JUNE - JULY HATCH-ALONG!!!!!!!

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Well nevermind, that went way faster than I thought.
Do you think this set-up is good enough?
I’m using one of those dog water contraptions for their water. They probably can even get in it if it’s too hot. I mean this is a Texas summer after all.

Awwww, I love the way your little runners stand up so straight at attention!!! Is your littlest one out there too or still in the house?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

They’re SO cute on that little perch!!!!

Just saw this, must have missed the pics earlier. Your chicks are SO cute!!!Congratulations!!!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I’m in the DFW area. My coop is on a slope so it dries out pretty quick during the summer. In our wet winters, not so much. But the ducks don’t seem to mind. And you are right. I have to fill the water back up as it’s getting low now. I think it only holds a gallon, which probably would be enough if the opening wasn’t so big, but I’m sure they like getting in the water dish.
Filling in the morning and once at night might not be too bad. I might change my tune though in a couple days and get that water device you have.

That sure is a nice set-up you got there.

Just saw this too... Nice!!! I made a grate for my duck waterer to rest in. The grate is a box made of 2x4 wood pieces, with 1/2x1 wire mesh over the top. Excess water falls under the dish and the grate keeps the ducks from making a mud bath with it... I also have a waterer with wire guards so they can’t toss so much out when they dip their bills. And a float that takes water from the rain barrel to keep it fillled. Our five ducks (plus chickens, who love the duck waterer) go through almost 5 gallons of water from the rain barrel per day!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

No, they weren't our eggs. We didn't have any of our own laying at the time. We knew of a house near the Post Office that sometimes put eggs out for sale in a cooler, and they usually have a mix of colors.

Out of the 4 eggs, 2 were fertilized/developed. 1 did awesome until lockdown and then quit. It seemed stronger and better developed than the one that actually went on to hatch. We named the chick that hatched... Roadside. I voted for Frigidaire!! But I lost the vote. LOL

You should do it! It was fun just seeing if it would hatch. I mean, after being in the fridge for 3 days the odds were totally against it, right?!

With our broody hatch, the broody mom was a Black Copper Marans that we had wanted to breed to get olive eggers. But she had stopped laying eggs when she went broody... So we took out her eggs from the refrigerator from several days previously and put in the incubator. Both hatched! And both are boys...

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Ok, pro hatch assisters! I have a guinea egg that was barely externally pipped last night and then more obviously pipped this am. Now I see more cracks, like it was trying to zip but didn’t make it all the way around. Humidity has been lower than ideal - lots of difficulty keeping the humidity up with so few eggs... DD thinks that I generally intervene too soon and that I hinder more than help anyway... I myself think that I’ve been pretty restrained... Anyway, we agreed that I’d give it until tonight before doing anything... So, what’s the safest way to intervene a partially zipped egg? Enlarge the zip amd continue opening along the zip line, or open from the air cell and start chipping away from up there? The guineas seem to zip below the air cell... Two photos are other guinea egg examples, not this egg. This egg just has fine cracks that you can barely see...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Ok, pro hatch assisters! I have a guinea egg that was barely externally pipped last night and then more obviously pipped this am. Now I see more cracks, like it was trying to zip but didn’t make it all the way around. Humidity has been lower than ideal - lots of difficulty keeping the humidity up with so few eggs... DD thinks that I generally intervene too soon and that I hinder more than help anyway... I myself think that I’ve been pretty restrained... Anyway, we agreed that I’d give it until tonight before doing anything... So, what’s the safest way to intervene a partially zipped egg? Enlarge the zip amd continue opening along the zip line, or open from the air cell and start chipping away from up there? The guineas seem to zip below the air cell... Two photos are other guinea egg examples, not this egg. This egg just has fine cracks that you can barely see...

I always always remove shell from the air cell first. This will give you a clear view of what's happening before continuing if necessary. While it's possible to follow a zip, it's much harder not to hit something and can cause a bleed if it's too early. So my personal recommendation would be to open the air cell, dab the membrane with coconut oil to see what veins look like and remove some membrane from the top if the keet is ready. It's likely that it's perfectly fine to move forward with assisting if it already started zipping it's probably ready to come out but I always play it safe.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I always always remove shell from the air cell first. This will give you a clear view of what's happening before continuing if necessary. While it's possible to follow a zip, it's much harder not to hit something and can cause a bleed if it's too early. So my personal recommendation would be to open the air cell, dab the membrane with coconut oil to see what veins look like and remove some membrane from the top if the keet is ready. It's likely that it's perfectly fine to move forward with assisting if it already started zipping it's probably ready to come out but I always play it safe.

Thanks! Well, I got home from work and DD was right!!! Keet has hatched! Another egg is zipping as well. The just hatched keet left kind of an odd allantois and membranes behind in egg... Waste is greener than I expected, and membranes redder and meatier...

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Two keets hatched yesterday so we have ONE egg left!!!

 

[Rockporters]

With our broody hatch, the broody mom was a Black Copper Marans that we had wanted to breed to get olive eggers. But she had stopped laying eggs when she went broody... So we took out her eggs from the refrigerator from several days previously and put in the incubator. Both hatched! And both are boys...

That is awesome! But, I guess it also disproves the theory of hatching more females with cooler temps. I'm hoping ours is a pullet, but I'm not holding my breath. Our 2 Polish, and NN, have all started crowing over the past few weeks. At least one of my 7 week old silkies is most assuredly also a cockerel. I will soon need to build a coop for wayward boys.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thanks! Well, I got home from work and DD was right!!! Keet has hatched! Another egg is zipping as well. The just hatched keet left kind of an odd allantois and membranes behind in egg... Waste is greener than I expected, and membranes redder and meatier...

Looks fine to me! It was probably just in the shell a bit longer and left behind more waste than you're accustomed to seeing.

Two keets hatched yesterday so we have ONE egg left!!!

Finally down to the last egg! So exciting!!!!