March 2018 Hatch-a-long

[ChickenMath101]

Woke up to one extremely lonely and aggravated baby this morning. Checked the humidity and it was @ 60%. Since humidity typically sits @ 68%, I realized my water tray was probably dry. Not good!! I whipped the door open, grabbed the bone dry tray and ran for the sink. Got it filled with hot water and back in the bator within a minute, but yikes...
New baby screamed his fool head off for hours. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I snatched him out as fast as I could and held him. Now he’s tucked under the heat plate and sleeping it off.
We have five more pips and one unzipping, yippy!

 

[ChickenMath101]

Okay people.
I read a thing just now. My mind is blown. Ready?
In nature, precocial babies who hatch more or less on the same day?...They communicate by clicking inside the shell. They speed up or slow down their clicks in order to synchronize their hatch-AND THEY DO IT within two hours of each other. Here’s the rub:
The eggs have to be touching. If they are even a few centimeters apart, it won’t work.
I just hatched all my babies for the week, so somebody else gets to be the Guinea pig!

 

[ChickenMath101]

Ugh. When I actually looked this morning I had 4 eggs left to go. Just lost one, it was malpositioned. It pipped last night and was peeping an hour ago. I got worried when I realized this morning that it wasn’t going to be able to get out and pulled it out of the hatcher. Heard one last weak chirp...and then nothing. Pulled the shell off it as fast as I could and tried chest compressions but nothing worked, the poor thing was gone.
It’s external pip was in the middle of the egg. Looking at it after the fact, it had one foot up over it’s head. I don’t think it would ever have been able to unzip. It was perfectly formed, no defects. Yolk was absorbed, blood was absorbed-it just couldn’t get out.

 

[toomanyjewels]

Day 19 and still watching the incubator but not signs of any action. Sunday is day 21, if nothing happens by then is it ok to keep the eggs one more day or does it mean the hatch failed. This is my first time incubating and while i did my research I knew it was going to be a learning experience. I think this has been the hardest part, the waiting. We shall see. Happy Weekend All and happy hatching!

 

[LReardon]

I don't you first incubating experience 3 weeks ago, and another batch going with chicks and ducks. My first bunch! 10 of 11 hatched!

 

[ChickenMath101]

How exciting!! If the babies have been developing normally so far (totally filling the egg at this point) and your temps have been good there is no reason to expect that anything is wrong. Sometimes babies are just real quiet and you can’t hear them over the incubator. I bet by tomorrow they will be rocking away!

Day 19 and still watching the incubator but not signs of any action. Sunday is day 21, if nothing happens by then is it ok to keep the eggs one more day or does it mean the hatch failed. This is my first time incubating and while i did my research I knew it was going to be a learning experience. I think this has been the hardest part, the waiting. We shall see. Happy Weekend All and happy hatching!

 

[toomanyjewels]

Thank you so much for your encouraging words. The waiting has been the toughest during lockdown. I am looking forward to the weekend. fingers crossed for Sunday

How exciting!! If the babies have been developing normally so far (totally filling the egg at this point) and your temps have been good there is no reason to expect that anything is wrong. Sometimes babies are just real quiet and you can’t hear them over the incubator. I bet by tomorrow they will be rocking away!

 

[toomanyjewels]

Did a visual check of the incubator before carefully adding more water and saw no signs of peeping. Maybe it is wishful thinking but i swear I heard chirping from my eggs. Can a fully intact egg chirp? Today is day 20, Happy St.Patrick's day to those that celebrate!

 

[ChickenMath101]

Did a visual check of the incubator before carefully adding more water and saw no signs of peeping. Maybe it is wishful thinking but i swear I heard chirping from my eggs. Can a fully intact egg chirp? Today is day 20, Happy St.Patrick's day to those that celebrate!

They chirp and click to each other to sync hatching. They have pipped internally, are breathing air and getting ready to make their way out! You’ll see your first babies late tonight, I think!

 

[toomanyjewels]

You were right ChickenMath101, I checked the incubator and had one light Brahma chick sitting up looking at me so exciting. Today is day 21 so hopefully some of her other 9 friends decide to join her soon!