Incubating and discouraged

[Sara L]

That’s interesting, all my eggs are pretty uniform so far. But I kept the biggest roo in the hopes that would help.

Are you weighing them or just comparing visually? My eggs seem to range from 9-14 grams, and the 12-14 gram eggs usually look very similar. Supposedly the bigger eggs will allow bigger chicks to hatch and then will grow bigger since they started bigger.

 

[RosieR]

Are you weighing them or just comparing visually? My eggs seem to range from 9-14 grams, and the 12-14 gram eggs usually look very similar. Supposedly the bigger eggs will allow bigger chicks to hatch and then will grow bigger since they started bigger.

Oh just visually. Maybe I’ll break the scale out...

 

[RosieR]

#4 hatched while I was at work.
Assisted hatch #3 is looking quite perky now. His fluff is kinda flat from the egg gunk but he’s up and walking now. His feet are a bit balled up so I may have to make him shoes if he can’t straiten them out. I’ve placed them all in the brooder.
Hopefully day 17 will be just as productive!

 

[le_bwah]

#4 hatched while I was at work.
Assisted hatch #3 is looking quite perky now. His fluff is kinda flat from the egg gunk but he’s up and walking now. His feet are a bit balled up so I may have to make him shoes if he can’t straiten them out. I’ve placed them all in the brooder.
Hopefully day 17 will be just as productive!

If you're gonna make shoes for that baby, the sooner the better. Glad you've got chicks!

 

[RosieR]

If you're gonna make shoes for that baby, the sooner the better. Glad you've got chicks!

I gave him one shoe. He hates it. The other foot is much better looking today although not perfect.

 

[Sara L]

I gave him one shoe. He hates it. The other foot is much better looking today although not perfect.

They get used to the shoes pretty fast, unless they manage to remove them. Some chicks can be little houdinis.

 

[RosieR]

They get used to the shoes pretty fast, unless they manage to remove them. Some chicks can be little houdinis.

A couple hours later and he’s motoring around.
Still hoping for a few more to hatch today!

 

[RosieR]

End of incubation update:
4 chicks are doing well, even the assisted hatch who is wearing his shoe still. He looks a bit smaller, but also isn’t quite as fluffy as the others so that may be why.
After the end of day 18 I decided to make a hole in the air cells of the remaining eggs to start eggtopsy but also be safe in case someone was alive in there.
The good news is every egg developed. One seems to have quit fairly early and was smelly. 2 quit maybe half way where there was a small embryo with all the limbs. The rest seemed to be fully developed or close to it but they all had not absorbed the yolk completely or at all. Only one of those had internally pipped. So maybe quit at about lockdown time?
I’m trying to recall if I did something that would have jostled them or something. They were not out of the bator long when I took the turner out. A few minutes maybe.
Anyways still a personal best at 33%. The bator obviously works. My birds have excellent fertility.
Next time I’ll fill the bator, I’ll probably start a new batch next week.
Thank you to everyone who patiently gave me advice! I adore all of you!

 

[le_bwah]

So glad it works! Now hurry up and post pics of those chicks, lol.

 

[RosieR]

One of the fluff butts!

Don’t mind the fingernails lol
My roo who has been great started scalping hens today. He’s in quail jail until I can cull him.
I’m picking up eggs from a local girl next week and I’m getting a new roo while I’m there. Sounds like I’ll have my pick of colours