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

[Roxannemc]

Oh what a cutie. I am in love!

ME TOO!!!

Ihave my very first silkie eggs porcelain. Guess im getting on the silkie bandwagon
Everyone talks about how wonderful they are. This one here is pretty darn cute!

 

[Roxannemc]

I meant 59-60 % humidity...I need to get to bed. lol

AAWW Sorry about your girl .
I had one of my first die this week too unexpectedly I was so shocked and sad it does feel so bad when you loose a pet

 

[mlongworth]

Only 6 days left to go on my first hatch. I have 13 eggs doing good out of 20. 2 EE, and 11 bbs and barred rock. I am so ready and so nervous.

 

[thailand]

I have a possible emergency that I need advice for please!

All but the last chick have hatched. The last one has pipped externally at the wrong end and the pip is under the egg somewhat. I've just noticed two things - my humidity has jumped to 75/76% and also that the cloth I have the chicks/egg sitting on is now drenched with water. I'm worried about the hatched chicks getting chilled, and the still to hatch chick.

Is this a situation where I should definitely open the bator and take out the hatched chicks??

If I do so, should I also take the opportunity to see if the unhatched chick is still alive, and if so turn the egg so that the pipped part is facing upwards?

Please help...all advice appreciated.

Many thanks

 

[hokankai]

If you are really worried, take the incubator if you can into the bathroom and run a hot shower to make it steamy. The chick pipped on the wrong end might need help and I would follow the How to Assist... guide if it comes to that.

The chicks won't get chilled because the water on the rag is the same temp as the incubator, but they won't dry off. And the humidity is fine.

 

[Bens-Hens]

According to my instruction manual, 70-80% humidity for hatch is the target range.

I have had a similar case of a wrong end low pip, I used a chop stick through an air hole to gently roll it over so the pip was on the side. I figured if the other chicks are in the bowling everything over rolling an egg is not going to hurt.

However, opening the 'bator and letting that humidity out will. The membrane can dry out and seal the chick in the shell. Depending on how long it has been pipped for I would just keep an eye on it.

I can't remember the recommended time before assisting a hatch, but I waited until it was 24 hours.

If you must open it up, I have read that running hot water and steaming up the bathroom minimises humidity loss if you do open it up to help. Guess it depends on how big your 'bator is to move around.

Hope that helps in some way.

EDIT: Hokankai beat me to it!

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

So this egg has been like this all night, minus a few pieces of shell. I thought it would start zipping last night but nope. I can clearly see his beak and breathing, but will he be able to make it out on his own? The other chick started pulling on his fluff and I felt bad for the little guy.

 

[hokankai]

Yes, it's fine. If it's been less than 24 hours than it just isn't ready yet. They pull on one another's fluff all the time, might as well get the little one accustomed to it now . He'll get his revenge...haha.

I do not worry when chicks are pipped unless it has been a long time with no progress at all. I also assist if they are having trouble while zipping, because that's usually due to having issues maneuvering inside the shell.

Last time I had one that had pipped and sat with his beak sticking out for a long time. I left it overnight and it was dead in the morning. I was so upset, but when I opened the egg the baby had a deformity so I was grateful that nature took care of it for me. If I had helped that baby I would have had to cull it myself and that would have been infinitely more difficult.

 

[Cynthia12]

I have a possible emergency that I need advice for please!

All but the last chick have hatched. The last one has pipped externally at the wrong end and the pip is under the egg somewhat. I've just noticed two things - my humidity has jumped to 75/76% and also that the cloth I have the chicks/egg sitting on is now drenched with water. I'm worried about the hatched chicks getting chilled, and the still to hatch chick.

Is this a situation where I should definitely open the bator and take out the hatched chicks??

If I do so, should I also take the opportunity to see if the unhatched chick is still alive, and if so turn the egg so that the pipped part is facing upwards?

Please help...all advice appreciated.

Many thanks

With that humidity, I just open and snatch chickens out once they've hatched. I know, a lot of people think I'm crazy as they read this..but there are a lot of us out there that do it. I have my others that are pipped hatch just fine. Think of mama hen getting up off of the eggs as they hatch, to turn the others under her, whether there are some pipped..or not. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, then don't. Once you've hatched a few hundred times, you probably will.

 

[Cynthia12]

So this egg has been like this all night, minus a few pieces of shell. I thought it would start zipping last night but nope. I can clearly see his beak and breathing, but will he be able to make it out on his own? The other chick started pulling on his fluff and I felt bad for the little guy.

Lookin good! Looks like the start of a zip. Taking it's sweet little time isn't it? Some can go from pip to zip in no time, and others will take its time. They will zip all the way when they are strong enough, and they are strong enough when they have absorbed all of their blood, and their yolk, then they go to town!