I think I killed them - added pics-

[Corey NC]

I am pretty sure that I killed my eggs. I'm not sure whats been happening but the temps in my bator have been going up and down since the first two hatched. I think it has something to do with the fact that it has just started raining and it is a very humid warm rain and I am pretty sure someone has been messing with the thermostate in the house.

My temps this morning have ranged from 96.3 to 103.3 and the humidity went down to 50% and then all the way up to 80%.

And on top of this the roof of my new grow out pin fell in so all of their water/food and frezshly laid shavings were ruined so I also had to deal with that in the pouring rain. Then part of the batam coop's roof was pulled off from the wind so that the feeder's food I filled yesterday is completly ruined along with all of the shavings in the nest boxes. So now tht I have had to refill feeders sooner than I thought I am out of feed and my Standard pen is about to run out of feed.

I hate the rain.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, Corey, I'm sorry for all the trouble you're having! I hate dealing with chicken crises in the rain, too. Hey, I'll be sending you another batch of eggs soon, hon, so there's another chance! Outside humidity sure does change the bator operation, but the temps are more what matter. Is today day 22 or 23?

 

[Corey NC]

Today is day 22 since 6:30 last night. Is there any way to tell if they are still alive without killing them?

 

[speckledhen]

You can candle them to see if they're in the aircell. If there's a huge blank aircell, that isn't good. That means the chick shrank back from the aircell.
You can float them in a glass of 100 degree water and be very still. See if they float, a good sign, and ripple the water. If they sink and no ripples, that's bad.

 

[Judymae]

I've got my fingers crossed for you! Let us know how they do!

 

[jackiedon]

Corey,

I am so sorry about all of your bad luck.

We'll hope the eggs will make it.

jackie

 

[nccatnip]

Don't give up yet!!!!!!! Mine took much longer to hatch. Some were at day 24 before making an appearance

 

[arlee453]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your hatch! I'm sitting here too worrying about the temps in the bator. The WW is a hair too warm, but the air temp is a hair too low...



We need the rain SOOOOO badly here in NC, but I really haven't missed it either.

If it weren't raining, I'd be taking this time between meetings to go out there and block off the nest boxes to help my ladies understand that there are ROOSTS for roosting.

Instead, I'm in here waiting for it to slack off so I can let them out a bit from the coop - they are still in there from last night...

 

[Corey NC]

They're ALIVE! I was candling one of the brahma/orp eggs and it peeped at me then Irealized it had PIPED!!!!! I rushed it bac kto the bator and continued to candle. All of the ameraucanas and one of the Brahma/orps look like they haven't penatrated the air cells yet but the last brahma/orp (the one with the two air cels) was in the air cell and I could see it's little beak moving, it is going to pip soon! I moved the two that had already hatched to the brooder, pics to come.

 

[Corey NC]

Here they are, Marigold is the one wit the spot on the head and Daisy is the all buff one. Sorry about the poor quality.