March 2017! Hatch with us!

[lilwildrabbit]

Mine is sceduled for lockdown on the 15th but since mine piped 2 days early I'm going into lockdown early I'll be in lockdown tomorrow better safe than sorry

 

[chockenmama]

Mine is sceduled for lockdown on the 15th but since mine piped 2 days early I'm going into lockdown early I'll be in lockdown tomorrow better safe than sorry

Ahh wow pipping early would give me a heart attack lol

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I

Ahh wow pipping early would give me a heart attack lol

I had on the 19 day one pip well that's not too bad but by the end of the day I had 8 little ones squirming around I totaled out 15 one DIS but all hatched on day 19 and first part of day 20 so I will put those on lockdown tonight and then watch what happens my luck it will take longer because I have more eggs ordered for the 21st of this month for my last hatch this year. Unless I get the bug lol

and I'm watching a Dutch hen of mine on her own first clutch so it will get hectic here soon too

 

[orrpeople]

Hi all!i have 12 eggs all mixed breeds that have gone into lockdown today!!! Im so nervous and excited. Its my first time and ontop of it all hubby built his own incubator so it really is nerve racking! E.D.D 15th march. Fingers crossed

So great! You are going to love the hatching process - it's so amazing! I'm hoping for the very best for you (and kuddos to your husband for building an incubator - how cool is that!?!?)

 

[orrpeople]

Every time I go through the incubation and hatching process, I am humbled by some dumb mistake I have made. At first, I always think, "I'm not going to share this on BYC, they'll know what an idiot I really am!" And then I remember that it's all one gigantic learning process and if we don't share our failures, as well as our successes, not a lot of learning can take place.

Yesterday morning, I left 2 zipping eggs and 2 pipped eggs to go on a much needed run. I left instructions about how long the zipped ones should take (I give them about an hour, and watch closely for ones that might be stuck - a lesson learned from a different incubation). When I returned, one of the zipped eggs had hatched, the other didn't look too good even though humidity was good. So, I got a warm, wet paper towel, plugged in the heat lamp, and began chipping - successfully releasing it from its sticky shell. I put it back in, and somehow, in my mind, I was convinced there was one more who was stuck (I'm going to blame O2 deprivation from a long, hard run). I whisked it out and chipped some of its shell - blood vessels!! Oh no! This chick wasn't stuck! It was still absorbing the blood from inside its membrane. I put some neosporin on it and quickly returned it to the incubator, praying I hadn't made it bleed too much. Well, even little chicks are chickens. As soon as those exposed blood vessels went into the incubator, the wobbly, drying off chicks were drawn to them and began pecking at them. Seriously!?!? I whisked it out again, and wrapped it in a warm wet paper towel, returning it to the incubator so its little beak would still be able to breathe, but facing a corner, instead of the crowd. And there it sat... all day. I kept checking for signs of life (hard to see in the corner of the incubator, surrounded by paper towel ). Its beak was still moving, but it was still just sitting there, when I finally decided to go to bed.
This morning I dreaded what I would find, so I cautiously looked in the incubator. The paper towel was crumpled in the middle of the incubator! And there, with obvious traces of neosporin on her head, was the little chick!! Despite my stupidity, she had made it. Every hatch humbles me, and I am so thankful this one had a happy ending!

 

[Jim121898]

Every time I go through the incubation and hatching process, I am humbled by some dumb mistake I have made. At first, I always think, "I'm not going to share this on BYC, they'll know what an idiot I really am!" And then I remember that it's all one gigantic learning process and if we don't share our failures, as well as our successes, not a lot of learning can take place.

