Missed the Easter hatchalong, anyone else setting 4/10?

[Alaskan]

I'm hoping that's all it is. I've seen umbilical hernias and prolapsed cloacas in newborn chicks before and this doesn't look quite like either of those problems. Hubby just got home from installing a new water heater at the house and says we have a second chick now!

that is the one thing that I do NOT like about hatching. It is very hard for me to deal with the chicks that have issues. My last hatch everyone who made it to hatch, made it out with zero problems..... but,

 

[Alaskan]

tomorrow should be my first hatch day, and I REALLY want them to start peeping or something, so that I know they will make it. Or at least some will make it...or SOMETHING!

My live chick order made it this afternoon...fastest shipping time for me ever (went to the post office early Monday Morning and got to me by Tuesday afternoon, in nowhere Alaska! So, wonderful time, could not have been better.) Also, they were properly packed, and had growgel in with them. There was still 1 DOA and 1 that looked very iffy, I thought that we had gotten it in time, but it died a few hour later. Anyway... I want some cute 'hatching with no problems' chicks.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

I'm so sorry you lost a couple of your shipped chicks, Alaskan. Fingers crossed that you will have lots of healthy chicks hatch out.

I've got at least three heavy rockers in the 'bator right now from my 2nd batch of refrigerated eggs. I initially set a dozen, but 3 were blanks, leaving me with nine developing normal. Today is Day 18, but if they are anything like the last batch, I'll have chicks in the 'bator by tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Alaskan]

WOW! everyone is getting slightly early chicks.... @OzarkCountryGirl does your incubator run a little high too?

Mine has been spot on, so...we shall see.

 

[DiamondDust]

Alaska, mine aren't early either so far...they are due Thursday and I did just hear one peeping but no pip yet so still on time to hatch probably Thursday morning before I get out of bed. It gets so nerve wracking these last couple of days waiting!

Dd

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

With these last two batches, my thermometers (I use two thermometers per incubator, just in case) show a constant range from 98ºF-103ºF, so I'm guessing the actual temp inside the egg is between 100ºF and 101º F.

This morning I set up my cooler-bator (based on Gopherboy's instructions) and just set another batch of eggs a few minutes ago, as the thermometer probe inside the water wiggler in the cooler-bator shows that it's been holding a steady 100ºF since early afternoon. And in this one I've set Silkie, Welsummer, Olive Eggers and Coturnix.

Oh, and I put 2 Red Pyle OEG eggs and 4 more silkie eggs under a broodie hen this afternoon.

My cooler-incubator has never failed to give less than a 90% hatch, and more often than not, 100%. It's just that it's so bulky, yet doesn't hold near as many eggs as the hova-bator, so I don't use it as often. And an auto turner won't fit in it, so all the eggs have to be hand turned. In saying that, the hand turning may account in part as to the high hatch rate (the auto turner seems a bit too jerky and rough, IMHO).

Here's a pic of my cooler-bator...


The blue you are seeing is from the LED computer fan, as the bulb (which is white) is off.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Wow, 10 chicks in the 'bator as of 5:30 this morning. Can't wait to get home and check to see how many more we have this afternoon.

 

[Alaskan]

still nothing here

 

[1muttsfan]

2 chicks out and many pips in incubator 1 (due tomorrow)

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

still nothing here

Waiting is one of the hardest parts...

2 chicks out and many pips in incubator 1 (due tomorrow)

WooHoo!!!!