LPHF Blue Australorps Hatching Thread

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Today is Day 20 of our incubation.

Well...I have some good news and some bad.

Bad news is, the incubator humidity plummeted overnight from 55% when I checked it last before bed, then 20% was what I woke up to this morning. It’s usually good at staying on track, but I’m guessing this cold front pulled all of the humidity out of the house, as our regular humidity is usually at 70% for the house and it’s barely at 50% now.
25° in Texas!

Good news is...
We have three internal pips! 1,3 and 5 have decided it’s time to start moving.
I could see see some movement in the others but I’m worried that they might be shrinkwrapped because they aren’t moving very freely. Can that happen if there is no external pips?

 

[aart]

Can that happen if there is no external pips?

Possibly...have you been tracing your air cells?

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Possibly...have you been tracing your air cells?

I haven’t traced them on the eggs, but I have been keeping an extremely close eye on them. The cells themselves aren’t any bigger than they were last night when I checked before bed.

 

[aart]

I haven’t traced them on the eggs, but I have been keeping an extremely close eye on them. The cells themselves aren’t any bigger than they were last night when I checked before bed.

I like to trace them...easy to see without even more candling.
Every time you open the bator you disrupt the balance of temp and humidity...
...worse than spinning the eggs while candling, IMO.
Picking on @Texas Kiki

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

I like to trace them...easy to see without even more candling.
Every time you open the bator you disrupt the balance of temp and humidity...
...worse than spinning the eggs while candling, IMO.
Picking on @Texas Kiki

I know about tracing, but it’s a learning experience for my family too. That’s why we candle every night. The humidity has been back up and stable again since finding out, it’s higher than where I would like it to be but at this point that’s probably better.

I can’t see the humidity gauge or refill for water unless I open the incubator also. It’s kind of a lose-lose situation.

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Still no progress except #2 is internally pipped now, humidity is holding steady. Brooder is ready for those babies to show up!

Broody hen is unreliable, so she won't be getting any babies.

 

[Cyprus]

Broody hen is unreliable, so she won't be getting any babies

Did she quit?

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Did she quit?

No, in fact we have two of them.

One being too young and untrustworthy. She is only 6 months old.

The other was moved inside to see if she would take to the box for transfer and she tried to kill herself getting out and ran straight to an empty nest. One with no eggs. So I refuse to give her any to not reward her behavior.

 

[Cyprus]

No, in fact we have two of them.

One being too young and untrustworthy. She is only 6 months old.

The other was moved inside to see if she would take to the box for transfer and she tried to kill herself getting out and ran straight to an empty nest. One with no eggs. So I refuse to give her any to not reward her behavior.

I feel like the 6 month old could handle it, but I wouldn't risk it with these chicks.

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

I feel like the 6 month old could handle it, but I wouldn't risk it with these chicks.

She couldn't. The pullet gets beat up and moves boxes the second a higher ranked hen comes in.