May 2023 Hatch-a-long

[junior67]

FINAL HATCH COUNT: 6/10…
what a cute and happy outcome…
next hatch will be set Tuesday, but will fall into June I think!

Awwww so cute. And yes will be in June. Mine are on day 3 and are due to hatch June 1

 

[MagnoliaBrahma]

This morning was lockdown for me. Candled a few days ago and ended up removing 4 eggs. So my final count today was 29 eggs. Everyone looked good at candling this morning so here's hoping they all hatch in a few days

 

[Nomadicus]

I could count them with one eye before I went for a nap. No use worrying about them. When I got up I can't count them with both eyes as rambunctious as they are. There aren't many eggs that haven't hatched and more than half of those I think have pipped.

 

[Nomadicus]

Bed check revealed 28 hatched, 3 pips, 3 no sign of life, and one died in the shell after pipping. 3 were removed after no development.

 

[junior67]

Bed check revealed 28 hatched, 3 pips, 3 no sign of life, and one died in the shell after pipping. 3 were removed after no development.

sorry about the ones that didn't make it but sounds like a nice hatch rate!

 

[junior67]

I have 6 days left for my May hatch! Lockdown is on Wed and I am going to give them to my broody and PRAY it all goes well this time..... and she does fine with the rest of the eggs. Right now she has 6 under her and there are 5 in the incubator but I have another 24 in there so they are stacked so would love to get those 5 out and maybe be able to see who is clear by then (16 of the eggs are hard to see in so may not be able to tell if clear) and remove those so I don't have to hand turn anymore. LOL

I made steps so HOPEFULLY the chicks can get over the lip from the floor to the nest boxes to follow mom once she goes out and back in (in case they jump out). Not sure if after they hatch I will try to move her so the other girls don't go in with the chicks or if I will just leave her for now..... I moved my other one but think the plastic nest box I have may have been too small so one chick I think was crushed. Then mom went out and went back in the other box and the chick couldn't find her or get into that box because there is a 6' lip on it from the floor up into the box. Last year I had a LOT of shavings in the coop so just put a block there and pushed the shavings up to make it easier but the other chickens would sometimes knock the shavings down then I would have to go out and put the chick in. so PRAYING the little steps work and adding more shavings this week.

I am going to go NUTS not being able to see EVERYTHING that is going on with that hatch! LOL

 

[Canadian Wind]

FINALLY! Last egg hatched (from this batch). So 8 out of 8 eggs that went into lockdown. I *think* I'd set twelve, but can't remember. These were from my banty cochin that went and tried to hide her eggs under the dead Christmas tree at the end of the drive. And I added two blue eggs from one of my other hens. The blues took the longest to hatch (probably due to being standards) and this final one I was close to giving up and just assisting. But, it was zipping, slowly, and I sat back until I heard those magical first frantic peeps.

Next up are four duck eggs that I'd set just to check on fertility. Those are due Wednesday, so once I get this chick out tomorrow they will be in lockdown.

 

[Poodlemum]

Lockdown tomorrow! Debating giving them to broodies if they hatch, my Cochin and silkies have been very determined sitters. I have 6-7 broodies right now, but only the three that I’m confident will stay broody long enough. Maybe if I give them chicks, they’ll let us use the nest boxes again lol.

12 Marans eggs, supposed to be blue coppers. 10 were fertile, one early quitter

 

[Honora]

Beginning of day 21 here and I have 6 out! 4 hatched overnight and kept me awake cheeping all night since the incubator is in my bedroom. My wish came true because 2 are blue and 1 splash!

 

[Waterfaery]

I need help from those of you with broody experience! Moonsparkle has had a very hard time with her hatch.

The last time I saw her eat or drink was over 48 hours ago. She didn't come down at all yesterday so I left some chick starter and water close to her nest but not in it. I don't know if she had any of it at all and I'm worried that maybe I didn't leave it close enough or maybe I should have gone in to hand feed her. I was trying to give her space and privacy but maybe it was the wrong thing to do.

I woke up this morning to find four dead chicks crushed under her. There were also three chicks alive and healthy as well as two eggs, one of them pipped and one not.

She seemed very distressed and wasn't sitting on the two unhatched eggs anymore. They were totally cold so I took them and put them in the incubator. Since then the pipped one has hatched and the other one has pipped. I was hoping to give them back to her if I can but I'm not sure if she's ok.

I moved her and her three chicks out of the coop into a brooder area I had prepared and she is keeping them under her. They seem fine but I'm very worried about her. She seems calmer and more settled since the move but she doesn't seem very alert and hasn't taken the chicks out yet. She's just very sleepy. Would that be normal? It's midday here now and she hasn't been very awake at all yet since I checked them and moved them at 7am.

I have chick starter there for them and I also gave her a bowl of scrambled egg. There's plain fresh water available but I've put out some electrolyte water as well. So far, she's only taken a couple of pecks when I hold food or water up to her beak and she's not coming out to get any herself.

Does this sound normal or should I be worried? I can only assume she had a very rough night and is exhausted but I would have thought she'd be more keen to eat and drink at this point. Should I do anything else or just give her some time?