November/December "Hatch-a-Long"

[marmca]

I try to maintain until they at least crack the shell themselves, then help them slightly, unless I see red or pinkish liquid. Always have at the back of my mind they have food enough for 3 days.
I had a bad experience just last week, two had pipped and the first had taken a good 40 hours to progress, the 2nd seemed to be stronger, so a little less concerned with it. Long story short, 2nd chick ended up 'shrink wrapped' despite humidity and I tried to help too late, the 1st I did help out and seemed strong enough, even made it with 3 day old hatchmates for a night and two days, but rest of "little flock" japs & silky's too boisterous and it did not make it.
I want to say doomed if ya do
doomed if ya don't so follow your instincts, silent prayer that what should be will be, while you peel shell off chick

 

[Farmer Viola]

Help advice needed, on day 23 none have hatched I heard chirping last night but its now been at least 14 hrs since I've heard chirping. How long do I wait before I crack these open to see what happened? At what day do you say they are dead and not going to hatch? Day 24, 25?

can you candle in complete darkness and look for an internal pip? It would look like a dark triangle (beak) within the air cell at the top of the egg.

before you crack it open (which would kill it if alive), you can also do the float test.. this is NOT appropriate for an internal pip, water will go inside and drown the chick. this is only if there is no internal pip. make sure the water is exactly 100 degrees.

cheeping means that they have internally pipped.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching
the float test is on this page

 

[DeannaA]

Currently have 21 eggs in the incubator, most of which are banties. And since he screams bloody murder whenever I leave him alone, I got him a carrier from a neighbor (definitely not my style). And yes, he has a poopy butt, but his vent is clear so I'm leaving it be.

I love taking Max everywhere. People love petting him. Has anyone noticed you had a chick in your bag?

 

[chickydee64]

I love taking Max everywhere. People love petting him. Has anyone noticed you had a chick in your bag?

 

[Varglet]

I love taking Max everywhere. People love petting him. Has anyone noticed you had a chick in your bag?

They all give me a funny look because I never carried a bag with me before except my laptop case, but they don't suspect there's a chick in there until he starts peeping...

 

[SoManyHats]

Finally my other chick is zipping on its own! It's slow going, but it's going. Hopefully that means I won't have to assist.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

They all give me a funny look because I never carried a bag with me before except my laptop case, but they don't suspect there's a chick in there until he starts peeping...

And it's such a fashionable bag, too!

 

[Farmer Viola]

this Welsummer above now appears to have some bits of poop? coming out of this belly hole. I have placed antibiotic ointment on it twice (it gets wiped off) and it looks a little better, but more poop matter was coming out 3hrs later. will she make it?



edit
did some more googling.. decided to put a little preparation H (for inflamation) and more AB oint and I put a bandaid over it so she stops dragging it over everything.. still open to ideas..

have another pip btw 3hrs ago actually..

 

[ellieemae]

Closing out day 22. I have 7 babies out, 7 eggs still in the incubator. None of the remaining eggs show any indication of hatching. For most of this process I've adhered to the "as little intervention as possible" school of thought, but I went with my instincts tonight and I'm glad I did. I've had one chick pipped since last evening around 7 p.m. Its little beak would poke in and out and it was breathing, but it had stopped peeping altogether by sometime this afternoon. This evening I brought it into the bathroom with the space heater on and the shower running and delicately chipped away at the shell. I guess i had removed just enough when the baby made one big arching "I have SPACE!" motion and fully hatched. I could see how badly he/she had been twisted in the shell and I just really don't think that it could get in proper position to zip the egg. Another one had been zipped since late morning but had never made that final push to pop the shell off. I decided that, since I was opening the incubator anyway, I'd see if that one could benefit from help too. I'm VERY glad that I did...the baby was stuck in a wing vice of dried-up membrane. My humidity has been good (if not a little TOO humid) I'm pretty sure that it would have never freed itself. So, all in all some happy stories. As it stands right now my hatch rate for two batches of shipped eggs, my first hatch, stands at just over 25%.

 

[ohju1ia]

Today is day 15. 5 eggs have movement of the 12 I set initially. 2 are questionable, 5 weren't fertile when i cracked them. Tuesday is lockdown!!!