Late Feburary-Early March 2016 Hatch-A-Long!

[WthrLady]

Ugh. Lockdown.
My maran eggs are so dark, and my other eggs are so dense this time of year I cannot see what I need to see. It drives me nuts.

Nothing smells. Nothing is seeping. Air cells look good.

Incubator hasd two temperature burps on the low side for the past two days. I've been battling to keep it at 99.5. I think the temperature regulator is shot. Ticks me off.

So friday is 21, but am expecting hatching all weekend. Maybe. So annoying.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had 4 black copper maran eggs I put under a hen, but the shells were thin and when 2 hens were fighting over eggs they didn't hold up. gave the hens some other eggs, and have been bringing maran eggs in the house to hatch in an incubator.

 

[Purpletie3]

Ugh. Lockdown.
My maran eggs are so dark, and my other eggs are so dense this time of year I cannot see what I need to see. It drives me nuts.

Nothing smells. Nothing is seeping. Air cells look good.

I have the same issue with the BCM eggs...smell them...okay- pray no explosions because you haven't been able to see in the egg!

I had 4 black copper maran eggs I put under a hen, but the shells were thin and when 2 hens were fighting over eggs they didn't hold up. gave the hens some other eggs, and have been bringing maran eggs in the house to hatch in an incubator.

Sorry they broke your eggs. Time for more oyster shell so they can get you some nice strong eggs! My sister uses a organic mix that I have to crack the shells three times. I told her there is no way a chick is going to get out of these shells...give me some eggs. So, she pulled some out of her fridge and sure enough a couple hatched. So, now I have another dozen of her eggs in the incubator. LOL
Let us know how the incubator eggs do!

 

[Gone-Quackers]

Your little ducky probably pipped a vein. Unfortunately, it happens. I would put them in the dark so he may relax and sleep...he's going to need a good 12 hours for those veins to recess. Nothing you can do but keep on your humidity and hopefully he will pull through.

It can take 24 hours for them to get out of the shell...Hopefully, things will work out great...you will get home from work and everyone will be quacking away!!!

That ducky is still alive and quacking up a storm. Not making any more progress on the egg though.

Another duckling got about half way thru the egg and then apparently died- I think it broke thru it's membrane before it was ready too. The others are still slowly pecking away.

I don't know how many, if any, will make it. This is day 30 of hatch. Humidity is higher, at 75% now.

 

[Purpletie3]

That ducky is still alive and quacking up a storm. Not making any more progress on the egg though.

Another duckling got about half way thru the egg and then apparently died- I think it broke thru it's membrane before it was ready too. The others are still slowly pecking away.

I don't know how many, if any, will make it. This is day 30 of hatch. Humidity is higher, at 75% now.

Let them keep pecking away! Quacking is a good sign...he's probably busy absorbing his yolk! Crossing my fingers for you!

 

[NTBugtraq]

I hope you sleep well tonight!!! Get your rest in now...& ready for an awesome experience!

Some of my mistakes as a newbie were hovering over the incubator...stressing about every peep and click I heard... I would say... set up your incubator check on it every so many hours and get your grocery shopping done etc...Keep your mind off of the bator or you may be an insomniac...

I found that I really like to hatch in clean cartons...Also, draw your air cells so you can know where they pip. Set up your humidity so it won't drown the chick and it can get you to day 22 or 23 without opening the top. Whether you are using sponges ( Boil up new ones and place them under a air hole you can use a straw to drop water on along the way )

Look around the incubator and make sure it's safe. When the chicks hatch they flop around a lot. They can also get their legs stuck in place or fall off the edge of the carton and get stuck next to the wall...

I am sorry if I threw too much at you here. Happy happy hatching

Definitely watch your hatching, but learn to do nothing. Its far better that you learn how to let eggs die than think you need to learn how to assist early. When you assist early, you only learn how to think you need to assist earlier, and that's definitely not good.

BTW, high humidity could make your egg die/drown. Low humidity means drying your egg, high humidity means keeping it wet.

Humidity is such a subject that its tough to say what it should be. Humidity matters most for how much weight the egg loses, as that weight loss is the fundamental issue. But during lockdown, humidity means the membrane is soft and doesn't shrink wrap the chick, so you want high humidity during that last 3 days. But, if you haven't lost enough weight prior, or lost too much, you can have an issue.

I sure as heck have no idea what you could "Look around the incubator and make sure it's safe", no idea what that means.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I know all about oyster shells, but my hen's problem is she is low hen on totem. So she doesn't get to eat as much, and I don't think it is genetics.

 

[Purpletie3]

I sure as heck have no idea what you could "Look around the incubator and make sure it's safe", no idea what that means.

Sorry...sometimes I can be clear as mud...LOL...What I meant by that is look to make sure it is safe for the new hatched chicken...If you have a water bowl in there for humidity that they can not drown. If you put cartons in there that they won't get wedged between the wall and the carton or get a leg splay from falling. So many ways those little buggers can get into trouble!

 

[caesargirl]

I turned and checked the simmering eggs this morning. One of the two due on the 16th has internally pipped. There was three, one quit 2 days ago. I'm not sure how this will turn out. I've boosted the humidity a touch. So, we'll see how it goes. I've got 4 thermometers in there, personally calibrated, and I'm 100% sure of accuracy. There's no hot spots. Every probe reads between 99.5°-100°. The other egg due the same time, right on schedule, and no pip. Grrrr.

 

[Purpletie3]

I turned and checked the simmering eggs this morning. One of the two due on the 16th has internally pipped. There was three, one quit 2 days ago. I'm not sure how this will turn out. I've boosted the humidity a touch. So, we'll see how it goes. I've got 4 thermometers in there, personally calibrated, and I'm 100% sure of accuracy. There's no hot spots. Every probe reads between 99.5°-100°. The other egg due the same time, right on schedule, and no pip. Grrrr.

Stagger hatch time...curious. Is there a chance you collected an egg your hen sat on for a weeK?