Lockdown

[Alwayswantchics]

Today starts my lockdown. I have had no success in the past. Don't know what to listen for. Don't know how long while processing should take.pipping and zipping are new words for me. Shrink wrapping and dying after hatch prevention tips are needed. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I have my first batch ever just set this morning and they all came detatched air cells! (silkies) what did you change about your game plan this time around? I sure do wish you the best!!

 

[cochins1088]

You don't need to listen for anything, but I can usually hear them peeping on day 20 and day 21 while they are in their shells. I think it's really sweet. They can peep because they have internally pipped at that point and are breathing the air in the air sac. Once they externally pip, you can can expect them to make it out of the shell with in 36 hours, though most can do it in 24 or less, one of mine only took 5 hours, but it's almost always longer than that.

Here's the basic process, they first internally pip. They break through the membrane into the air sac. They then rest for a while. Once the air sac gets low on oxygen, they realize they need to break through the shell so you can see an external pip, it's just a small set of cracks in the shell where the chick has broken through. They then rest again and start zipping. They turn around the shell breaking the shell with their beaks as they go so you can see a circle of cracks. They may rest again at this point, or they will jump ahead and push the 2 halves of shell apart. They will look very weak when they first come out, as the whole process takes a lot of energy. Leave them in the incubator until they are dry and fluffy, and only open the incubator once a day to take out dry chicks.

I haven't ever had a chick that has hatched on it's own die right after hatching. So I can't help you there. But I can for dry membranes. They happen when you open the incubater while others are pipping. When you open it, you let the humidity out so you should avoid doing so while there are external pips because without the high humidity, once pipped, the membrane can dry and stick the chick making it unable to hatch. If you notice the membrane around the chick looks white/yellow color then it's probably dried, all you have to do is take a Q-tip and wet it with warm water to gently wet the membrane. Note that there are 2 membranes, the one attached to the shell always looks white, but the membrane around the chick is transparent unless it has dried. If you don't open the incubator much, then you won't have to worry about this. Don't worry about leaving dry chicks in longer than a day, they won't need food or water for 3 days after they hatch, though I normally take them out once a day because they tend to knock other eggs around if I leave them.

If you need any other advice, feel free to say so.

 

[Alwayswantchics]

Thanks a lot. Will definately seek you for more advice

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll just add a little to what Cochin said. Don't get too hung up on Day 20 or Day 21, especially with your first hatch. There are a lot of things that can affect when an egg actually hatches; humidity, heredity, size of the egg, how and how long it was stored before starting incubation, and I'm sure many others. The big one though is the average incubating temperature. If the incubator is running just a little warm, they can hatch way early. I've had eggs pipping when I went into lockdown and the hatch was over by the end of Day 19. If the incubator is running a bit cool, they can be a few days late. Day 21 is a target time, a day to shoot for, but don't be shocked if that is off a bit. I just had a broody hatch 11 out of 11 eggs 1-1/2 to 2 days early, I think mainly because the weather was so warm during much of her incubation period.

As an aside, many people have trouble counting days. It takes 24 hours for an egg to have a day's worth of development. An easy way to determine when the 21 days are up is the day of the week you start them is the day of the week they should hatch. If you set them on a Monday, they should hatch about that time on a Monday. But that is just an "ideal" date. Reality is often different. If they hatch within 24 hours of that ideal time, I consider them right on time. if they hatch off more than that for a few consecutive hatches, I'll start tweaking the incubating temperature.

There is a lot of resting involved in the hatching process, but they are not just resting. There is a lot going on during hatch. They are absorbing the yolk so they can go three or so days without food or water. They are drying up blood vessels outside their body they no longer need. They are doing something with that gunk they have been surrounded with so they dry nice and fluffy instead of with the down all matted. I'm sure they are doing a lot of other stuff. Some do a lot of this before internal pip or in between internal and external pip. These are the ones that pop out pretty quickly after external pip. Some do a lot of this between internal and external pips. These are the ones that drive us nuts because it takes so long. A few even do some of this after zip. Most of these still make it.

The only chicks I'ved had die after hatch are the ones that I helped. If they are shrink wrapped because of something I did and I help them, they often make it. Not many, but some just don't come out after external pip. There is often a reason for this. There is just something wrong with them. Helping them is not always an easy call.

If you are having trouble with chicks dying after hatch, you might check your ventilation. They are living animals and need oxygen to breathe, even before hatch. The shell is porous and will allow oxygen exchange. Make sure your vents are open, especially during hatch, so they don't suffocate. But they need air exchange even in the shell.

Good luck!!!

 

[Alwayswantchics]

That was awesome. Thanks for the encouragement. Can't wait to see my little ones. It looks like a possible 7 out of 18 will be hatching.