November Hatch-A-Long (2014)

[ochochicas]

And then there was one...

I weighed and candled eggs for the last time today. All 20 of the EE/OE eggs look like they are on the right track. There is one Marans egg that I can't see an air cell on, but the eggs are so dark as it is I'm not going to worry about it.

Out of the five remaining Cream Legbar eggs, I took three out to toss and was going to put the other two back in the incubator. The two didn't show as much growth as I had hoped, but they were better than the other three. I put one in the incubator, and as I picked up the second one from its container, it broke. It was not a good egg and it was starting to stink. I took it and the other three outside to cracked them open. They all looked like they died around day 8 or maybe 9. The remaining single egg is isolated in the incubator in its own bowl in case it is bad and decides to explode.

The eggs are all down in weight between 6 and 11% - right where they should be. Four days until lock down.

Junibutt...I hope you get some pips soon. I'm optimistic but also a little worried that your babies haven't pipped yet. Maybe they are just waiting to hatch on a Sunday!

 

[thailand]

Just checked my broody...we have 2 chicks

4 more under her to go......still nothing happening with the 5 in the incubator yet....waiting...waiting.

 

[Dcat]

Junibutt that is WONDERFUL!

I know I will not candle after lock down. I am terrified to open an incubator during this time, but boy do I want too! New babies are so exciting!

 

[michael1003]

Yes they are

 

[thailand]

Junibutt....if you're wanting someone to chat to through the night then I suspect I will be pulling an all-nighter too. So far nothing is happening with my eggs in my incubator. Day 20 finishes in 3 hours!

 

[Steampunked]

Hello everyone!

Well, unless I am VERY lucky and the ninth egg hatches (no pips on day 22 so I doubt it, sadly), here are the babies from left to right!

Line one: White silkie (first to hatch, my halloween baby), partridge silkie, a greyish silkie (that one doesn't look yellow in the real world).
Line two: A very golden-looking silkie who is asleep all the time (preferably on me) , all the babies in one big cheepy pile, silver laced wyandotte (second to hatch).
Line three: Silver laced wyandotte, red ancona, and the last to hatch - a red ancona who yells its head off constantly and kind of hilariously.



All of them are strong and running around happily now, though the two halloween babies are so dried out and fast they are annoying the others by running over them while they sleep. They're all also drinking from the hamster waterer, and I am SO GLAD that I decided to use it and train them with it. Sure, it meant a bit of time tapping their beaks on it, but now they have clean water they can easily reach and can't kick over.

One thing I find kind of (horribly) hilarious is that for whatever reason I've been there for their first poos. And each one of them has done the same thing - they tense up, poo, and look absolutely, horribly appalled by the experience. The startled, horrified expression is the same on each chick's face, a kind of 'What the hell, man. What the hell is this' look of deep disappointment in the world.

The sleepy silkie seems healthy, but is sleepier than the rest, if I pick her up, she suddenly chills out, stretches out, and falls asleep.

 

[Junibutt]

Hello everyone!

Well, unless I am VERY lucky and the ninth egg hatches (no pips on day 22 so I doubt it, sadly), here are the babies from left to right!

Line one: White silkie (first to hatch, my halloween baby), partridge silkie, a greyish silkie (that one doesn't look yellow in the real world).
Line two: A very golden-looking silkie who is asleep all the time (preferably on me) , all the babies in one big cheepy pile, silver laced wyandotte (second to hatch).
Line three: Silver laced wyandotte, red ancona, and the last to hatch - a red ancona who yells its head off constantly and kind of hilariously.



All of them are strong and running around happily now, though the two halloween babies are so dried out and fast they are annoying the others by running over them while they sleep. They're all also drinking from the hamster waterer, and I am SO GLAD that I decided to use it and train them with it. Sure, it meant a bit of time tapping their beaks on it, but now they have clean water they can easily reach and can't kick over.

One thing I find kind of (horribly) hilarious is that for whatever reason I've been there for their first poos. And each one of them has done the same thing - they tense up, poo, and look absolutely, horribly appalled by the experience. The startled, horrified expression is the same on each chick's face, a kind of 'What the hell, man. What the hell is this' look of deep disappointment in the world.

The sleepy silkie seems healthy, but is sleepier than the rest, if I pick her up, she suddenly chills out, stretches out, and falls asleep.

Wow, a nice collage! Can you take a picture of all of these fluffies together?

 

[Junibutt]

I have been up all night checking on my broody every hr or so. I am hearing cheeping but have not seen any chick come out from under the mama. Not lifting her because of what happened yesterday. Did see her roll 3 eggs though. So at least 3 haven't hatched yet. I will be happy with even 3.

 

[Junibutt]

Junibutt....if you're wanting someone to chat to through the night then I suspect I will be pulling an all-nighter too. So far nothing is happening with my eggs in my incubator. Day 20 finishes in 3 hours!

How is it going for you @thailand . Isn't it afternoon already for you. Did you get any sleep?

 

[thailand]

Nope. No sleep. It's 7pm here at the moment....2 hours into day 21.

No cheeping, no pips...nothing. Very very quiet.. I'm so tempted to candle.

Ive almost convinced myself they must have died. I've been reading how so long as there are no external pips that opening the incubator wont effect anything. My incubator happens to be excellent at bringing the humidity up within minutes.

Oh...I am so tempted. It's a shame on your side of the world that everyone is asleep right now. I think I need someone to hold my hand.....and smack it if necessary!

Will update tomorow.