May 2020 Hatch-A-Long

[goat114]

Good morning just checked on my friend who has my eggs nothing yet still waiting

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Do goslings take as long as ducklings? I have 8 of 8 externally pipped. Just wondering what to expect... They seem to be moving a bit faster for now.

Goslings take forever in my experience. Lol

 

[CluckNDoodle]

85% hatch rate - congratulations! Eggtopsies are sad but helpful. I go in from the aircell as I have an unrealistic fear that the chick is still alive, but that’s not been the case. I open the egg in a piece of egg carton kept in a disposable bag - some eggs contain rotting embryos. If it smells bad, I figure bacterial infection and stop right there!

I actually think that's a great habit. I treat all eggtopsies like an assisted hatch. I've opened some that turned into assists

 

[CindyinSD]

Goslings take forever in my experience. Lol

Maybe this first one is the exception, then. Good to know... if the rest are way behind, I'll know not to worry!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Oops, no. The answer is definitively no. Goslings (at least American Buff) by no means take as long as ducklings. They're a lot bigger, too!View attachment 2120552View attachment 2120554

Aww, she's perfect!! I've never had a gosling pop right out. You're lucky! Lol

 

[Minky]

85% hatch rate - congratulations! Eggtopsies are sad but helpful. I go in from the aircell as I have an unrealistic fear that the chick is still alive, but that’s not been the case. I open the egg in a piece of egg carton kept in a disposable bag - some eggs contain rotting embryos. If it smells bad, I figure bacterial infection and stop right there!

I calculated only 66%...... I started with 48, then chucked 6 around day 10 for unfertilized or blood ring (lighter ones that I could candle) then there is 10 left now, so that's 18 out of 48 didnt hatch from originals..so I thought I had a 66.6 % hatch rate.

But regardless, I don't think it was anything I did, so I will check my eggs and see what happened inside them.

I did find it interesting that 1 of the 3 eggs that spent the entire 18 days upside down, hatched. Two did not.
The one with the air cell that was completely sideways hatched, but it was twisted, do I pulled off a chunk of shell to help it- it was calling really loudly.
The 3 I marked X (dead) did not pip or hatch. The 3 I marked with ? because I couldnt see veins or movement, but had glowing air cell, all hatched.
The one I put in a full day late, hatched right in the middle of the chaos.
The small eggs did not hatch first, big eggs last- it was all mixed.
The maran eggs hatched the worst, with 9 left (and 3 thrown out) out of 23....

 

[Minky]

It's normal for them to sleep a lot for the first day or two after hatching, yes. When you use a heat lamp you're more likely to notice them just dropping and sleeping because they don't have set hours of rest like when using a heat plate or heat source without light.

The thing with laying them on their backs and one or both legs sticking out didn't work at all for me. When I first got started with chicks I tried it and it was 50/50 which means...not effective. People can have better results with it but it's luck. Might as well eanie meany miny moe. Lol
I haven't tried it in a really long time though. I suppose I can tack that on to my things to check after hatch. Lol

Ok good. I thought they were "weak" Thanks!! Yes, in the past when I have bought chicks I used a heat plate. Maybe that is why I notice the difference.

 

[FortCluck]

I have 32 chicks in the brooder. They are always sleeping, like flat pancakes, they look dead... if I knock the box a little then they get up and socialize for a bit, but then go right back to sleeping. I think my temp is ok. They are between 1.5 days and .5 days old... IS THIS NORMAL? I thought they'd be running around more.


I'm going to try the nail sexing thing today- we are renovating so I have steel brad nails on hand. Yay! I will also try the laying the bird on its back to see what it does with its legs.

I didnt have any get stuck in the shell. All that pipped came out fine. I kept humidity around 47-48 during first 18 days then 63-77 during lockdown, and found I could remove the chicks quickly with almost no humidity loss but I had a few to retrieve, I would just add warm water with a straw... I do have 10 left in the incubator- 9 maran and 1 olive egger. They were too dark to candle, so I will do egg-topsises I have never done them before, and do not look forward to it.

I'd check to make sure your brooder isn't too hot.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Oops, no. The answer is definitively no. Goslings (at least American Buff) by no means take as long as ducklings. They're a lot bigger, too!View attachment 2120552View attachment 2120554

Oh how amazing!!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I calculated only 66%...... I started with 48, then chucked 6 around day 10 for unfertilized or blood ring (lighter ones that I could candle) then there is 10 left now, so that's 18 out of 48 didnt hatch from originals..so I thought I had a 66.6 % hatch rate.

But regardless, I don't think it was anything I did, so I will check my eggs and see what happened inside them.

I did find it interesting that 1 of the 3 eggs that spent the entire 18 days upside down, hatched. Two did not.
The one with the air cell that was completely sideways hatched, but it was twisted, do I pulled off a chunk of shell to help it- it was calling really loudly.
The 3 I marked X (dead) did not pip or hatch. The 3 I marked with ? because I couldnt see veins or movement, but had glowing air cell, all hatched.
The one I put in a full day late, hatched right in the middle of the chaos.
The small eggs did not hatch first, big eggs last- it was all mixed.
The maran eggs hatched the worst, with 9 left (and 3 thrown out) out of 23....

Sorry, typo! I meant to say 75% hatch rate as a rough eyeball. You get to toss the clears from your numbers (they were most likely infertile would hatching them was out of your control), so if that gives you 30/42= 71%. Really you’ve had a pretty good hatch rate there!