Now I'm confused.....!!???

[NestingHillsSC]

Tomorrows lock down for the 9 I have.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I lock down the 9 eggs 6am this morning. At 2pm 2 pipped. Made very small holes then stopped. Come on!!!!

 

[OR4-hmom]

I hate it when I can see the pip and then they sit there, mine will go 18 hours sometime. I guess that's better then pushing through and damaging blood veins. At least they have fresh air, maybe not, when they start hatching my bator gets pretty smelly.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I hate it when I can see the pip and then they sit there, mine will go 18 hours sometime. I guess that's better then pushing through and damaging blood veins. At least they have fresh air, maybe not, when they start hatching my bator gets pretty smelly.

Well at least this time they have gotten farther than the first. lol

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Well my second attempt! 8 out of 9 eggs hatched. All hatched a day early. Today is hatch day but all hatched yesterday. Not with some stress and excitement though. My RIR/EE mix was the first to pip but after 2 eggs hatched I thought there was something wrong. So I took the egg out and sure enough it was almost all shrink wrapped. So I peeled the shell off and wet the lining around it and pulled it off. Happy to report the next day it is the most active chick in the brooder. LOL. Also had one almost die. Fell asleep last night. Wife woke me up and the chick was on its back under the heat lamp. Think it had a heat stroke. So I put it back in the bator over night and this morning again doing great now. Last. when 2 hatched I guess they did soak up the yoke. So when they dried there feathers are now a crust of harden yoke. tried wiping them off with wet cloth but didn't work. I'm hoping once a few days older they will clean themselves off. Or when they lose there feathers then they will get read of it. Unless anybody else has an idea. Thanks to everybody here for all the help after the first disaster!!

 

[OR4-hmom]

I had two in the first hatch that needed salon treatments. They were not to bad but didn't fluff. I used cotton balls and warm water and just kept wiping. Once the crud dries it takes awhile to soften and then remove it. I've read others wash their chicks, I'm guessing they put them back in the bator to dry.

So glad you got your reward for all the waiting this time. I still have so much to learn and fine tune with this hatching thing.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I had two in the first hatch that needed salon treatments. They were not to bad but didn't fluff. I used cotton balls and warm water and just kept wiping. Once the crud dries it takes awhile to soften and then remove it. I've read others wash their chicks, I'm guessing they put them back in the bator to dry.

So glad you got your reward for all the waiting this time. I still have so much to learn and fine tune with this hatching thing.

Yea I used a q-tip with warm water. There are bit more fluffed today than yesterday. I will do it a few times a day.

Yes much better. Sat wand watched everyone yesterday pip and zip. Was a very long day and night.

 

[Outrun Acres]

Well my second attempt! 8 out of 9 eggs hatched. All hatched a day early. Today is hatch day but all hatched yesterday. Not with some stress and excitement though. My RIR/EE mix was the first to pip but after 2 eggs hatched I thought there was something wrong. So I took the egg out and sure enough it was almost all shrink wrapped. So I peeled the shell off and wet the lining around it and pulled it off. Happy to report the next day it is the most active chick in the brooder. LOL. Also had one almost die. Fell asleep last night. Wife woke me up and the chick was on its back under the heat lamp. Think it had a heat stroke. So I put it back in the bator over night and this morning again doing great now. Last. when 2 hatched I guess they did soak up the yoke. So when they dried there feathers are now a crust of harden yoke. tried wiping them off with wet cloth but didn't work. I'm hoping once a few days older they will clean themselves off. Or when they lose there feathers then they will get read of it. Unless anybody else has an idea. Thanks to everybody here for all the help after the first disaster!!

That is an amazing hatch rate! Great job!

 

[NestingHillsSC]

That is an amazing hatch rate! Great job!

Thanks. The first one was a total failure. 20 eggs ZERO hatch. Was very depressing. I think the biggest change was a new Vicks temp/hydro. Thing works great. Plus I tested to see exactly how much water to hold 37%. And what size pan I needed to get it up to 60% for lock down. There was no second guessing this time around.

Here are my 3 favs.

Production red over a EE hen.


Production red over a delaware.My FAV!!


Just a production red.