HELP!!!! Humidity all wrong!!!

[vivaciouswoman]

I can't see your video.

Woops! Thanks for the alert! I needed to set Facebook privacy on that post to public. It should be viewable now.

Oo--I hear MAMA-MAMA-MAMA peeping. Did the diagonal zipper come out?...

YES, SHE DID!!!! Clearly another Ameraucana, so fingers crossed he/she got Rooster Dude's genes!!!!

 

[casportpony]

HOLY COW!!! It feels like we've had hatches left and right today! I caught another one LIVE on Facebook again. Feel free to friend me there! (My name is on the video here!) Only 9 eggs remain unhatched. One is the chick I thought might not have an egg tooth, but now that I see it more completely (it's zipping diagonally), I can see the egg tooth. Another has a very small pip. That's 23 live hatches, 2 hopefully on the way, and 7 with no external signs of progress. That's not entirely true. At least one of those seven has clear internal pipping signs.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10100337924129493

 

[vivaciouswoman]

Sometimes diagonal or crooked zips have leg issues, so keep an eye on it. Hopefully not the case here.

You are having such a fabulous hatch! If I used FB more, I'd send you a friend request, but honestly, I hate that site. I use it to sell chicks sometimes, or should I say "give away" chicks, because those people always seem to want something for nothing. LOL

Good to know! I've got so many with clear Ameraucana markings that it will be hard to keep track, but I'll keep my eyes out! Thank you for that tidbit!

 

[WVduckchick]

Good to know! I've got so many with clear Ameraucana markings that it will be hard to keep track, but I'll keep my eyes out! Thank you for that tidbit!

Glad it hatched on its own. It should be fine.

 

[vivaciouswoman]

Gosh, I've learned so much! I'm particularly attuned to the MOMMY-MOMMY-MOMMY peep now! I can see why it might make a hen go running! It makes me run, too!

 

[vivaciouswoman]

And another unexpected thing: there's a very particular smell in the incubator with all the hatching going on. But it seems to call out to the mother in me. I don't find it yucky or repulsive. It makes me just want to cuddle and nurture. Interesting. I wonder how it compares to the smell at a human birth.

 

[cmom]

If it is foul smelling it could be a bad egg.

 

[vivaciouswoman]

If it is foul smelling it could be a bad egg.

There was a smell a long while ago from a bad egg that I removed, but what I'm smelling now is just the odor of healthy hatching chicks with all the detritus they leave behind--a little yolk, a little membrane, a little umbilical cord, some early poo, small bits of blood...normal birthing stuff. It's not terribly powerful, but it's kind of comforting. Has anyone else noticed it? I've had 25 hatches in a very small area in a short time, so it adds up.

I have changed out the pillowcase I was using for a new one, so the smell is greatly diminished now. That's a little sad, but healthier for the remaining babies, I'm sure.

 

[cmom]

I put some paper towels down for my chicks when they first hatch which I'm sure is taboo from some people but it works for me and has caused no problems for the hundreds of chicks I have hatched.

 

[vivaciouswoman]

End of Day 22:

This hatch has been more successful than I dreamed, even at the outset when I dreamed big without knowing my humidity was going to be so out of control. 32 eggs made it to Day 18, and 25 of those have hatched!!

Tonight, I did a thorough examination of the remaining 7 eggs. Unfortunately, one was clearly a quitter, so I did an eggtopsy. This web site was pretty helpful, but don't click through unless you're willing to look at graphic images.
http://www.riverbendfarmtasmania.com/eggtopsy

For my eggtopsy, I wasn't nearly careful or scientific enough, but my baby's head was definitely out of position, and the overall color was consistent with the "drowning" babies, so I'm fairly certain this one did die that way. That's completely my fault, but in fairness to myself, I did the best I could. So even though I made a mistake with my first two weeks, we collaborated so well and saved so many that this baby's expiration makes me sad but doesn't make me feel overwhelmed with grief. I sincerely did my best throughout.

Of the remaining 6 eggs, 2 have pipping and look active--one internally only and the other has a very small external pip. One has no pipping but is active, and I hope it will pip soon! The remaining 3 have no pipping and no apparent activity. I wish I had a very sensitive stethoscope to listen for heartbeat. If they don't hatch tomorrow, I may try the float test and see if they do any rocking. Other than that, I'm not sure how to make sure they've expired. Perhaps a safety hole in the air cell? Any other tips?