Jan./Feb. 2014 hatch a long

[Farmer Viola]

Faverolle baby #1 hatched out yesterday, today is day 21..
I candled this morning to look for internal pips, I think I could see 2 internal pips so I put the cover right back on.
no more than 10 minutes later I have an external pip!!! it's not even one that I saw internally pipped. Hopefully they will all start coming out soon and give this fav girl some company

she is flopping all around the incubator lol, I feel so bad for her she needs a friend!

the 11 Wyandotte babies are doing great!! using their legs and running across the brooder like a flash of lightning so cute lol





this yellow one hatched first! I swear it is a little rooster. so much attitude

 

[The Farm]

Here are a few happy chicks!!!

I moved them into the bigger brooder this morning

 

[Farmer Viola]

Really good to know! I know with my first hatch I may not have a very high hatch rate but I am trying to document everything so I can figure out what I could improve upon..learning how this bator responds will help me next hatch also.
Another question...this one regarding when you stop turning do you take the turner out and lay the eggs on their side or just leave them upright in the turner and turning it off? I have seen that some people say to leave them in the upright position, but others take them out and leave them on their side..seems like I wouldn't want that bulky turner in there, but I can understand about leaving them in the same position

Your eggs are from your own flock, so you should have really stable happy embryos. I have never hatched local eggs, only shipped eggs, shipped eggs are known for being problematic. I do certain things, like leaving them upright for hatch, specifically because they were shipped and they arrived damaged One of the most obvious indicators of damage is a detached air cell. it will look like it is rolling around inside the egg. that is bad. the membrane on the inside has become detached from the shell, so the air moves all around freely. it should be located at the top (big end) of the egg.

so for shipped eggs, I do leave them upright for hatching in egg cartons. I have just had much better luck doing it this way. I take them out of the turner, because the turner has so many little holes in it. I move them to egg cartons, and I put them in the center of the bator so the chicks can have a clear walkway around the outside edge.

for your non-shipped eggs, I don't think they need to stay upright during hatch, you can lay them on their sides. If you mark the air cell on day 18, you can look for the lowest dip in the air cell. that is most likely where the chick will pip, so try to place the air cell dip upward toward the sky. sometimes the eggs will rock and roll themselves into this position anyway (depending how much wiggle room there is)

this is an egg on it's side, see how the lowest dip in the air cell is facing up? Given room to roll, the egg will naturally orient itself this way since it is heavier on the bottom. you can place it this way to help it out

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
that's not a question I can answer for you...maybe "silksensation" would have that answer

 

[Heidisgran]

Here are a few happy chicks!!!

I moved them into the bigger brooder this morning

they are so sweet

 

[Heidisgran]

Faverolle baby #1 hatched out yesterday, today is day 21..
I candled this morning to look for internal pips, I think I could see 2 internal pips so I put the cover right back on.
no more than 10 minutes later I have an external pip!!! it's not even one that I saw internally pipped. Hopefully they will all start coming out soon and give this fav girl some company

she is flopping all around the incubator lol, I feel so bad for her she needs a friend!

the 11 Wyandotte babies are doing great!! using their legs and running across the brooder like a flash of lightning so cute lol





this yellow one hatched first! I swear it is a little rooster. so much attitude

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
I take the turner out on day 18....I'm so worried they'll hurt their selves on it

 

[Heidisgran]

congrats on all the babies

too many to try and post individual congrats to....

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
another huge plus laying them and letting them orient themselves is when your viewing "Bator' TV you can see them wiggle

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote:
another huge plus laying them and letting them orient themselves is when your viewing "Bator' TV you can see them wiggle

I don't do the egg carton I lay them down and let them hatch