't remember how he did it. So please stick with me.

A friend of ours inherited a mix flock a few months ago, that included a 3 breeding pairs of Ayam Cemani's, a brahma rooster, a couple of naked necks, and a few breeds I don't know, and a few ducks. They have always free ranged, so that's what he has allowed them to keep doing once they had settled. The AC coop is seperate from the rest of the flock. (The roosters are ok with the others when free ranging but do not like them in their coop) Something attacked the AC pen at the beginning of April. All that is left is 1 AC hen and 2 AC roosters.

The single AC hen started laying again at some point, but on June 9th the flock had been attacked again but by a hawk. The AC stopped sitting on over a dozen eggs she had and the duck in the other pen started trying to crack all the eggs in the other pen (chicken and duck alike). July 10th I was brought about 2 dozen various eggs from both pens. He had saved what he could and asked me to incubate them to see what would happen.

I only have 1 incubator. We literally just started collecting things we would need to breed, because we figured we had a year to do it in. So I hastily made a make shift incubator to accommodate what I couldn't fit in the store bought one and have been have been turning those every few hours by hand. I know which ones are the Ayam Cemanis, but I have no clue what the other ones are. The female duck had been sitting on chicken eggs too. The AC ones that looked like they were fertile I put in the store bought one incubator (magic fly -self turning- and it only holds 9 eggs) and the others I put in a makeshift one, and its actually working I think, several of the eggs have grown in weight.

Here's my problem. He had no clue how long they had been sitting on the eggs. I had read that hens will keep them a certain way so they all hatch roughly in the same time period. I was going to do the hatching tray changes in a couple of days, because I had weighed the eggs 2 days ago. They were at 1.6 oz. Almost all the eggs are roughly the same weight, with a few I am pretty sure have nothing in them. I thought it would be at least another few days before moving them to the hatching tray, but low and behold one of AC's in the magicfly popped out about an hour ago. Not gonna lie, I panicked, and I went ahead and pulled out the autoturn tray so the rest of the eggs from the magicfly are now on the hatching tray.

I was told not to remove the chick from incubator till the others hatched, but I am worried it may be days. as I don't know how far along the rest are since they are from a mixed bunch. Should I go ahead and move the single to a small brooder close to the incubators? The little thing is having a fit just chirping its beak up. Then it will go silent for a few min and I have to go running, hoping nothing happened to it. Its taking me like 45 min to write this port because of that. It is very feisty! Already trin to escape if the incubator is even cracked and pecked my hand while i was trying to remove the tray.

Please great chicken people, what should I do, I'm a little overwhelmed.

(Adding a pic of the wee one)
View attachment 3197937

I had the same thing happen, staggered hatch. Set up a brooder and put the baby in there. Put a mirror in for company and also hold it whenever you can.

For the rest of the eggs I did the same thing, took out autoturner and let them hatch. I only lost two eggs out of ten, another one was a quitter.

Can you candle the eggs to see where they are in growth stage? That should give you a rough idea of how long it will be.

Congratulations on your wee baby!

 

[Bone Bunny]

Can you candle the eggs to see where they are in growth stage? That should give you a rough idea of how long it will be.

Congratulations on your wee baby!

Thank you! And I am about to head to the store for a mirror and a brighter flash light to see if I can see inside the darker shells. Honestly there was such a huge dif in some of them, I had used the flashlight I had on hand, and one didn't even look like it had a yolk at one point in the beginning. But I also do not have the best eye sight.

What I have been reading is that AC's have a lower chance of hatching from incubation, so I was honestly expecting nothing to hatch due to the unknown variables and how under prepared I was/am. If this would have happened in a month, I would have the money for the extra stuff that we need for hatching.

If this works out well, he owes me a fancy incubator. lol

 

[MysteryChicken]

So I need some advice!

I have never hatched anything before, by myself. When I was a kid my papa use to hatch quail, but he def did not do how they say you are supposed to do it. And that was SOOO long ago I don't remember how he did it. So please stick with me.

A friend of ours inherited a mix flock a few months ago, that included a 3 breeding pairs of Ayam Cemani's, a brahma rooster, a couple of naked necks, and a few breeds I don't know, and a few ducks. They have always free ranged, so that's what he has allowed them to keep doing once they had settled. The AC coop is seperate from the rest of the flock. (The roosters are ok with the others when free ranging but do not like them in their coop) Something attacked the AC pen at the beginning of April. All that is left is 1 AC hen and 2 AC roosters.

