Is it time to panic? NEW UPDATE - SEVEN!!!

[Shaun]

Well, I just put the 6 poults and one chick in the brooder. No one seems real big on eating or drinking, even the chick. Will keep checking back - at least they can stand up now - it's a little tight in that Brinsea. Seemed the problem with the incubator was the thermometer. New thermometer and no more problem

I opened the one that had pipped out the wrong end since it was obviously dead.

It never even absorbed the yolk sac. It was the Blue Slate color. The other egg, which feels heavy, solid, and the chicken egg stayed in the Brinsea, although I really feel we're done. Tomorrow I'll give everything a good scrub and put some more eggs in - one of the other hens is laying, although I haven't been able to figure out WHO yet. I keep running out there (you can see the nest from aways off if you know where it is) to see if I can catch who is laying. I wish it would be the Bourbon Red, but it may not be... Gotta catch whoever it is in the act!!

My 3 year old granddaughter came over today to see MiMa's baby turkeys this afternoon and was suitably impressed. She wanted to hold one, and I told here these would NOT be the kind of babies to hold any time soon.

Here's hoping they all stay healthy and active. Thanks to all of you for your advice, encouragement, and love.

 

[ziggywiggy]

Why do you think the thermometer was bad? If your thermometer is off, I'd let Brinsea know about it. They might give you credit on a better one. 75% hatch rate is not to shabby.

 

[Shaun]

It was the thermometer in the OLD incubator that I am using for the brooder - had to get them out of the Brinsea - no room! I kept thinking something was wrong with the old incubator, and what was wrong was the old thermometer

The Brinsea did a wonderful job, although Steve (who ought to know) thinks it might be a tad on the warm side since my eggs pipped/hatched ahead of schedule.

 

[EricH]

wow, congratulations. that sounds like such a stressful ordeal. Is this what im going to be dealing with next spring when my narragansetts and bourbons are.... well... filling the incubator? ha, i hope not. Love the pictures, good luck!

 

[Shaun]

Well, you'll be ahead of me - since you know they may take forever to hatch! Honestly I read over and over turkeys would take 5-10 hours to hatch. And that they would hatch on day 28!! Don't know who wrote THAT, but they'd never met my turkeys.

The six are curious, active, and appear to be healthy. I'm keeping them in the old incubator through today to make SURE they are all set, and then they are going in a supersize Rubbermaid container with a heat lamp in the upstairs bathroom, where the cats can't come visit, since they would have to go through TWO closed doors to get there.

I wish you the best of luck hatching - and may I suggest - 'cuz I wish someone would have told ME - buy a really GOOD incubator. Our hova-bator was great for chickens, but we couldn't hatch turkeys in it for love nor money.

 

[Shaun]

OOOOO-kay! Went to take the last chicken egg and turkey egg out of the incubator this morning - and found both pipping. Ooops! Guess maybe we're not quite done. Both of these eggs were on the end of the incubator - wonder if it's just a wee tad cooler there??

 

[Frosty]

So if the last two hatch, does that mean that the only one that didn't make it is the one pipped on the wrong end?

 

[Shaun]

Yep - if these two hatch, and they both appear to be trying - the only dead one will be the one that pipped on the wrong end.

 

[longranger]

Wow, good thing they had pipped. Roller coaster successful hatch.

It is a good idea to candle the last few eggs before tossing them if they are not many days past expected hatch date. Otherwise eventually you will throw a hatchable egg or 2 in the trash.

 

[Shaun]

Well, we're done now - had to run into town to do some errands - came back to find another blue slate turkey baby wobbling around and the chicken nearly out of the shell!!!

That's 100% development - 90% hatch. I'm in LOVE with Brinsea