The hatch is done!
Had a lot of losses though - 5 that never internally pipped. They were on the outer sides of the incubator and all had odd shapes/sizes, so not sure what happened there.
Our first pip was malposition and sticky, had to intervene and it first looked to have heaps of issues, but is now perfectly happy. There was a second assist, which is also abut sticky, but also doing well.
The only chick that's struggling is a self-hatch that has a scabby navel. It had some spotting blood at hatch and is a very tired chick. Someone either pecked it or it has a minor eyelid deformity (I don't recall it opening that eye after birth at any point) it can open it and has done so on occasion today, but it pulls up at an odd angle and seems weepy - no blood etc and eye looks intact. Either way, I have not seen it eating or drinking on it's own, though I have shown it the waterer multiple times and gave it a bit if polyaid yesterday. Not sure if it will make it. Seems to have moments of clarity, but nothing like the other chicks. Navel doesn't look infected, but has that obvious scab to it.
I did give pop on a little betadine on day 1. Has more energy today, but nowhere near the level of it's hatchmates.
Anybody else done BBS chicks before? All mine have come out quite dark, black with maybe a bit of grey in their down and white or whitish-yellow bellies. The breeder has very dark blues (they called them super blues), so thinking two maybe be blues and a black, but noticed on one, it has white feather shafts on the wing tips - do darker-downed chicks ever turn out splash, or will they eventually grow out of it in subsequent molts?
7 total made it to the brooder - 4 golden campine (who are feathering in stupidly fast) and 3 Orpington.
day 19. There is 15 eggs
