Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[ronott1]

Thanks Kathy,

The second source is from Australia, so I bet the shipping would be a killer

Ron

Quote:

Egg tray 30 hole plastic egg washing tray

Buy Now!

Price: $4.99

 

[SunnyDawn]

If its been in that long and no progress then I would help it. I do it all the time. Just gently pull of bit by bit of shell and the first membrane. If you see blood stop and let it dry up....I have taken then top off severel eggs so the chick could move its neck and I have literally removed the chick from the whole shell when it was too tired to even kick out and have had great success doing this. Good luck.

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I have helped too when the chick has gone a long time without any progress. I take my thumbnail (wash and scrub nails first) and pierce around the started zip line just barely through the shell going in the opposite direction from where the chick has been working toward. My theory is that then the chick doesn't all of the sudden hit nothing if they are still zipping while I am working on the shell too, trying to then kick out. I then put the egg back and let the chick kick out by themselves.

The problem with this is it is risky opening the bator and messing up the humidity while there are other chicks still trying to hatch. Plus the chick may have pipped too early, not having had time to absorb it's egg sac yet. Helping them out too soon can cause more even more problems. It is a judgment call that only you can make. A chick that has pipped too early will likely die anyway and you may dry out the bator and mess up your temps making it hard for the rest of the chicks to hatch.

Knowing all this I will still help occasionally. Usually only toward the end of a hatch but you have to decide that for yourself. That being said I have many chickens that are healthy and happy today that might not have survived if I had not stepped in at the end. I have even had to soak part of a shell that had shrink wrapped onto a baby chick and the chick survived and grew up just fine. You will notice that the other chicks hatching will also mess with the humidity and temps anyway.

Some are not able to get out of the shell for a reason though. They may be deformed or something else is wrong but I feel that just because it would have died anyway doesn't mean that helping them out and giving them a chance was the wrong decision. Again there are many opinions on this topic and you yourself have to make the decision based on your situation.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:

Quote:

Egg tray 30 hole plastic egg washing tray

Buy Now!

Price: $4.99

Are yours strong enough to pick up loaded with eggs. I read here: http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/plastic-egg-tray-was30.html
That the trays they were selling for washing eggs where not strong enough to pick up with eggs in them. You had to be careful and use both hands. I think I would anyway but it rather scared me off.


Mine are very sturdy. I had to use a jigsaw to cut them up.
Wire cutters sorta worked, too.

 

[ronott1]

Cutler has Emu Trays!

I clicked a link off of the link Kathy sent.

Click here

 

[kathyinmo]

Cutler has Emu Trays!

I clicked a link off of the link Kathy sent.

Click here

I have those.
They came with my used Sportsman I bought off Craigslist.

 

[Pinx]

Quote:

I have helped too when the chick has gone a long time without any progress. I take my thumbnail (wash and scrub nails first) and pierce around the started zip line just barely through the shell going in the opposite direction from where the chick has been working toward. My theory is that then the chick doesn't all of the sudden hit nothing if they are still zipping while I am working on the shell too, trying to then kick out. I then put the egg back and let the chick kick out by themselves.

The problem with this is it is risky opening the bator and messing up the humidity while there are other chicks still trying to hatch. Plus the chick may have pipped too early, not having had time to absorb it's egg sac yet. Helping them out too soon can cause more even more problems. It is a judgment call that only you can make. A chick that has pipped too early will likely die anyway and you may dry out the bator and mess up your temps making it hard for the rest of the chicks to hatch.

Knowing all this I will still help occasionally. Usually only toward the end of a hatch but you have to decide that for yourself. That being said I have many chickens that are healthy and happy today that might not have survived if I had not stepped in at the end. I have even had to soak part of a shell that had shrink wrapped onto a baby chick and the chick survived and grew up just fine. You will notice that the other chicks hatching will also mess with the humidity and temps anyway.

Some are not able to get out of the shell for a reason though. They may be deformed or something else is wrong but I feel that just because it would have died anyway doesn't mean that helping them out and giving them a chance was the wrong decision. Again there are many opinions on this topic and you yourself have to make the decision based on your situation.



Thanks. I've read so many contradicting things over whether to help and why or why not etc. Its just not in my nature to say "the strong will survive, the rest weren't meant to be". Hatch day for me was yesterday and this was my 4th chick to hatch, I don't think I'll be setting any hatch rate records this time lol. The poor little thing was fighting to get out all day, but these eggs are so dang hard I can see why he had a hard time.

 

[chick-among-us]

I do! I will mist if before to help get humity up before transfering eggs then keep it kinda moist during the hatch with dribbles of water thru access holes when I add water to the humity trays....I have found with the cardboard egg cartons the need to add more water isn't nessasary as much!

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Does anyone ever dampen the cardboard carton before putting in bator and/or moisten during lock down?

 

[mbleily]

This one looks good for 95 cents but it costs over $8.00 to send so not good for me. http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13_91&products_id=591

 

[SunnyDawn]

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I did, I couldn't take it anymore. I zipped around the shell the rest of the way and tore the membrane a little and he kicked himself the rest of the way out. At first I thought I waited too long, but now he can pick his head up without it curling under and his toes have straightened out. So I think the little guy will be fine, he is pretty weak, but still trying to move around. He is currently doing his best to get on top of the other eggs.

Why I call all baby chicks "He" I will never know lol. I want them all to be shes... I guess its my mind preparing me for them all to be hes. lol


Oh I see you already decided. Good! I'm glad she is doing well! *I usually say "he" too. Trying to break that habit.*

 

[mbleily]

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Mine are very sturdy. I had to use a jigsaw to cut them up.
Wire cutters sorta worked, too.

Ok so they are not like the ones I saw. I don't like the postage anyway. I think I might try to find enough foam trays for mine this time.