My first lock down Pheasants

[Nakihunter]

Thanks folks.

Really appreciate the encouragement.

Got 4 more by 2 pm & another 3 by 7 pm. Also saw another 7? pipped eggs. Possiblly more as some of the cracks are low and pointing down.

I was getting quite disappointed that only 2 hatched and another 3 pipped at 8 am. Now it looks like 9 hatched and another 7 pipped. There is still hope for more chicks tomorrow.

Should I take the chicks out of incubator tomorrow into the brooder, and keep the incubator running for another day?

 

[Nakihunter]

Total 11 chicks at 12 midnight day 25. 3 more with long round cracks in shells and a few more pipped. Looks like a total of less than 20 at this point. Good night!

 

[holm25]

Total 11 chicks at 12 midnight day 25.  3 more with long round cracks in shells and a few more pipped.  Looks like a total of less than 20 at this point. Good night!

Congrats on the babies you have and sorry for sounding like a snag earlier! I could have worded that differently and not sounded like one.

I would leave the incubator running for two more days. It never a hurts to let it run. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that more hatch! You did better than me with my first hatch!

 

[Nakihunter]

Day 26 10:30 am. 15 chicks hatched. Moved 10 to brooder. 5 still in incubator drying out. Another 5 pipped.

Gave the new chicks a beak dip in electrolyte & they are happy in the brooder box. Learning to drink and pecking away at the crumble.

Using Pheasant started with higher protein than normal chicken starter.

Temperature under heater lamp is 40C and 36C at the outer fringe (I am using a biscuit tin as a reflector to trap and radiate heat down. 27C at the extremes of the box - possibly colder & definitely around 18C at night I guess.

Using 150 watt lamp in ceramic holder

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Wow they are super cute, congratulations

Do you have anything else that you could put in the bottom of your brooder? Something like self liner or kitchen towel? Shavings would be ok also. I just say this as I see you have them on newspaper but this could cause them leg problems as they can't grip on the paper. Splay leg could being the biggest worry with newspaper.

 

[Nakihunter]

Yes I have clean wood shavings but under the paper.

We used to use News paper when I was managing poultry breeding business 30 years ago!

The chicks are very active and making soft chirps. Drinking well No huddling up etc. Passed the first night in flying colours.

I noticed their "wild" instincts today - when I enter the shed and make some noise, they scuttle and freeze!

13 chicks in brooder and 11 more in incubator. One more hatching now & another 5 pipped.

Today is day 27.

 

[holm25]

Yes I have clean wood shavings but under the paper.

We used to use News paper when I was managing poultry breeding business 30 years ago!

The chicks are very active and making soft chirps.  Drinking well  No huddling up etc.  Passed the first night in flying colours.

I noticed their "wild" instincts today - when I enter the shed and make some noise, they scuttle and freeze!

13 chicks in brooder and 11 more in incubator.  One more hatching now & another 5 pipped.

Today is day 27.

You're having a great hatch!

 

[Nakihunter]

Thanks for all the support, encouragement and help.

Day 28 - moved the last 2 chicks into brooder. All 26 chicks look active and happy.

Ended up with 2 dead in incubator - did not survive the struggle, on dead with open shell.

The rest are either infertile or early dead.

I am reasonably happy for a first hatch of 46% with 56 eggs, manual turning, poor temperature control for first 8 days and egg age of 3 to 16 days.

I will keep updating.

 

[Nakihunter]

Final count. Correct number is 24 chicks. 43% hatch

About 10 were dead in shell at late stage. 2 did not survive after hatching with my help. A few could not get out.

Most of these seem to have been wrapped up in the membrane while I opened the incubator after day 25.

3 were early dead.

18 infertile - out of which 4 were definite - blastroderm was obvious even after 8 days or even after 28 days for 2 of them!

The others could have been early dead as the eggs were liquid when I opened them. No obvious embryo but I did not look too closely.

All chicks are doing well. One has a deformed toe in one leg but active and feeding / drinking well.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Congratulations

Not bad at all for your first hatch, especially with that incubator