May Hatch-a-Long!

[czoellner]

Quote: Can't put my thumb on it.... Still Air, 99.5-100 dead on the entire time. days 1-18 at 55% humidity, 18-21,2,3,4... 63% humidity. I've hatched these same birds' eggs 4 times now, they are only a year and 2 months old and other hatches were great. At lockdown 36 looked to be alive and kicking. No pips, peeps, or wiggling until day 23 (Wednesday), then bam, bam, bam, 3 out in a matter of hours. I work, so I pulled the 3 and put them in the brooder. Had 3 pips showing. When I got home from work, 2 more had hatched and were running around bowling all the other eggs over, so I pulled them, and looked for the 3rd pip, he/she was dead. No sign of life whatsoever.... No other pips, no noise, no nothing..... I'm going to candle everything tonight and dispose of the dead eggs after making sure they are truly dead.

Quote: The 2nd bator should hatch on Saturday, it does have a fan, so maybe, just maybe that will help .... But now I'm not keeping my fingers crossed.... as now I think that may be what caused the first bator to not allow babies to hatch..... grrrrr

I worry incessantly and check the temp and humidity levels constantly.... So, I know both bators are working perfectly. Not to mention that I have 3 thermometers and 2 hygrometers in BOTH bators.... And they are all the same....

Quote:
We are an hour South of St Louis. Temps dropped this week from last week, we were in the 80's last week and then it dropped down to the 50's this week.... But, I check my bators 100 times a day just looking through the windows and seeing everything is fine. I have 3 thermometers and 2 hygrometers in EACH bator. all the instruments match each other almost exactly. One bator does NOT have a fan, my 2nd one DOES have a fan.... That is the only difference between the 2. So, I'm really hoping that the one with the fan will hatch out more. The first bator I was supposed to sell 25 chicks. The second bator I need to sell 30..... Looks like I'll be doing another bator full shortly as I only have 40 eggs in the 2nd bator....

I put my fluffy butts in a box with a heat lamp and it's in my bedroom, which is where I keep the bators as well, since it makes it easier for me to check on everything in the night. Then after about 2 days I can't sleep hearing all the cheep cheep cheep noises and they go into an aquarium in the basement with another heat lamp. Depending on who is getting the babies, I then contact the buyer and tell them their little ones are ready.... Or they grow to about 2 weeks then move over to a larger roll around super duty cart that in winter I haul my firewood in. The area is larger and they get a bit less heat. Then once they are fully feathered out to the coop to live in the grow up side to "meet" their flock mates. Who are also their parents. I've done this 4 times and everything works great....

This was supposed to be an easy hatch. Out they pop, into the box for 2 days then call the buyer and off to their new home. This time, I'll have to make one buyer wait until I get another hatch done.... What a bummer...

 

[Wishapup]

15 chicks out of 51 total (not including infertile) hatched, Day 20. Two are Marans.

5 chicks were just transferred to a brooder area. They seem content, and I have paper towels under the heat lamp with flax bedding around that. Unfortunately they are more interested in eating flax bedding than chick starter.

 

[JenBoughtHens]

I am so jealous of all these chicks!
I have 3 pips now but no zipping! Ohh im worrying but I know it is still early.... it is normal to take a big break after pipping.. right? Sure it is.... that's hard work..
Please hatch.. please hatch..

 

[Wishapup]

I am so jealous of all these chicks!
I have 3 pips now but no zipping! Ohh im worrying but I know it is still early.... it is normal to take a big break after pipping.. right? Sure it is.... that's hard work..
Please hatch.. please hatch..

Yes, it's very normal! The smallest time I've had from pip to hatch (this time around) is a shocking 4 hours for 1 chick. Most seem to be around the 8-12 hour mark or more. On the other hand, it's not at all surprising to have a pip remain stationary for 24 hours, then start zipping and hatch.

I was convinced one had died after it did nothing for around 16 hours or so...then all of a sudden it was hatched! After it pips, it's not just resting -- it's acclimating its lungs to the new atmosphere too!

 

[JenBoughtHens]

Wishapup- thank you thank you. I am so glad you have some experience to share!
I never would have dreamt waiting for eggs to hatch would be this nerve-wracking! I guess I expected steady progress.

