Live Webcam! 6/7 hatched, camera on brooder now

[Sphinx]

Quote:
Crystal, I"m still sort of new to the whole hatching process, but here's my answers. I was told to never open the incubator while a chick was zipped, and so theoretically, the chicks should stay in there till everyone has hatched. However, this incubator is so small that I felt like they were crowded. Plus, I felt that the second chick needed some help out (another thing that's controversial). However, these were shipped eggs, and the air cells were pretty unusual, so I refuse to feel guilty.

So, what I did was this: I turned on the shower in my bathroom and got the room extremely, unbearably steamy. Then I took the incubator in there and worked in there- I suspect the humidity in that bathroom was actually *higher* than in the incubator.

I am not sure if they're the same age- I bought them from a gal here. I bet they were within a couple days of each other. However, they would've started developing at exactly the same time- when I put them in the incubator. Like another poster said, us animals don't always fit a timeline exactly, some are ready sooner than others.


They are all supposed to be GLW. This is my first time actually seeing any, so I have to admit I was surprised that so far, they've looked so different. I actually PM'd my egg seller and asked if maybe my bonus eggs were a different variety. She said that variation like this is normal. Godzilla seems to have a single comb though, so I'm not sure how common that is.

So, this morning, I have three more that have cracked open, and I think one should hatch very soon- it's mostly zipped.

 

[Sphinx]

Woot! Two more have hatched!!! One looks like it'll be chipmunk colored, and the other looks like it'll be mostly black.

I moved the fluffed out ones to the brooder. Here they are:

 

[2overeasy]

I got 6 GLW from mypetchicken.com last spring and all 6 looked like the chipmunk one. As a matter of fact, that's what I called them! I started called them Alvin, etc, but I had them sexed as females when I ordered so the names didn't stick, of course. These are my first GLWs so I don't know if they can be different colors at hatch. I've seen color variation in other breeds, so why not, huh?
Here is a pic of one, taken last week. She's in front of a Welsummer and 2 SLW from the same order back in March. I think they are so pretty!

Regardless, they are all cute, and congrats on your hatch! I've had fun watching them. I had to force myself to go to bed last night. I was still waiting for number 2 to hatch. Is that the one you had to help? And you have those 3 then 2 more in the 'bator? Sounds like a pretty successful hatch!
I love how I can see the reflection of someone occasionally - just now I saw someone sweeping.

I teach college English and Spring semester starts this Thursday. I am supposed to be writing my class syllabi right now...whatever!

 

[Sphinx]

Work is so overrated. LOL

The one I helped a little bit was the second chick to hatch- the black one. He/she just didn't zip enough along, and was trying to push out. So, I zipped a little bit on either end, and while I was doing that, he gave a mighty kick and hatched into my hand. The other three were able to hatch on their own.

I was surprised- the yellow one- the first to hatch, never pipped into the air pocket. She pipped at the narrow end of the egg and got out just fine. I have her egg and the air cell is still intact. Weird, huh?

I have one more that I think will hatch- it's working hard.

I hate to count chickens before they hatch, but it's looking pretty good. My auction was for 9+ eggs that were shipped 2000 miles in wintertime. I was sent 12. Three were kind of iffy, but then there was an incubator snafu. Two more definitely never developed- they started weeping gunk, so I threw them away. I had 7 make it into lockdown- 5 of which has hatched, and a 6th is very close. I feel extremely confident that it'll make it.

The only egg not to pip is the only one that I heard chirping on Thursday when I put them in lockdown.

 

[2overeasy]

Yes, 6 is definitely good - especially for shipped eggs in the conditions you described. And I've never been able to trust the air sac thing. Shoot, I'm not any good at candling!
I just edited my last post to include a pic of one of my GLW hens (now about 10 months old).

Ah, I saw the bator go away then come back - looks like you took two more out? I see one working it ;-)

 

[Sphinx]

#6 is just about to hatch!!!!!

When i was taking the other two chicks out, I held the final chick, it felt alive to me.

 

[DinosRBirds]

you got a new baby!!

 

[slvrphoenix]

Is that it is it over ?

 

[Sphinx]

I have one more egg that hasn't hatched.

I'm not sure what to do, so I'd love input from the experts.

We are right at the day 22 mark. I put the eggs in lock down at the beginning of day 19. When I was getting the incubator set up for that, I heard egg #3 chirping from inside the shell. That is the only egg not hatched.

As of now, there are no pips in the egg though. This morning, when I was taking the two hatched chicks out, I briefly held that egg, hoping to hear anything. I didn't hear anything, but it just felt alive to me.

So, should I just leave it alone for a few days and hope it hatches? Do a float test? I lean towards not pipping it because I've heard that can actually slow down the hatch.

 

[slvrphoenix]

No experience here but this thread sounds like he has some. He does a float test about 3 days after do date.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=383525