The single AC hen started laying again at some point, but on June 9th the flock had been attacked again but by a hawk. The AC stopped sitting on over a dozen eggs she had and the duck in the other pen started trying to crack all the eggs in the other pen (chicken and duck alike). July 10th I was brought about 2 dozen various eggs from both pens. He had saved what he could and asked me to incubate them to see what would happen.

I only have 1 incubator. We literally just started collecting things we would need to breed, because we figured we had a year to do it in. So I hastily made a make shift incubator to accommodate what I couldn't fit in the store bought one and have been have been turning those every few hours by hand. I know which ones are the Ayam Cemanis, but I have no clue what the other ones are. The female duck had been sitting on chicken eggs too. The AC ones that looked like they were fertile I put in the store bought one incubator (magic fly -self turning- and it only holds 9 eggs) and the others I put in a makeshift one, and its actually working I think, several of the eggs have grown in weight.

Here's my problem. He had no clue how long they had been sitting on the eggs. I had read that hens will keep them a certain way so they all hatch roughly in the same time period. I was going to do the hatching tray changes in a couple of days, because I had weighed the eggs 2 days ago. They were at 1.6 oz. Almost all the eggs are roughly the same weight, with a few I am pretty sure have nothing in them. I thought it would be at least another few days before moving them to the hatching tray, but low and behold one of AC's in the magicfly popped out about an hour ago. Not gonna lie, I panicked, and I went ahead and pulled out the autoturn tray so the rest of the eggs from the magicfly are now on the hatching tray.

I was told not to remove the chick from incubator till the others hatched, but I am worried it may be days. as I don't know how far along the rest are since they are from a mixed bunch. Should I go ahead and move the single to a small brooder close to the incubators? The little thing is having a fit just chirping its beak up. Then it will go silent for a few min and I have to go running, hoping nothing happened to it. Its taking me like 45 min to write this port because of that. It is very feisty! Already trin to escape if the incubator is even cracked and pecked my hand while i was trying to remove the tray.

Please great chicken people, what should I do, I'm a little overwhelmed.

(Adding a pic of the wee one)
View attachment 3197937

Looks like you'll have second chick hatch, I see a pip on the egg on the right next to the first chick.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Good eye! I thought that was straw stuck to the egg.

 

[Bone Bunny]

Looks like you'll have second chick hatch, I see a pip on the egg on the right next to the first chick.

Good eye! I thought that was straw stuck to the egg.

YES! I didn't even notice that at first either. I initially thought it was a piece of the shell from the hatched egg. I ran to the store, came back and saw this, so I went to check and there are actually TWO eggs with little pips in them. But I quickly candled and can def tell, there a few are still quite a few days away.

Which bring me to turning them. I read that you shouldn't turn them when they are close to hatching. but because of the staggering and its almost impossible to tell what is what, do i still turn them or should I leave them and hope for the best? I've been trying to find info and I'm only really coming across info for hatching eggs that are all the same.

I'm so excited!

 

[MysteryChicken]

YES! I didn't even notice that at first either. I initially thought it was a piece of the shell from the hatched egg. I ran to the store, came back and saw this, so I went to check and there are actually TWO eggs with little pips in them. But I quickly candled and can def tell, there a few are still quite a few days away.

Which bring me to turning them. I read that you shouldn't turn them when they are close to hatching. but because of the staggering and its almost impossible to tell what is what, do i still turn them or should I leave them and hope for the best? I've been trying to find info and I'm only really coming across info for hatching eggs that are all the same.

I'm so excited!

You can start lockdown as early as days 16 - 17, so no turning.

 

[MysteryChicken]

But if you're unsure, it won't hurt to give them a turn 3 times a day, once in the morning, afternoon, & before bed.

 

[Bone Bunny]

But if you're unsure, it won't hurt to give them a turn 3 times a day, once in the morning, afternoon, & before bed.

Thank you very much! I'm honestly excited that at least 1 fully hatched because I was expecting nothing. The reassurances are extremally helpful to. Thank you thank you!