Just set my eggs... UPDATE: They're hatching!

[classicsredone]

Woohoo! There is at least one external pip. I need to look again when I add some water through the vents...hopefully there are more. Come on chickies!

UPDATE: - We have two pips and I can hear cheeping!

 

[classicsredone]

So far, I see pips on two eggs. One is from a partridge pen, the other from a white with splash pen. The partridge chick is making quick progress and we got to see it stick out its little beak a couple times. I think the other chick is resting...hopefully. My daughter is having a blast talking to the eggs and watching the little chick work. (Okay, I am too!)

 

[classicsredone]

We have our first baby! That partridge baby zipped FAST and is a loud little birdy. I have to get a better picture once it decides to move to a better spot.

IMG_9912 by JJordanPhotography, on Flickr

 

[ozark_chickies]

Congradulations!

 

[classicsredone]

Here's a picture after it has had a chance to dry off a little. Right now it's curled up next to some eggs, but it alternates between the warm mason jar full of water and the other eggs for snuggle buddies. The cuckoo egg has made a little progress, but I don't see any progress on the other egg yet. Hopefully they'll pop out tonight. That reminds me - must move incubator from the bedroom. It is right by my bed, and boy those birdies are loud at first.


IMG_9916 by JJordanPhotography, on Flickr


IMG_9918 by JJordanPhotography, on Flickr

 

[LilyD]

Cute baby congratulations!!

 

[classicsredone]

We lost one. The chick had pipped this morning when I woke up, but didn't zip until past 9 pm tonight. The shell broke away but the membrane was tough as could be. I hadn't opened the incubator and the humidity was good, so it must have been too much time exposed to open air from the pip. It was still moving a little so I got the humidity up and quickly took the egg out. I tried to open the membrane around the beak while keeping it moist and warm, but it died within a few seconds. Poor chickie.

 

[classicsredone]

I got to bed late because of my insomnia, and then woke up at 4:30 to loud peeping. Another little partridge baby had plopped out of its shell and was making itself known. Right when that chick calmed down, a cuckoo chick popped out. The humidity was between 35-45 for days 1-18, and was at 65 until they started hatching. It's at 70% now. I know my hygrometer is good...so I'm really not sure why the eggs have such tough, white membranes. The chicks seem to have trouble with it, especially since they are vaulted. I've got one more that has pipped and is taking a break now. Hopefully the others will follow along today. I'm waiting for DH to wake up so he can go fish the brooder lamps out of the shed for me. I have a feeling I'm going to need a nice nap today after getting three hours of sleep.

 

[classicsredone]

*Sigh* So far, the three chicks that hatched are doing well. We got two partridge silkies and a cuckoo silkie. We had hoped for at least one white, but oh well. They've been bopping along in the brooder, drinking sips of water, and pecking at the food some. Right now they're curled up and asleep.

We had one silkie quit after zipping, one show girl that looks like it broke too big of an external pip at first and eventually quit, and one show girl that zipped half way and does not appear to be alive. (At least from the viewing window - I'm giving it until the morning.) We're going to take the brooder into the bathroom after getting it steamy to check the remaining eggs. I'm not sure why so many never pipped externally, and why the little guys that did quit. I charted the temps and humidity, and I know it to be accurate. I was good about maintaining humidity in incubation and lockdown as well. Some had air cells that developed into a saddle shape, and I know that is directly related to shipping. From what I've read, they can still hatch with those, though.

My showgirl eggs came from across the country, and so far I have 0 of 7. The silkies were in state, and I have 3 hatched from the original 34 eggs. I am glad for the three that we have, but it makes me wonder what happened to those eggs while they were in the mail. Kind of makes me want to mail some with shock sensors to test it out.

 

[ForgePondFarm]

It has been fun following all of your hatchings. I was working with a wonderful local breeder who had more than her share of horrid luck. As a result no chicks from two attempts. We are however not down and out. I threw the dice and today 60 chicks arrived from Iowa via th USPS. This kinda lends credence to the stork theory

Unfortunatly we had 1 DOA. The rest are settled in and doing well. Frankly the chicks are doing better than me. I rather underestimated how much brooder space would be required. My origional plan to use 110qt storage containers (modified) was not going to work. So in the 100degree heat in four hours with the assistance of my daughters we built a 4x4 brooder condo and turned 1 of the 110 quart brooder into our isolation ward. When I get a breather I will post pics in the appropriate thread. So as Edward R. Murrow said good night and good luck.