good luck scrapsmom! I just hatched my first eggs.. via a broody hen. I thought I had a bad egg, but it HATCHED. You know the old saying.. "Don't count your chickens until the hatch." lol I understand it much better now.
Yesterday I cleaned "house". I candled and decided that 6 of my 10 were not viable. I took them to the garden and cracked them open. Sure enough, not one was good. Every yolk sac had been ruptured. BUT, the other four seem to be doing well. I can see movement and come Wed. (Nov 12) I could have some baby chicks.
Hello
Waiting is the HARD PART.
I just yesterday took my first off the turner. And see some rocking. It's Great but want to see more move. My Hum has dropped tho and get it up so far. But this is really hard wating. Mine should hatch this Sunday or Monday. Driving me crazy!!!!
WOOHOO! I have one hatched egg. A cute wet little chick came forth from the egg. Out of the original 10 eggs, 6 were scrambled and tossed. The last four continued. One hatched today. 3 are still waiting. I am sooo excited. I hope my other three will hatch well.
Just had another question...when can we play, handle, feed the new little chick? How long will it take to dry? I already tried to give it a drink...I dunked it's little beak and it took a drink. It is only 4 hours old. I figured when it was fully dry I would move it to the brooder box with a heat lamp and food and water. Does this sound good?
Wait until it's dry. You don't need to worry about getting it to drink until it's dry and ready to move to the brooder. Don't keep it out to long so it catches a chill and then you have trouble.
You shouldn't be opening the incubator while they are hatching. You can end up killing all the ones still in the eggs. If you get some chicks really running around in there and starting to dry off you can slip them out quickly to a warm brooder but they can actually go several days without food or water after they hatch.