Mahonri's 2nd Annual NYDHatch, watching them grow...

[BerrytangleFarm]

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Let it bounce for now

Just keep bator closed - moving that much it should start pipping soon.

Wouldn't THAT be a New Year Miracle!

 

[CRYSTALCREEK]

Sorry I haven't kept up with this thread! I've been sick for two straight days.

I ended up with 18....9 splits and 9 lavenders....will post pics later!

 

[Ms.FuzzyButts]

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Thanks, I needed that. It make more sense when someone else says it.

 

[Mahonri]

featherz, your chicks are gorgeous.

My pip is not progressing. Last pip is not happening.

The zip I helped is not doing well.

I've got a horrid sinus infection again.. this time on the other side.
Not going to Church today. resting.

 

[Ms.FuzzyButts]

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sorry.. I feel your pain on the sickness. I just got over it myself, yesterday. Congrats on your babies!!

 

[LarryPQ]

Speaking of which: here is the picture with documentation!

 

[ChooksChick]

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Don't touch! My last chick hatched about 8PM last night and I just had another one hatch now. Sometimes they take their time. The hatched one will be a cheerleader to get the other ones out!

Ok, on this thought, how long can they vary in between? With mine so far, 3 chicks hatched from sometime Thursday night and Friday noon and nothing since. No one else is pipped or anything. Since they have been in the same brooding conditions, I am in the mind that the remainder do not stand much chance, but am I wrong?

I have had hatches spread over 72+ hours from the first chick out to the last pip. From first pip to last chick out, I had one set that was 5 days!!! I say don't count them out until you know they are goners. I would pip the tip to look for signs of life tomorrow morning if you can't tell by candling.

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I would leave it, but do you hear peeping? If you have been hearing peeping for more than 8 hours, I would pip a millimeter square TEENY hole in the fat tip of the egg just to allow some air in- bigger than that and it could dry out and NEVER hatch. You won't be able to see in through the hole. Don't try, as that will make it too big. You WILL be able to see better inside the shell if you candle through the hole, so you may learn more about what's going on.



Hurrying the eggs is a risk, just like not helping is a risk- it's a terrible balance, and we ALL feel confused about what to do when the delay seems brutal.

C'mon chickies!!!

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

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awesome idea!

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

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Tough call every time too!
I chose not to bother my first pipper since I could see its beak and see it breathing. 24 hrs later it was DIS (dead in shell) still able to see only its beak.
I had 2 others that were pipped over 24 hrs each before even beginning to zip. I didn't help those and they hatched fine.

 

[ChooksChick]

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Tough call every time too!
I chose not to bother my first pipper since I could see its beak and see it breathing. 24 hrs later it was DIS (dead in shell) still able to see only its beak.
I had 2 others that were pipped over 24 hrs each before even beginning to zip. I didn't help those and they hatched fine.

I think the most important thing I've learned over thousands of hatched chicks is that when I help, it is often soon apparent that there was a reason the chick couldn't do it alone. At least half of the chicks that have required help or wouldn't have hatched without intervention later show there was something that made them a weak bird or they died within a couple of days. Sometimes they thrived and died within a week. Generally there was something internal that never showed- the chick just failed. Other times it became apparent, like the ones that couldn't poop or the ones that had some sort of breathing issue...it was always so very sad!!

I assist very little these days. I've learned to be patient. I am hyper-empathetic and each chick is important to me- I care about every one. It is very hard for me to be so patient, and watch them sit there peeping through a tiny hole, twisted up and stuffed in a tight spot...but I know if I help I can make it worse or that nature is dictating the strength of the gene pool, and I ought not stick my nose in...it kills me dead to wait.

*sigh* so if I seem cold telling you all to wait, it's because it hurts more to lose one after nursing it for 2 or 3 days when it wasn't meant to survive. Sometimes they are fine- it's just impossible to know.

On that note, I have one that's been pipped and struggling for 2 days and I'm going to go check...Poor little thing has been being climbed on by a flock of bantam Cochins trying to cheer it on. It's a giant Orp and something tells me it'll be playing Mommy to them very soon if it pops out soon!