Yesterday morning, I left 2 zipping eggs and 2 pipped eggs to go on a much needed run. I left instructions about how long the zipped ones should take (I give them about an hour, and watch closely for ones that might be stuck - a lesson learned from a different incubation). When I returned, one of the zipped eggs had hatched, the other didn't look too good even though humidity was good. So, I got a warm, wet paper towel, plugged in the heat lamp, and began chipping - successfully releasing it from its sticky shell. I put it back in, and somehow, in my mind, I was convinced there was one more who was stuck (I'm going to blame O2 deprivation from a long, hard run). I whisked it out and chipped some of its shell - blood vessels!! Oh no! This chick wasn't stuck! It was still absorbing the blood from inside its membrane. I put some neosporin on it and quickly returned it to the incubator, praying I hadn't made it bleed too much. Well, even little chicks are chickens. As soon as those exposed blood vessels went into the incubator, the wobbly, drying off chicks were drawn to them and began pecking at them. Seriously!?!? I whisked it out again, and wrapped it in a warm wet paper towel, returning it to the incubator so its little beak would still be able to breathe, but facing a corner, instead of the crowd. And there it sat... all day. I kept checking for signs of life (hard to see in the corner of the incubator, surrounded by paper towel ). Its beak was still moving, but it was still just sitting there, when I finally decided to go to bed.
This morning I dreaded what I would find, so I cautiously looked in the incubator. The paper towel was crumpled in the middle of the incubator! And there, with obvious traces of neosporin on her head, was the little chick!! Despite my stupidity, she had made it. Every hatch humbles me, and I am so thankful this one had a happy ending!

I must say I did this exact thing with last weeks hatch.

I assisted a zipper who looked to be struggling and that went very well. I then turned my eyes to one that had a large pip hole for roughly 12 hours and thought to myself the humidity must be off. The poor little thing kept pushing its head back as they do when trying to break out. Unfortunately it kept hitting the same location and the shell wasn't breaking. After witnessing this for roughly an hour I thought it was doomed if I didn't help. Needless to say the assist began and then blood. So I stopped, took wet paper towel and dampened it down real well and waited. A few hours later the veins had shrunk down so I took wet paper towel again and squeezed the water onto the remaining shell and presto a healthy little chick was born.
I have now committed to allowing the chicks to hatch on their own for it was very stressful knowing I could have killed that poor little chick do to my impatience. My new theory is if they're meant to hatch they will. I'm not sure this is the best theory, and if I can bring my self to not assist if it looks needed but I'm going to try.

 

[angieangie]

Omg today is the beginning of day 21. I have been checking every night when I get up for signs but nothing yet. The wait is sooooooooooo getting to me. The humidity is only at 59% but there is condensation inside the window, so I would think it's actually a little higher then that right? Man oh man this is nerve wracking!

 

[WVduckchick]

Hi all!i have 12 eggs all mixed breeds that have gone into lockdown today!!! Im so nervous and excited. Its my first time and ontop of it all hubby built his own incubator so it really is nerve racking! E.D.D 15th march. Fingers crossed

Welcome and good luck!!

Every time I go through the incubation and hatching process, I am humbled by some dumb mistake I have made. At first, I always think, "I'm not going to share this on BYC, they'll know what an idiot I really am!" And then I remember that it's all one gigantic learning process and if we don't share our failures, as well as our successes, not a lot of learning can take place.

Yesterday morning, I left 2 zipping eggs and 2 pipped eggs to go on a much needed run. I left instructions about how long the zipped ones should take (I give them about an hour, and watch closely for ones that might be stuck - a lesson learned from a different incubation). When I returned, one of the zipped eggs had hatched, the other didn't look too good even though humidity was good. So, I got a warm, wet paper towel, plugged in the heat lamp, and began chipping - successfully releasing it from its sticky shell. I put it back in, and somehow, in my mind, I was convinced there was one more who was stuck (I'm going to blame O2 deprivation from a long, hard run). I whisked it out and chipped some of its shell - blood vessels!! Oh no! This chick wasn't stuck! It was still absorbing the blood from inside its membrane. I put some neosporin on it and quickly returned it to the incubator, praying I hadn't made it bleed too much. Well, even little chicks are chickens. As soon as those exposed blood vessels went into the incubator, the wobbly, drying off chicks were drawn to them and began pecking at them. Seriously!?!? I whisked it out again, and wrapped it in a warm wet paper towel, returning it to the incubator so its little beak would still be able to breathe, but facing a corner, instead of the crowd. And there it sat... all day. I kept checking for signs of life (hard to see in the corner of the incubator, surrounded by paper towel ). Its beak was still moving, but it was still just sitting there, when I finally decided to go to bed.
This morning I dreaded what I would find, so I cautiously looked in the incubator. The paper towel was crumpled in the middle of the incubator! And there, with obvious traces of neosporin on her head, was the little chick!! Despite my stupidity, she had made it. Every hatch humbles me, and I am so thankful this one had a happy ending!