 

[COsteveo]

Overdue update - final tally
30 jumbo quail eggs ordered (delivered via plane from SC to CO)
23 arrived undamaged
4 clears removed at first candle
19 eggs entered lockdown
4 hatched
1 chick survived*

The incubator started running cool around day 9 or 10, I think the thermostat fell out of calibration but I didn't feel comfortable setting it to 105F so I left it alone. Next time around I'll get a new thermostat and heat source.

I almost lost the chick that survived yesterday - had a 200w bulb burn out overnight after 4 days of use. I found the chick in the morning stiff as a board, but it moved ever so slightly when I picked it up, so I warmed it with my hands and breath for 10 minutes, then put it in the incubator before going to work. Bought two more bulbs on the way home from work and it's doing just fine now.

I found a source of jumbo quail chicks about 80 minutes away, so I'm picking up 30 day-olds when they hatch next week. I'll redesign the incubator before attempting to hatch out my own eggs later this summer.

*1 was stressed to death from encounter with cat, another managed to climb 3" up into the water pan and drown, and the third pipped and zipped but had a birth defect and died without climbing out of the shell.

 

[lacychick]

Yes, it's very normal! The smallest time I've had from pip to hatch (this time around) is a shocking 4 hours for 1 chick. Most seem to be around the 8-12 hour mark or more. On the other hand, it's not at all surprising to have a pip remain stationary for 24 hours, then start zipping and hatch.

I was convinced one had died after it did nothing for around 16 hours or so...then all of a sudden it was hatched! After it pips, it's not just resting -- it's acclimating its lungs to the new atmosphere too!

This gives me so much hope, I too was losing the plot, I do have one that's pipped at the wrong end though, hope it's ok

 

[Farmer Viola]

WHEW... it has been a long night and day.. hardly slept at all last night! constant hatching!

in the incubator there are currently 8 eggs.. 1 is pipped. no signs of life from the other 7, I candled them quickly and couldnt see movement but it is not dark here yet so I will look again tonight. sadly, one pipped and died without zipping, I'm not sure why...
I havent actually counted the chicks yet, there are too many! But I had 35 to lockdown, so I think I have 27 in the brooder!! so many!
they are in a plastic tote temporarily, lined with shelf liner, and under a brinsea 50 chick ecoglow. even with 27 in there it looks soo crowded, IDK about 50 chicks, Brinsea....
all but 2 of these chicks belong to my friend, she will be picking them up soon, and then my two babies will only have each other until the next batch happens in 7 days!!!! cant wait (those will be mine to keep)


forced air
99.5 and 35%
dry method (zero water added)
27 of 35 hatched

 

[Wishapup]

Wishapup- thank you thank you. I am so glad you have some experience to share!
I never would have dreamt waiting for eggs to hatch would be this nerve-wracking! I guess I expected steady progress.

I've only hatched a few times, but last year especially was agonizing. Had fertility AND humidity problems, ended up setting 35 eggs or so and only 6 were fertile--of which 5 hatched!

Steady progress is not generally how it goes, unfortunately. It seems like they pip, then go dormant for a long time, and then suddenly zip and pip within a few minutes to an hour!

What colour are the membranes from the pips? A solid white or transparent colour is good. Yellow/brown indicates drying, but I've had slight yellowing even in this hatch with very high humidity and still egg after egg is hatching.

Currently: 20 chicks plus 7 pips out of 51 eggs! The first egg to hatch was a miniscule bantam, named Earl E. Bird. Likely a rooster.

 

[Wishapup]

WHEW... it has been a long night and day.. hardly slept at all last night! constant hatching!

in the incubator there are currently 8 eggs.. 1 is pipped. no signs of life from the other 7, I candled them quickly and couldnt see movement but it is not dark here yet so I will look again tonight. sadly, one pipped and died without zipping, I'm not sure why...
I havent actually counted the chicks yet, there are too many! But I had 35 to lockdown, so I think I have 27 in the brooder!! so many!
they are in a plastic tote temporarily, lined with shelf liner, and under a brinsea 50 chick ecoglow. even with 27 in there it looks soo crowded, IDK about 50 chicks, Brinsea....
all but 2 of these chicks belong to my friend, she will be picking them up soon, and then my two babies will only have each other until the next batch happens in 7 days!!!! cant wait (those will be mine to keep)


forced air
99.5 and 35%
dry method (zero water added)
27 of 35 hatched

Congratulations on all your chicks!