JANUARY HATCH-A-LONG come join in

[pbjmaker]

Quote:
Are we supposed to listen before we lockdown?? I lockdown tomorrow. Just want to be sure I do it right. I haven't heard anything yet... and I hand turn, so I have to open the bator. Can you hear something on day 18? I'd be so excited to hear something! Or see movement.

No need to listen - probably won't hear anything yet. You will hear them before they pip though, once they have broke through the inner membrane into the aircell. It will drive you batty because you won't be able to tell which egg it is coming from. Just do what I do and whistle back to them.

 

[kathyinmo]

I'm on day 19, with my own Silkie eggs. I candled at lockdown, and found 2 clear. I am excited, as I have never hatched my own Silkie eggs! I am doing these for a girl I work with. YAY! Only 2 more days!

 

[chickenmeadow]

Madcap621: About the egg with the air cell at the pointy end, I had considered what to do if that happened to me. If the chick need the air in the air cell when they break thru to it (& then later pips the shell to get to the air outside), then I would think that wherever that air cell is should be facing upward (if using egg carton at lockdown then facing upward). We stop turning the egg on day 18 during "lockdown" to allow the chick to position itself towards the air cell starting day 19.

When we raised hundreds of cockatiels years ago, I learned that they convulse with a head jerk because of the low oxygen level in the egg, jerk to the air cell to gasp some better air in, then they get a little stronger & pip the shell for more air.

I just received another batch of eggs by mail & candled for the tiny air cells (hard to see) to set them upright (wide end of the egg) in an egg carton; this is for the purpose of settling the air cells in the right place in case some were damaged in shipping. They looked good this time with only a few of them loose. They shipped pretty fast & I plan to let them settle for about 7+ hrs; although some say to settle 12-24 hrs.

My last batch (to hatch in January) had many with air cells all over the place; "scrambled eggs." So I'll be happy to see even a few of the 7 fertile make it to lockdown this Sunday.

Does anyone else have any comments on how they'd set an egg with air cell at the pointy end at "lockdown"?

Best wishes to all who are setting & hatching!

 

[pbjmaker]

I think I'm with you that if you place it in a carton, then air cell is up. My big double yolker has the air cell on the side, but it is pretty big, still thinking I will lay it on its side if both chicks develop.

Good luck with all the hatches - I still have 6 days or so to go.

 

[petrelline]

I am in lockdown with madcap! We will share a hatch day!

This is my first hatch and I've been really pleased so far. I started with 24 ebay eggs, 8 didn't develop at all, one quit almost immediately and three quit fairly early on (day eight or so). That leaves me with 12 that look good right now which is way more than I expected. But we'll see what happens in these last few days.

EEEEEEE I can't WAIT!

 

[txmel]

well my hatch is complete now.

i ended up with 4 light sussex chicks hatching out of the total 8 eggs. i figure thats pretty good considering the shipment was held till after christmas. had some pretty good freezes, the power went out twice, and was having trouble with my humidity not being very stable. the last chick to hatch is alittle on the weak side so will hold him in the incubator until tomorrow when i hope he is finally strong enough to go into the brooder with the others. thanks for all the support and good luck to all who still have hatches to do.

 

[blessedchickenmama7]

Quote:
Are we supposed to listen before we lockdown?? I lockdown tomorrow. Just want to be sure I do it right. I haven't heard anything yet... and I hand turn, so I have to open the bator. Can you hear something on day 18? I'd be so excited to hear something! Or see movement.

No need to listen - probably won't hear anything yet. You will hear them before they pip though, once they have broke through the inner membrane into the aircell. It will drive you batty because you won't be able to tell which egg it is coming from. Just do what I do and whistle back to them.

Thanks! I was starting to get a bit worried. Haven't heard a thing.

 

[chickenmeadow]

pbjmaker: I'll keep looking for your post on the dbl yoker. Good luck.

txmel: Congrats! You've got chickies, with one in the bator at 95 degrees F waiting to get stronger. Wow, your hatch went thru a lot. It's always a great relief when a hatch is over; I usually catch up on a lot of stress free sleep, in other words "konk out" with a smile.

 

[chickenmeadow]

thechickenonthehill: Yes, a "FEBRUARY HATCH-A-LONG come join in" will be good. I just put some eggs in the bator tonight, so I'll be game for that month too, along with you & those posting their starting eggs in this one late. I'll start that thread at the end of next week (unless someone beats me to it), so we can all shift over. It's nice to hear all of the newbies & regulars share their ideas & happenings.

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
I put sizzle eggs in today from a swap and I am also planning to set my eggs own eggs and eggs from Rose Isgrig on the 1st or later that week so hopefully I will have eggs and chicks hatching and for all the rest of January and Febuary.

Henry