July 2015 Hatch A Long HAL

[darkbluespace]

All six of my Silkies hatched and they are adorable...

The light ones have these huge foreheads so they looked a bit freakish till they dried out. Three of the chicks look silver and there is one darker chick. I am very happy since I started with 12 eggs and had one clear and 5 quitters along the way.

I also have one duckling out and all but 2 of the other eggs have pipped or are trying to zip.

 

[BoTime]

They should be just fine.  Call it a "cool down" session... some incubators (and hens) do that deliberately!

Thanks! I candled them early a.m and many still have great growth going on with movement, they don't appear to be in trouble. I had to cull three.. & some of them I just really wish I could get a better view of what is going on in there. I do not want another weeper.. but I don't want to cull healthy babies either..

tough choices are being made.

 

[BoTime]

I've read on a thread that a person lost power for like 17 hours and still had a respectable hatch rate (above 75%). Cooler temps. for a short period, I wouldn't sweat it. Talk about timing and Murphy's law...

I read somewhere along the way (don't know the truth of it) that the original Murphy quote was, "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it."... So your comment feels pretty accurate right about now haha

 

[darkbluespace]

Thanks! I candled them early a.m and many still have great growth going on with movement, they don't appear to be in trouble. I had to cull three.. & some of them I just really wish I could get a better view of what is going on in there. I do not want another weeper.. but I don't want to cull healthy babies either..

tough choices are being made.

I think the weepers and exploding eggs are pretty rare and usually exhibit signs before they are too stinky. I would definitely give eggs the benefit of the doubt. Most eggs will be fine long enough to definitively know if there is development.

 

[suliah]

Uhh the chick somehow managed to get the gunk to fall off, is this ok?

Yes, this is good

 

[suliah]

I think the weepers and exploding eggs are pretty rare and usually exhibit signs before they are too stinky. I would definitely give eggs the benefit of the doubt. Most eggs will be fine long enough to definitively know if there is development.

I had this happen under a broody, and it exploded right around lockdown so she didn't sit on the eggs, plus it got on a couple of them. I lost the whole batch. I'm super cautious now about candling and dumping anything that's obviously clear or behind schedule.

FWIW, there were no signs. The nest itself was stinky because it was hot and she'd crushed an egg about a week earlier, so I didn't notice the smell being any different. I had no idea it was coming.

 

[Loc20chick]

Final count of 319 chicks hatched. I am really pleased with how things turned out. Sold 50 of the mixed breed chicks and will hopefully sell the other 62 in the next day or so.

Congrats!!!!

 

[Loc20chick]

Uhh the chick somehow managed to get the gunk to fall off, is this ok?

yes... next it will start growing tinny feathers.Congrats on your hatch!!

 

[Loc20chick]

All six of my Silkies hatched and they are adorable...

The light ones have these huge foreheads so they looked a bit freakish till they dried out. Three of the chicks look silver and there is one darker chick. I am very happy since I started with 12 eggs and had one clear and 5 quitters along the way.

I also have one duckling out and all but 2 of the other eggs have pipped or are trying to zip.

Congrats!!! Picture pics please

.
Next spring I think I'll be hatching a few silkies for my daughter.

 

[tao chick]

I'm stuck in the waiting phase. Please send pictures of fluffy chicks to encourage me.