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

[Lady Chickadee]

First chick hatched out this morning:

Ameraucana chick

 

[Mahonri]

wow! What a difference 5 hours of sleep makes!

#6 is another gorgeous sulmtaler... 1 more to go in the hovabator.

THEN... there are 5 more Icelandics pipped in the Hovabator,
There is one Sulmtaler X Ameraucana pipped " " ".
There is one of Renee's BBS Cochins pipped " " ".

Nothing in the Brinsea. (l HAVE 21 EGGS IN THERE)

I could end up with 13 chicks in the hovabator... even with those high temps!!! CRAZY!

Off to work. I'M LATE!

 

[dsqard]

Nothing in the Brinsea. (l HAVE 21 EGGS IN THERE)

OK folks this is what I am talking about. Why are we PANICING two days before hatch day? This is not the time to ask WWMD

Remember to breathe Mahonri! Wisher I think he needs on of your slaps!

 

[ambrosia]

For those of you who are experiencing "hatching envy" (and I am one of "those people"

) please DO NOT PANIC!!!!!! You will see people reporting pips, cheeping and hatched chicks today and tomorrow. You have nothing to "worry" about until later Saturday. If your temps were running a little low, they may hatch late. Do not think that ALL IS LOST. Hatching day isn't until Saturday. I am only stating this because I went through this on my first hatch. I was beating myself up all Saturday thinking I had messed something up since the eggs were just sitting in the incubator looking like they had just been set. Remember, breathe, sit on your hands and DON"T PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW my temps ran low my first hatch and I had eggs hatching from Saturday evening until the following Wednesday.

Very well said!

I am so glad I am not the only one who wants to see activity early...! I know not to panic yet, but that doesn't stop me from wishing I was one of the others who have gotten their Easter gifts early....

That being said.... please tell us what you bribed the Easter Bunny with so we know what to do to get such a nice surprise.... lol

 

[hennypenny99]

I candled last night and I am so glad I did! I thought out of the 42 I had set that I only had about 2 that made it. They were shipped eggs and about 8 were broke when they arrived and another 20 or so were scrambled (must have had a hard time in shipping). Then I had a temperature glitch. My thermometer was reading 2 degrees lower than it actually was. The good news is that when I candled I could see that more than 2 made it. I feel really good about at least 7 of them. So I have uppped the humidity and will be patiently waiting.

I do have one question though..... The air cells are big.... and they dip in at one spot... They are perfectly even all the way around but at one spot they dip down about 1/2 an inch. When I turn them to the side and shine the light into the dark chick part of the egg I can see veins and they are red so I think they are alive. Do big air cells mean my humidity was too low?

 

[AK Michelle]

I'm definitely NOT panicking but I am curios...

I'm following Chookschick's dry hatch instructions, which is completely new to me. My dry period was 27-30% humidity. Now I set up the paper towels as she described and filled the reservoirs, there are NO PLUGS and my humidity is reading 98%.

I don't think I can drown them as I don't think there is enough fluid left in the eggs for that. But I did want to check with you experienced Dry Hatchers and see if I need to make any adjustments.

 

[Papa Brooder]

Just checking the bator when I awoke. There's a little progress from one of my low SFH, seems to be doing OK. The other has a little bit of blood and the pipped area hasn't changed much. Keep hoping. However, lots more pips: 6 ameraucanas, 3 silver hamburgs, 3 BLR wyandottes, maybe one more cream legbar, but no more of my 9 remaining SFH eggs. Kids are excited and the bator keeps getting untimely jolts as they scramble over each to see the chicks. cute though and fun.

 

[Sphinx]

HennyPenny, I wonder if part of it is the fact they were shipped?

I'd be so upset about the careless nephew. I do think 3 is way too young to be around animals unattended, no matter how gentle a child is. It sounds like he is NOT a gentle child though. Hopefully he will outgrow all that and not be a mass murderer, but in the meantime, he wouldn't be allowed near any of my animals.

KVMommy, how are your eggs looking?

I think the ballerina chicken looks more like a gymnast on the beam...

I can't believe how early some of these chicks are! My chicks are NEVER early, and never that early. I have gotten a pip very late in day 20, but that's about as early as I go. Considering these are supposed to hatch at the preschool on Tuesday, I don't want them to be at all early. In fact, I get heart palpitations at the idea of them pipping early- I have to transport them back to the school early in the day on day 20 and I'm kind of freaking out about that- will the drive mess up their lockdown positions? Temp? Humidity? Do I put them in an egg carton so they don't roll around at all? Do I leave them in the Brinsea?

 

[kathyinmo]

I'm definitely NOT panicking but I am curios...

I'm following Chookschick's dry hatch instructions, which is completely new to me. My dry period was 27-30% humidity. Now I set up the paper towels as she described and filled the reservoirs, there are NO PLUGS and my humidity is reading 98%.

I don't think I can drown them as I don't think there is enough fluid left in the eggs for that. But I did want to check with you experienced Dry Hatchers and see if I need to make any adjustments.

98% ???? YIKES! Personally, I try to never go above 65%. I prefer 60%

Read this

 

[karimw]

My tiny tiny egg, a blue or black silkie. Its had a very active baby in there. So. IF it hatches out

will this baby be okay with the others?? Will they pick on it?? Do I need to move it with another smaller chick or what??? I got a couple of small eggs but this one looks the size of a quail egg almost. Ok maybe not AS small as a quail egg but yeah....lol

I got a little OEG/EE from a swap egg, just the tiniest thing. He is now best buds with the biggest one from that hatch and seems to do OK. He IS a game bird though and super quick. I think if your little silkie stays with his/her hatch mates it might be OK.

OK folks this is what I am talking about. Why are we PANICING two days before hatch day? This is not the time to ask WWMD

Remember to breathe Mahonri! Wisher I think he needs on of your slaps!

I think I need a slap too! I am so glad I'm have to work for the next two days! At least I did get the Spring hatch out of the basement brooders and into the coop brooders so I have some place to put the new hatchlings. I have GOT to figure out a new place for some growing pens though. Everyone is out growing their pens

I just transcribed my bator side scribbles into my hatch log spreadsheet and am a little mortified to see I have hatched out over 100 chicks since New Years day. Still have them too.