March Hatch-Along Thread- Come Hatch With Us!!!!!

[inthesticks]

Okay, managed to drip in a wee bit more more water to up the humidity. It's now sitting on 64%. Yaay!!!

Wow - this is some seriously stressful waiting game isn't it?!

It's like watching grass grow....can't help going and checking on my eggs every 30 minutes or so. Still nothing yet, but with the higher humidity now, maybe soon?

Also waiting on a clutch of Lovebird eggs to hatch under the hen (her second clutch in 3 months)....They're meant to have hatched yesterday...nothing happening there either.

RIGHHHTTT!!?!?!?!?! Very Stressful, I have been able to keep myself pretty occupied this go around though, & also having staggered hatch days is making me so exhausted that it's almost more mellow.
Glad you were able to bump up that humidity.
Lovebirds!!! you will for sure have to post photos if you get any little hatchlings!

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

Is'nt that just the most amazing sound after staring at the eggs for 20+ days! Makes my heart flutter.

I just love the sound of them chirping while they are still in the egg... Except when it wakes me up in the night. I'm hoping that tomorrow, I'll wake up to an external pip from #1.

 

[FrankiesMom]

HI,
A little off topic but wanted to share you are not alone with illness.............and the chickens save me from allowing myself to be controlled by thinking about my problems and pain.
They make me laugh, get up and move when I do not feel like it,and generally warm my heart................
Nothing perks me up like one of my pet hens wanting to be picked up and carried around or watching Mr. Roo care for his hens and chicks...........
Not to forget the great company we share here................
Glad you are here and good luck...................

Oh my! I'm beginning to realize just what life savers these little fluffy butts are!!

Two years ago, I managed a communications department. Yesterday, I received verbal approval of my permanent disability status under our federal government. What a change my life has been!

One year ago, I got my first chicken - and found a new, more meaningful purpose in life. I've traded in the boardroom meetings and high heels for shoveling out chicken coops in hip waders. (Yay!!

)

I now have 3x splash wyandotte, 1xbcm, 2xAustrolorpe (1 is my special needs girl

lol), 1x ISA brown, 1x SLW and 3xAmeracauna, PLUS 13 ducks (3xCayuga, 3xSussex, 4x Pekin, 1xBlk Swede and 1 tufted 'mutt', PLUS one gander PLUS two dogs (silver lab and lab cross rescue), PLUS a rescue cat.

Deep breath...

PLUS, 4x Austrolorpe chicks, 2x SLW chicks and 2x Cuckoo Marans (all hatchery) and 2x Ameracauna (my own) @ 5 weeks, PLUS three ducklings @ 4 weeks old (Pekin/Blk swede, Blk Swede/Sussex and Blk swede/Cayuga) currently living in my master bathroom.

Deep breath...

PLUS, about 18 eggs in the 'bator, 2 of which I think are duds, but one hatched at 8 pm tonight, 6 external pips last night and another 5 external pips now. (OMG, it is SO hard to leave them alone!!!!!

)

Oh, and did I mention I have one VERY tolerant husband (the man who said he'd never get married, never have kids and never have more than one pet. HA!), plus two boys (aged 11 and the other 4 on Sunday).

Yup, without my kids, birds n gardens, I think I'd have gone insane!

Now, if only I could convince hubby I need a larger incubator....

 

[FrankiesMom]

7! Seven! SEVEN!! That's how many baby ducks hatched overnight. And that's out of seven eggs! Let's hope the chickees do as well! Still just 1 pip there. But it's only day 20.

ETA: 3 pips!!

That's a fabulous hatch! Congratulations!

 

[FrankiesMom]

5 self blue OEGB chicks. Hopefully a few more tomorrow... 9 eggs left in hatcher and 1 was pipped.

Blues! I love blues! My favourites for sure and these are absolutely adorable!

 

[thailand]

Well, I just couldn't help myself! Still stressing here on day 20 with nothing happening. The humidity dropped to 60% and I worried, so I opened the bator and quickly placed a wet warm cloth in there too. The temp went down for about a minute then was back up to where it should be. The humidity dropped to 55%, but about 3 minutes later it was back at 60%, another 5 or so minutes it was reading 65%. It's now sitting on 67%.

As the temp. returned to normal in a short space of time, and the humidity shot up very quickly, I don't think I've harmed my chicks have I? Words of wisdom please.

I can't see any external pips, there's no movement, no cheeping. Didn't want to have the bator open any longer than absolutely necessary so I didn't candle to look for internal pips.

Promise I'll sit on my hands now.....

 

[Atlantanna]

Day 21....I have a pip!! C'mon lil fuzzy butts!

 

[jhfamily5]

I need some advice please. I am doing a staggered hatch. I purchased some CCL eggs that were laid on Thur, shipped on Fri, received Mon and have been resting. I was planning on adding them to my Brinsea (which has eggs at Day 15 and will be moved to a hatcher at lockdown) but 6/8 have detached air cells so they can't be turned. Should I move my eggs that went into lockdown yesterday to underneath a broody and then put the CCL eggs in my incubator I use for hatching (no turner) today, or can the CCL eggs wait a couple more days until my hatch is finished and then get started? They are going to be a week old tomorrow but being shipped with detached air cells I am wondering if they shouldn't get in the incubator asap (no turning of course)? I hate to move ones in lockdown and my kids were so excited to watch the hatch, but I also don't want to risk expensive eggs either. Ugh...decisions...

 

[mjanderson437]

Well, I just couldn't help myself! Still stressing here on day 20 with nothing happening. The humidity dropped to 60% and I worried, so I opened the bator and quickly placed a wet warm cloth in there too. The temp went down for about a minute then was back up to where it should be. The humidity dropped to 55%, but about 3 minutes later it was back at 60%, another 5 or so minutes it was reading 65%. It's now sitting on 67%. As the temp. returned to normal in a short space of time, and the humidity shot up very quickly, I don't think I've harmed my chicks have I? Words of wisdom please.

I can't see any external pips, there's no movement, no cheeping. Didn't want to have the bator open any longer than absolutely necessary so I didn't candle to look for internal pips. Promise I'll sit on my hands now.....

I'm a first time hatcher so not a lot of experience here, but I had to open my hatcher to take the ducks out while some of the chicken eggs were pipped and like you I was fast and used hot water to boost my humidity back up and all that were pipped hatched OK. So don't stress, hopefully all will be well. Egg 6 made no progress from yesterday evening to this morning so my friend whose eggs these are decided to help her by peeling away the shell. She did great and the chick looks good. I think it had struggled so long it was out of energy, because the membranes were still moist and she wasn't getting shrink wrapped that we could tell. The last 8 eggs show no signs of activity but we are going to give them til Friday since Tuesday was day 21.

 

[thailand]

Ok.....the humidity has just shot up to 69%. Is this too much now? Day 21 started 1 hour ago. Still nothing. No pips that i can see. Now my mind is going into overdrive and I'm worrying they might be pipping on the bottom of the eggs where I can't see!

Should I try to remove some water to lower the humidity?

Please, someone save me from insanity!