November/December "Hatch-a-Long"

[princess523]

I have a ton of pine shavings from a box of shipped eggs. They are clean and smell great. Any idea as to what I can do with them/ can they go in the brooder box?

 

[Heidisgran]

We all need to be patient. Everyone is so excited to meet their first chick that they are causing harm or worse, breaking live eggs or throwing them out. I have read over and over again about people throwing out 'clear' eggs at day 5 or 7. If the egg is clear, it doesn't hurt to leave it as long as it doesn't smell. They help maintain the temp. I have had the veins in the center of the air cell not show up until day 10. I wait until day 14. I have had no movement in an egg for a week and it still hatched just fine. When the chick is getting ready to hatch it stops moving to save up energy to pip the membrane. Then it rests and it's lungs get adjusted to the air in the air cell preparing it for the air outside the egg. When the oxygen in the air cell is used up it causes muscle spasms. (There is a pip muscle behind the neck/head and an egg tooth on top of the end of the beak just for breaking out of the egg that go away after hatch.) The spasms cause the chick to pip the shell. It rests again to save up strength to zip the egg. I have had a chick rest as little as 15 minutes and as long as 36 hours between pip and zip. I have had a chick zip in less than a minute and others that do it over a period of 24 hours stopping to rest. If you try to help an egg to soon, the veins may still have blood and the chick could bleed to death or drowned in the blood. The yolk may not be absorbed. The chick will be exposed to more germs before it is ready to hatch. If you help very weak chicks and you breed them, you will be breeding progressively weaker chickens. Each hatch you will have to assist more than the last. As hard as it is to let a chick do it on it's own, human babies need lots of help so we are programmed to help, it helps to make stronger chickens.

Having said all of that, I help some of my chicks. Especially when I only have a few of a breed. But I make note so I don't breed them. I am a sucker. I have to try and I don't mind taking care of a gimpy chick. I have been very lucky and have not had any that were in serious pain. Leg issues have been all I've had to deal with. I try to let them hatch on their own and if I do help, I help in a way that is simular to what the chick would do on it's own. With shipped eggs, it's hard to know if it's from the shipping or genetic. If you are only hatching for egg layers, helping won't hurt the chickens. If you are hatching to breed and sell, your chickens might look great but they could be passing on weak genes and causing hatching problems for the people buying from you. It's just something to keep in mind.

Most important thing is patients. Of which I had none but I am working on it every day. If you see my first posts way back when, I asked all of the same questions and made all of the same mistakes. It took me a long time to get this information from reliable sources. It helps me to know why. I can make a better decision with more info. People will just SHOUT!! at you not to do something but that doesn't help much. This is all from reading on Veterinary University web pages. I am hoping it is acuurate but I am not a vet.

Now back to Max....

yep

 

[maske]

I agree with everyone else. I candled all 36 of my eggs on day 18 and see no movement was so scared none were alive all hatched except 3. Now I have baby chicks everywhere

 

[Heidisgran]

Hey guys, opinions needed. My last little fav egg is doing nothing at all, and all the other eggs have pipped and the last one is zipping now. She hasn't even externally pipped yet, but when I candle I see movement. Now, I'm no stranger to helping chicks, so I know to wait and be very careful, but I'm starting to worry. Should I just go ahead and externally pip the egg for her so she has access to more air at least, or should I continue to wait? I just don't want to lose her this late in the game if I can help it.

whats the due date...I would leave it

 

[Nikki816]

First chick out, it was malposition and had to be assisted out, but is doing well. 4 other eggs have pipped already

 

[Pyxis]

whats the due date...I would leave it

Due date was yesterday. I'm hoping it's just a little behind. Any signs of life in your fav eggs yet?

 

[Pyxis]

First chick out, it was malposition and had to be assisted out, but is doing well. 4 other eggs have pipped already

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[Heidisgran]

Quote: too early, Im anxious though

 

[Tsagirl]

She's out

Oh I am so excited for you!!! How is she doing?? I am so happy for everyone's chicks that have hatched!!!! I am waiting for another week and half for mine, but here is to hoping that they all have good hatch rates so I can be with you guys on this!

I candled my marans and it looks like there are only 5 good ones out of 13 eggs... But I got a 14 RIR eggs that are doing really well out of 17 that were shipped, so that is amazing!

Happy for everyone!!

 

[Pyxis]

She's out

Oh I am so excited for you!!!  How is she doing??   I am so happy for everyone's chicks that have hatched!!!!  I am waiting for another week and half for mine, but here is to hoping that they all have good hatch rates so I can be with you guys on this!         

I candled my marans and it looks like there are only 5 good ones out of 13 eggs...         But I got a 14 RIR eggs that are doing really well out of 17 that were shipped, so that is amazing!

Happy for everyone!!      :yiipchick

She's doing good! Here she is with her new friends:

And one more EE is zipping at the moment, plus miss Peanut duckling is pipped and getting ready to come out. Last one I'm waiting on is the fav egg that hasn't pipped yet.

Better pictures later when the chicks are more with it and I can get them in my light box.