JUNE HATCH-A-LONG come join in

[chickenmeadow]

Just a reminder everyone! When the eggs go into "lockdown" (I start on Day 18 so I don't disturb them when they are turning to get in position on Day 19), do not open the incubator lid. Your curiosity will not help the chick. Many experienced hatchers only candle 1 or 2 x's before lockdown to remove the infertile or rotten/smelly eggs; they try to handle the eggs (changing the eggs internal temps & humidity) as little as possible. They need to be in a stable heat & humidity environment. In addition, if the lid is opened it lets out CO2 gas that builds up in the closed incubator. CO2 is needed to create the chicks head/neck gerk for the 1st internal pip to reach it's first air, then the CO2 builds more to create the stronger 2nd shell pip for the next pure air that their lungs have been getting ready to be able to accept. It's all such a wonderful & complicated process & always amazes me.

Thank you all for sharing your hatches with us! Together we learn & improve!

 

[chickenmeadow]

Quote:
Those are such precious pics. Nothing more beautiful than a proud, watchful mom with her babies.

 

[chickenmeadow]

D Angelo N Va.: Just read your post & wanted to say congrats on you hatch.

outback hatcher: You too, those are great looking chicks in you pics.

Pandora Taylor: It's a cutie. Congrats. I've always liked the Barred Rocks, a good ole fashioned chicken.

 

[chickenmeadow]

Quote:
I don't give my chicks that unless there is a weak one, which is usually by itself. I would always give it to stressed chicks, like after shipping or picking up from somewhere. I'm sure there's no harm though if you have.

That hatchery info that I had looked up for you said to give the shipped chicks the sugar water for Day 1 & to dip the tip of the beak one time in the water. I say, be careful not to dip too deep up to the nostrils & only a very quick dip to not flood their lungs.

Happy hatching everyone!

 

[SportChick]

Tomorrow is day 21 for my 19 eggs. It's actually 22 days since I put them in, but I put them in at night (so it's really day 21 right now!!). I think I hear a chirp every so often, but only when I first walk up to the incubator, then nothing. I am trying to see if they are rocking but they don't when I'm watching. My kids have an 8am dentist appointment tomorrow so I can't stay up all night, but boy do I want to!

My humidity is now holding steady at 60% so I'm pretty happy with that but it took 2 sponges and a soaked wash cloth to get there.

My brooder is ready. I am so hoping to wake up to a chick or at least a pip!!! I will try to figure out how to post a picture when I get one.

 

[buffbeauty]

Sorry to hear about the chick with the breathing problem. My first thought was that it pipped the internal membrane & there was an excess of fluid in the air sac, but I'm only guessing as it sounds just like what would happen with using high humidity at lockdown &/or prior. What humidity percentages did you use in this incubation. Best wishes with the rest of your hatch.

thanks. I think it may have just pipped through outer membrane too low? Here's a pic

 

[SportChick]

Quote:
thanks. I think it may have just pipped through outer membrane too low? Here's a pic
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/57451_egg.jpg

Gosh, I would have thought that would have been Ok. Do they really have to be that precise where they pip? I am so nervous about the next day or so. My kids will be devastated if it goes poorly or there is too much tragedy.

 

[buffbeauty]

Not sure I'm just guessing becuase there was some fluid around and comingmiut of the pip. I candlednon 18 when I locked down and aircells were looking good!

 

[aka Rachel]

So, with today being day 21 and me telling myself repeatedly that this hatch will probably go a day or so late (temp in booder might have been a touch low) what do i do?

Go and watch the broody for any impending signs of pip of course, lol.

She was making small clucking noises and had a very introspecive look on her lil chicky face (I may have been out there too long) and then she left the nest to go have a snack. No pips that I could see, but i swear I saw one of the eggs roll out of the corner of my eye! I'm sure it did.

I love hatching chicks, raising birds etc. It's alot of fun! It's the dissapointments that are so hard.

to all

 

[abooth]

It must be broody season. I have another faverolles sitting on eggs. She is one of the good faverolles I have in my breeding pen. I peeked at her nest today and it looks like she has about 10 eggs in there that she stole from her flockmates. I've got a fave roo with two fave hens and a BO hen. So she should hatch some nice fave babies and maybe a few orp x fave babies. My chicken keeping policy is that broody hens can hatch babies and also once a hen broods successfully she has earned a permanent place in my flock. In this case it's tough because I had all the faverolles on craigslist and now I'm going to keep the one and I will have a bunch of babies too. Anyway I have no idea which day she really started sitting so my hatch day may be in July I will probably post here til a July Hatch along thread starts if you all don't mind.