May 2023 Hatch-a-long

[Canadian Wind]

Was sitting here watching some videos and the chicks in the incubator were *really* loud. I went to check on them, and lo and behold, #6 had hatched! Last I'd checked, just a couple of hours ago, it had barely pipped! Dang these things are fast, lol!

It's going to be so nerve wracking later this week when the duck eggs become due...

 

[lexi234]

Was sitting here watching some videos and the chicks in the incubator were *really* loud. I went to check on them, and lo and behold, #6 had hatched! Last I'd checked, just a couple of hours ago, it had barely pipped! Dang these things are fast, lol!

It's going to be so nerve wracking later this week when the duck eggs become due...

i wish mine were fast! i feel like mine take ages, and it’s when i’m the most eager of course! let me see you little chicks!!

 

[FeatherProfessor]

First silkie is out 3 minutes to midnight!

 

[FeatherProfessor]

Little fluffy Acorn chirping encouragingly to the new silkie (and s/he chirped right back). Ridiculously cute

 

[junior67]

Here's some pics of the babies that hatched overnight!

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OMG your grandson is ADORABLE!! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!

The chicks are pretty cute too. LOL

 

[Nomadicus]

So far 1 know fatality. It pipped and got no farther. No trace of shrink wrap. After several hours I started to intervene but was to late. It's beak was out but not breathing. No response of any kind and there was a lot of nasty fluid around the body. I was doing great with humidity until the hatching started. Now I can't get it below 88%. I think a weather front brought in much more humidity than was present with the eggs went into lock down. What looked like could possibly be a really good hatch may not be nearly as good as indications were showing. Fresh eggs were used and only 4 were over 2 days old and they were less than 7.

 

[Waterfaery]

Now to give him/her a real name!

Butterfly is a lovely name! I love your system with the symbols. I assumed the chicks would keep their quirky names!

 

[Waterfaery]

Sure am, but, well, I'm just afraid of wasting eggs by doing a dry attach attempt.
What if I stopped adding humidity after the eggs already had humidity that was above 40 in the incubator, could I stop there after until lockdown? I haven't added humidity since day 5 or so, because of the air pocket issue, so the eggs have been growing off of what humidity is left.

I wouldn't be worried at all about not adding any more water until lockdown but I understand you're nervous. I was really nervous when I started last year but since I started dry hatching I don't really think about it at all. From my research, people in humid climates like ours always have better success with dry hatching. Unless your incubator is somewhere air conditioned or something? Then obviously that would be different. I don't know your incubator either so doing your own testing would be the best but if you have a hygrometer in there you can try not adding water and still keep an eye on the humidity so it doesn't drop too low.

I'm biased because I'm very pro dry hatching and I've had nothing but good experience with it. I decided I'll never let mine drop below 25 but it hasn't ever come close to that anyway. Totally dry, it usually stays between 30 and 40, sometimes higher depending on the weather.

It's way more important to keep the humidity high for hatching but if it's been on the higher end all along, there's a risk of drowning. I find that since mine have been dry all throughout, I don't have to be worried at all about drowning them and I can keep the humidity really high during lockdown without concern. I set it to 65 so it doesn't drop below that but it usually naturally spikes above 80 and stays above 70 once chicks start hatching.

 

[lexi234]

lifted mom today to find 5 silkie babies & still 2 FRIZZLED eggs on the way!! ignore the dirty im sorry, i will be cleaning after they all hatch and relocating them anyhow…

 

[Waterfaery]

lifted mom today to find 5 silkie babies & still 2 FRIZZLED eggs on the way!! ignore the dirty im sorry, i will be cleaning after they all hatch and relocating them anyhow…

Congratulations, they are lovely!

Was she ok with being lifted? We're approaching end of day 20 and I'm desperate to know if Moonsparkle has any chicks under her yet but I don't want to lift her. She did come down briefly yesterday and I heard several eggs cheeping!