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

[Book]

Again, I am rather new here. Is so much intervention common or do you not do lock down? Or maybe I am not understanding lock down?


Yesterday, day 18 we started lock down, upped the humidity, and stopped turning and are not going to open the incubator till it looks like all that will have have hatched in it. Is that incorrect? How long should I keep chicks in the incubator after they hatch? I know some eggs hatch late, with that in mind, does one still keep the already hatched on time chicks in the bator days after to make sure?

It can be really hard to see any movement this late in some of the darker eggs, so I don't really expect to. So if they are not on time I am not sure I would assume they are not going to make it?

 

[chickydee64]

Hi Book,
I will share my experience...also we kind of find our own style so otthers may do things a little different.

The hatched chicks can sustain them selves for 2 to 3 days in the incubator.Still getting nutrients from the egg sack.

They do not always hatch on day 21. I keep my eggs going till day25........

Your understanding of leaving the incubator closed after lockdown is correct.
I have helped a chick hatching once in a great while.If I do, it is when NO other eggs have pipped.......
Rather chance losing one chick than several not ready.
Then, I wet a bathtowel under hot water and wrap it as best I can on the end I am opening.
Some folks get the bathroom steamed up and open the incubator there.

You might already understand that opening the bator can cause the humidity to suck out
leaving the remainding chicks unable to hatch because the membrane has wrapped them. Called shrink wrap.

I often use my hatching( think tank) friends here for advise before I chance helping a chick hatch.

Of the chicks I have helped, about 50% have lived...........sometimes they just have a problem we cannot see.

Wishing you GOOD LUCK............

 

[aprilschicks]

well lockdown has begone wish me luck some were wiggleing and others had aircells so big that it is hard for them to move aruond wish me luck

 

[jazzman]

Best of luck!!!

 

[Cynthia12]

Should I remove Olive and Rose from the incubator? They are dry, and I have the next batch that's going to start pipping soon.

I do..especially if there is no pipping..but, I have with pipped eggs too. I get the humidity up, then snatch. I don't go to the bathroom with them. But that's up to preference. Pictures when they fluff ya know!

 

[Cynthia12]

Good grief. I set 60 eggs today for the Easter Hatch A Long!

I do believe that's the highest I've set at once..ever..in all the years I've hatched! This should be interesting..especially if a lot of them hatch!

 

[chickydee64]

OMG Cynthia.........

Really hit my funny bone.........60 eggs.
It is so me..........
Good Luck

 

[jazzman]

Good Lord! I can't imagine looking after 60 baby chicks. That's got to be a chore! We're now at 18 out of 23 hatched and all seem healthy. Giving the last few a while longer just in case.

We'll probably start taking the newbies out of the bator tomorrow if we have no more new ones. The incubator looks like the aftermath of a frat party during spring break! Musta been a wild party!,,

 

[TheH Klan of 10]

Good Lord! I can't imagine looking after 60 baby chicks. That's got to be a chore! We're now at 18 out of 23 hatched and all seem healthy. Giving the last few a while longer just in case.  We'll probably start taking the newbies out of the bator tomorrow if we have no more new ones. The incubator looks like the aftermath of a frat party during spring break! Musta been a wild party!,,

Lol crack party .....
And I am thinking the same thing about looking after all those chicks but in the Easter hatch along there are many over 100 and one that set like 230 chicks whew I couldn't keep up!! Lol

 

[hokankai]

Hooray, my turn for a horrible hatch...

Malcolm gave up fighting and died in the shell even though it was breathing. It was malpositioned and still had quite a bit of yolk to absorb.

I have 5 more due tomorrow and I'm just going to let whatever happens happen. Not sure what went wrong, but it definitely wasn't great.