March 2017! Hatch with us!

[Ella2017]

Well my very first chick that hatched early didn't make it. It had an unabsorbed yolk sac and it seemed like it kept getting bigger. I took him out to separate so the other ones wouldn't peck on it, and he passed shortly after. Not a good first experience, but I know it happens.. I have 7 other healthy babies so far... still waiting on 5 eggs. But I was wondering, is there something you can do for an unabsorbed yolk sac? I hate feeling so helpless!

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I had one pop out so hard he flew against the side of the incubator and bounced off scared the crap out of me! Thought the little thing had killed itself it hit so hard but now it's running around like nothing happened!

 

[Jessimom]

I agree with you there I noticed if I act fast I can keep the humidity above panic stage If I just open the incubator just long enough to remove the two or three chicks and then squirt my sponge with a little water the humidity fluctuates but just a few degrees for a few minutes.

The one issue with even quickly opening the 'bator when there are external pips, is that the membrane dries out INSTANTLY. It's like a shot of dry air hits and even if you add moisture, the inner liner on those eggs is still dry. It's doesn't really re-hydrate. So, I choose to ONLY pull dry chicks if they are too crowded, or I see zero external pips. I have left a single chick in t he bator for 2 days, until the others hatched. She did fine! They can stay in there for up to 3 days. So, if I only have a few eggs, I wait the full 3 days. I have 63 eggs that can possibly get locked down this next go round - I"m going to HAVE To open the bator. I'm going to run a little warm air mister next to me when I open it. I'll see if that helps.....

 

[lilwildrabbit]

The one issue with even quickly opening the 'bator when there are external pips, is that the membrane dries out INSTANTLY.   It's like a shot of dry air hits and even if you add moisture, the inner liner on those eggs is still dry.  It's doesn't really re-hydrate.  So, I choose to ONLY pull dry chicks if they are too crowded, or I see zero external pips.  I have left a single chick in t he bator for 2 days, until the others hatched.  She did fine!  They can stay in there for up to 3 days.  So, if I only have a few eggs, I wait the full 3 days.  I have 63 eggs that can possibly get locked down this next go round - I"m going to HAVE To open the bator.  I'm going to run a little warm air mister next to me when I open it.  I'll see if that helps.....

I see your point there what if you used a nebulizer unit? That way fresh air and moisture could be beneficial for hatching im thinking about building an incubator

 

[WVduckchick]

I'm hoping the call ducks don't get me in trouble either. I'm technically out of our development, but I will still be concerned if they are way too loud. I only plan to keep 6-8.

Well my very first chick that hatched early didn't make it. It had an unabsorbed yolk sac and it seemed like it kept getting bigger. I took him out to separate so the other ones wouldn't peck on it, and he passed shortly after.

Not a good first experience, but I know it happens.. I have 7 other healthy babies so far... still waiting on 5 eggs. But I was wondering, is there something you can do for an unabsorbed yolk sac? I hate feeling so helpless!

Isolate it, immobilize it, and pray for the best.

The one issue with even quickly opening the 'bator when there are external pips, is that the membrane dries out INSTANTLY. It's like a shot of dry air hits and even if you add moisture, the inner liner on those eggs is still dry. It's doesn't really re-hydrate. So, I choose to ONLY pull dry chicks if they are too crowded, or I see zero external pips. I have left a single chick in t he bator for 2 days, until the others hatched. She did fine! They can stay in there for up to 3 days. So, if I only have a few eggs, I wait the full 3 days. I have 63 eggs that can possibly get locked down this next go round - I"m going to HAVE To open the bator. I'm going to run a little warm air mister next to me when I open it. I'll see if that helps.....

See, I have to disagree somewhat with this. I know this is what has been crammed into folks heads, but I do it quite often, and the membrane does not dry instantly. I don't open the lid more than necessary, but I do it enough to know that its not an immediate death sentence. I also run fairly high humidity, just in case I need to open it. There are several threads here full of people who are "hands on" and open the incubators alot during "lockdown". So anyway, to each his own.

 

[Jessimom]

I see your point there what if you used a nebulizer unit? That way fresh air and moisture could be beneficial for hatching im thinking about building an incubator

With my Brinsea - I haven't been using it because I have such great hatch rates, but when I use my LG or my Incuview I have a fishtank next to the bators, it's 3/4 full and has an aquarium heater. So the water stays around 101, I float a jar with a lid. I half fill that with water and have 2 tubes, 1 connected to an aquarium air pump going into the water, then a second above the water going into my bator. That puts warm moist air into the bater. That REALLY, really helped my humidity. It had a better effect in the LG, than the Incuview. I think the styrafoam bator lost more moisture than the plastic one.

 

[Birdydeb]

Just set an incubator with 13 Bielefelder eggs from chickielady,15 Cochin/Frizzle eggs from WVduckchick and 4 of my own BR eggs. Have three pips in good spots near air cells in the Welshies incubator. Gosh I hope this duck hatch goes well. I have a feeling I should have done way more researching and studying ducks before attempting this. Good thoughts that I don't blow this!

 

[dan26552]

My duck eggs go into lockdown Saturday!!!!

 

[Birdydeb]

Oh, and I sold last weeks batch of little mixed cuties. They leave tonight.

 

[Birdydeb]

My duck eggs go into lockdown Saturday!!!!

What are your ducks? all flipping ducks are adorable! Love ducks!