Newbie, first hatch, pipping then nothing

[lurky]

I had to look up the "sportman" since it didn't ring a bell

.........nice one.......good thing i cant afford something like that. DH would have to build a MUCH bigger hen house

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

No, none have hatched yet. Today will be day 24. i have a feeling that today will be the day they either make it or not (although i will keep the incubator on until day 28). i have kept the temps between 101 and 102, humidity at 70%. i do see movement during the day, like they are trying to peck out, but no one has made an actual crack yet, just teeny holes.

Bawade, i had read you shouldn't try to help a chicken out of the shell. i have read of someone helping a little with chipping some of the shell once it's pipped. But you crack them open and they're fine? i would be willing to try that, if it wouldn't kill them in the process.

Ellen - i don't know what i'm going to do with the ones that don't hatch. i'm not sure i can handle seeing a perfectly formed chick that didn't make it. Or maybe opening an egg and seeing one still a little alive. Those scenes weren't what i imagined when i first considered incubating. i was thinking, put eggs in, 21 days later out pops a fuzzy herd of chicks.

Thanks all for the good wishes. i will post pictures if i have some luck.

Colleen

 

[lurky]

Aren't those temps a little high? I have had mine at 99.5. I read if it get up to 103 you risk damaging them or killing them. I am by no means an expert here, but i was afraid when it went one line over the 99.5. I am home for lunch from work which i never ever do. I came home because DH was home for his lunch and told me i have one pip. So there is a teeny tiny hole and 1/2" cracks off each side. The tiny chip flew 3" away from the egg. So i actually have to go back to work til 5. I so felt like i was missing something so i had to come see it myself. I hope it goes really slow so i can see it when i get home. If its still slow at work i might come home.....just in case.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i read that you do 99.5 in a forced air incubator and more like 100.5 in a still air (which i have). i may be wrong.

i was also incorrect in my last post. It's Day 25 and nothing. So going to unplug it when i get back from the dentist this afternoon. i have my second batch of eggs in another incubator and they are due on Saturday. i hope i do better with those guys.

But WOW, congratulations on your little pip! That must be awfully exciting. i hope you have a healthy happy hatch!

Colleen

 

[Chickenlover88]

Are any still peeping or anything? Before you unplug hold the eggs up to your ear and listen for tapping or peeping. Gently tap the eggs yourself. If any are still alive help them out yourself and hope for the best. Good luck!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thank you for the advice Chickenlover88. i did pull out the eggs and candled the white ones. No one was inside. There were a couple with some small masses, like something started then stopped. i couldn't see inside the green eggs, but tapped and listened - nothing. Oh well. i got these eggs on ebay and never really saw anything upon candling earlier, so i suspect many were infertile or damaged. Plus, i am new at this and probably did not do them right.

i do have another batch ready to hatch on Saturday. From this group, i previously did see a heartbeat. So maybe better luck there.

i also hedged my bet and ordered some female silkies, a female polish and a female frizzle cochin bantam from mypetchicken.com. Those show up next week. So in any case, i will have some babies.

Now waiting for my farm-raised neighbor to drop by and help me open these eggs so i can see what might have gone wrong.

Chicken raising is not for the faint of heart!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Okay, i got brave and opened the eggs. Most all had nothing in them. There were two with fully formed chicks inside, but they were dead. One looked a little more formed than the other one, more defined and i could see it's beak tucked out. Neither egg had pipped. i took pictures, but i'm sure no one wants to see them.

i just wish i knew what went wrong with these two little chicks. Such a shame.

 

[chrissieg]

Oh dear - some things just aren't meant to be! I'm sure it was the eggs and not you...... hope the next lot do better

Do you have the 'local search' facility on e-bay where you are? You may be able to pick the eggs up rather than have them posted!!

 

[birdlover]

I'm so sorry about your two little chicks, airheart.

BUT I'm glad you opened the eggs to find out what was in them. Doesn't if make you feel better that it was only two and not a whole lot more? And, if you hadn't opened them, you'd never have known and would have wondered if you'd lost a whole lot of just to be born chicks! I once got 18 or so buttercup eggs from a friend, right out of the coop! Only two made it and the eggs were under some broodies which is the surest way to hatch eggs! We think the eggs got too hot because it was during a really bad heat wave and some of the eggs had been layed 2 or 3 days previously. Who knows? I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that your next batch hatches!!

Ellen