These chicks sure seem to forgive us easier than we forgive ourselves sometimes, huh? glad it all worked out

So here's my story on that note. Had one that pipped, and then about 18 hours later, made another pip hole about an inch away from the first hole (seriously, a full inch!) finally started zipping around midnight. Got all the way around the the first pip hole around 1:30a.m. I assumed it was no problem from there. I went to bed. Got up at 4:15, and it was still not out!!! I whisked it out real quick, all I had to do was tear a few spots of membrane that didn't completely separate.

Right now I have another doing the same thing!!

Omg today is the beginning of day 21. I have been checking every night when I get up for signs but nothing yet. The wait is sooooooooooo getting to me. The humidity is only at 59% but there is condensation inside the window, so I would think it's actually a little higher then that right? Man oh man this is nerve wracking!

What breeds? And Yes, condensation usually happens higher than 59%. Unless you have a draft or the room is much cooler. Cooler outside will cause condensation quicker.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

I had a mistake with my last and first hatch I had to go into town while they were hatching the cat knocked the lid skewer on the incubator and I lost the humidity well I had 3 stuck in the shell two I rescued one was just a pip so I waited tooo long well it zipped that evening after i went to sleep the next morning I had lost it during the night. But one was seriously stuck in her shell I had to actually crack the shell away being my first time at rescue I placed her back into the incubator hoping the humidity would help release the eggshell from her and I hadn't seen blood but boy was she stuck!! Well I must have cracked the shell enough for her because about 2 hours later I see this little wobbly armored chick stumbling around her back and head has shell stuck to it she looked like a little armored tank I got her out worked on a heating pad with her trying to get as much shell off pf her as I could without hurting her. She looked like she wouldn't make it but I put her in the brooder well long story short she is one of my little sweethearts running around now all clean and pretty. But she already has a name lol just to remind me what to and not to do.

 

[Cerise1924]

Every time I go through the incubation and hatching process, I am humbled by some dumb mistake I have made.

At first, I always think, "I'm not going to share this on BYC, they'll know what an idiot I really am!" And then I remember that it's all one gigantic learning process and if we don't share our failures, as well as our successes, not a lot of learning can take place.

Yesterday morning, I left 2 zipping eggs and 2 pipped eggs to go on a much needed run. I left instructions about how long the zipped ones should take (I give them about an hour, and watch closely for ones that might be stuck - a lesson learned from a different incubation). When I returned, one of the zipped eggs had hatched, the other didn't look too good even though humidity was good. So, I got a warm, wet paper towel, plugged in the heat lamp, and began chipping - successfully releasing it from its sticky shell. I put it back in, and somehow, in my mind, I was convinced there was one more who was stuck (I'm going to blame O2 deprivation from a long, hard run). I whisked it out and chipped some of its shell - blood vessels!! Oh no! This chick wasn't stuck! It was still absorbing the blood from inside its membrane. I put some neosporin on it and quickly returned it to the incubator, praying I hadn't made it bleed too much. Well, even little chicks are chickens. As soon as those exposed blood vessels went into the incubator, the wobbly, drying off chicks were drawn to them and began pecking at them. Seriously!?!? I whisked it out again, and wrapped it in a warm wet paper towel, returning it to the incubator so its little beak would still be able to breathe, but facing a corner, instead of the crowd. And there it sat... all day. I kept checking for signs of life (hard to see in the corner of the incubator, surrounded by paper towel ). Its beak was still moving, but it was still just sitting there, when I finally decided to go to bed.
This morning I dreaded what I would find, so I cautiously looked in the incubator. The paper towel was crumpled in the middle of the incubator! And there, with obvious traces of neosporin on her head, was the little chick!! Despite my stupidity, she had made it. Every hatch humbles me, and I am so thankful this one had a happy ending!

Thank you for sharing. We all learn so much from our own experiences and from each other. Yay, the chick made it! Quick thinking and good work on your part, saving it from the other chicks. and keeping it warm.