May 2023 Hatch-a-long

[Canadian Wind]

Nap time. Hopefully when I get up there will be more chicks, both here and on the livestream!

 

[NagemTX]

Need someone to do a rework of the lyrics for that song with the horse race theme. Work it with chicks hatching.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

I have 15 chicks out so far!

I am very disappointed with this hatch though. I only had 1 clear out of 43 farm eggs. Had 6 early quitters (day 10 or before), which brings me to 36. I had two eggs zip all the way around, and then stop moving (must’ve been last night). When I moved all 10 dry chicks to the brooder (5 were still wet), I saw the zips and they weren’t moving. When I took them out to check them they weren’t moving at all. I removed the air cell side of the shell to see what was going on, & it looks like nothing. Any ideas what could cause this? I candles the rest of the eggs in the 360, and only 2 more showed movement but I left the last couple of eggs in. There are 4 additional a day behind in the Kebonnix. If I only get those 2 and (hopefully) the other 4, that is only 21 eggs. Exactly a 50% hatch rate. My farm eggs have been in the 80s usually, so I am at a loss…

Graphic photo of the zipped eggs described above:

Spoiler: Graphic photo

View attachment 3513395

I wish I knew. I'm running into the same issue. I have never had less than an 80% hatch with my own (the lowest hatch rate included a 10-hr power outage and was just over 80%), and most of my hatches prior to this year were 100%. Even with shipped eggs I've rarely had less than an 80% hatch. Yet this year I'm struggling to get 50%. Most all of the eggs make it to lockdown, and several even make it to external pip, but then that's it. Yet those that do hatch normally are active and seem just fine. I'm beginning to wonder if it doesn’t have something to do with the feed.

 

[FeatherProfessor]

Morgan Freeman voice: “she did not in fact give up”

Turns out I was right to worry about Martini. S/he was upside down and could not push out, the membrane was completely dry despite having an upper 60-lower 70% humidity. With a little bit of help, Martini is now hatched!*

*sort of. Managed to do the final push and is now unamused at being stuck in shell and on his/her back. Lol silly chicken.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Sheldon has been carrying around his shell since late this morning. It's not attached by anything I can see and the egg sac is completely absorbed.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Still hopeful for candy cane!!!

We are t-2days over here

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Sheldon has been carrying around his shell since late this morning. It's not attached by anything I can see and the egg sac is completely absorbed.

That's so cute though

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

That's so cute though

Thanks
He finally decided to ditch it as I was putting him back in the hatcher.

 

[FeatherProfessor]

Still hopeful for candy cane!!!

We are t-2days over here

Candy cane must have heard you! Just pipped now. (First picture)

Dino’s pip is now a hole. (Second picture)

 

[Dinoroar]

I have 15 chicks out so far!

I am very disappointed with this hatch though. I only had 1 clear out of 43 farm eggs. Had 6 early quitters (day 10 or before), which brings me to 36. I had two eggs zip all the way around, and then stop moving (must’ve been last night). When I moved all 10 dry chicks to the brooder (5 were still wet), I saw the zips and they weren’t moving. When I took them out to check them they weren’t moving at all. I removed the air cell side of the shell to see what was going on, & it looks like nothing. Any ideas what could cause this? I candles the rest of the eggs in the 360, and only 2 more showed movement but I left the last couple of eggs in. There are 4 additional a day behind in the Kebonnix. If I only get those 2 and (hopefully) the other 4, that is only 21 eggs. Exactly a 50% hatch rate. My farm eggs have been in the 80s usually, so I am at a loss…

Graphic photo of the zipped eggs described above:

Spoiler: Graphic photo

View attachment 3513395

This is what happened to so many chicks in my last hatch the only thinks I can think are that either my humidity was cumulatively too high or there was something that happened to the eggs before I got them.