Jan./Feb. 2014 hatch a long

[bwalden]

Well I got woke up at 3:00 am this morning to the sound of cheep, cheep, cheeping! Thought the wife was going to kill me! This is a new incubator. It has ran great, digital readouts for temp and humidity. Fan kit, auto eggs turner. But it had no window so I can't see the babies. I don't want to open it and let my humidity escape. I don't want shrink wrapped chicks! Guess I'll just have to test my will power this weekend!

 

[oesdog]

Max is getting excited and nervous. He wants to know what everyone thinks of his outfit? Too much?

Very dapper indeed - I would date him myself if I was a Turkey!

Oes

 

[oesdog]

DAY 21 here - I have made sure that there is plenty of humidity so fingers crossed.
There are no chirps at all and they just well look like eggs! -

darn.

Come on little chick monsters! Prove my Bator works !!!!!!!!

There is a small mark on the top of one of the eggs that I did not notice before. I don't know if it is a little start of a pip or just my wishful thinking!

You all know I have been here twice before with this bator and got ZILCH!!!!!! I am hoping that something will hatch this time. At least I know they are chicken eggs. Last time the ones in the post could have been anything at all - Even Crocodile eggs! lol -

I am just

and

Oes

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
yay!!! all are pipped

and my little frizzle "Pepper" her eggs are hatching....despite the temps in the teens....gave her a hotwater bottle!!! she's going to be too cute with chicks

yeah faverolle baby

 

[Heidisgran]

DAY 21 here - I have made sure that there is plenty of humidity so fingers crossed.
There are no chirps at all and they just well look like eggs! -

darn.

Come on little chick monsters! Prove my Bator works !!!!!!!!

There is a small mark on the top of one of the eggs that I did not notice before. I don't know if it is a little start of a pip or just my wishful thinking!

You all know I have been here twice before with this bator and got ZILCH!!!!!! I am hoping that something will hatch this time. At least I know they are chicken eggs. Last time the ones in the post could have been anything at all - Even Crocodile eggs! lol -

I am just

and

Oes

 

[Heidisgran]

Well I got woke up at 3:00 am this morning to the sound of cheep, cheep, cheeping! Thought the wife was going to kill me! This is a new incubator. It has ran great, digital readouts for temp and humidity. Fan kit, auto eggs turner. But it had no window so I can't see the babies. I don't want to open it and let my humidity escape. I don't want shrink wrapped chicks! Guess I'll just have to test my will power this weekend!

best of luck....I ( and I don't need to hear it) never leave mine shut

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
well "lock down" is day 18 thru hatch....the mama hens will not get off the nest in order to keep the eggs moist and warm. so during artificial incubation someone made up a rule that on day 18 you no longer open the incubator....it's really to keep newbies from over zealously candling and fiddling with the eggs causing them to dry out....

that all being said...it's a good rule...if you don't know what your looking at, what's normal or abnormal, it's best to leave the hatching eggs be.

especially once they externally pip please refrain from opening the bator....if that inner membrane dries it is just awful for the chick!! add a blob of wet paper towel quickly if you need the humidity higher

 

[oesdog]

Thanks for the

Nothing happening - and the mark on the egg is just pencil by the look of it so it was just wishful thinking. I made sure there was plenty of humidity and checked just now - the sponges are wet and the water troughs under the eggs are full. Not sure what else to do but stop myself hovering over them like a mother hen. I so wanted to avoid that - but I guess I have most of this hatch. I have not gotten very "close" to these egg babies. But now I feel like I want to hollor through the glass at them to hurry up and hatch! Gosh I was tapping the bator hoping they would think it was Mommy encouraging them to break out! - I am such a sad ol' hen. Whats the betting I will end up with scrambled egg again? Or worse early quitters or none developers cause Roo boy is firing blanks! Yeap I have resigned myself to the vague possibility a mirricle may happen and I may wake up to fluffy butts - or scrambled eggs!

I hate this bit!

- I like the 3 week waiting at least there is such hope and excitement now there is just OMG - HATCH **** you!!!!!!!

Oes - I so need a STRESS! HATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jjaazzy]

yay!!! all are pipped

and my little frizzle "Pepper" her eggs are hatching....despite the temps in the teens....gave her a hotwater bottle!!! she's going to be too cute with chicks

yeah faverolle baby

Yeah!~ congrats!

 

[Renee97038]

the internal pip should happen on day 19, if it has not happened by day 20 then I go ahead and increase the humidity anyway (lockdown). the chick will poke it's beak into the air cell, so you will be able to see a small triangle-shaped shadow when you candle. If you think you see one, move the light all around the triangle, and you should see it outlined in light! white eggs are easier to see through than brown, this photo is a white egg

Wow, thanks Viola for the wonderful explanation and picture. Now my science project of hatching will be more precise. On my first hatch I just did lockdown and raised humidity at day 18 and didn't even think about the internal pip. That hatch turned out well anyway but it's nice to know what's going on in there. Thanks!