Pipping and Cheeping and Hatching O' My! Pics & Final Update

[PeiTheCelt]

One has hatched, and about 8 more are obviously and actively working on it.. So far the others have just got their pip holes out, and they're getting abused something fierce by their big sister (I hope

) who is stumbling around calling for someone to play with!

And before you ask, I haven't been able to get a good pic through the window of the incubator with my camera, but I'll keep working on it..

SO CUTE!!! I'll post updates as the day goes on..

 

[speckledhen]

Don't you love how the already-hatched ones bowl their sibs around? I think they can't stand up right away because they're just plain dizzy, LOL. Hope the rest of the hatch goes well for you.

 

[PeiTheCelt]

Two, two chickens hatched, ah, ah, ah, ah (with all appropriate credit to The Count).. The older one is perfect, the younger one has, well, either external intestines or a little unabsorbed yolk.

I can't do much about it really either way, so I'm going to wait and watch. It's not a large ball, it looks like a wrinky deflated balloon with some green (I am sadly guessing it's intestines based on what I've read here).. But I'm just going to give her the same treatment I'm giving the rest until it heals, or.. yeah. (I just checked on them, its fallen off and s/he looks fine, so I'm going to assume it was just his/her umbilicus, YEAH!).

*sigh* There are about 10 others in various stages of peeping, from just a hole to some zipping of the shell but no membrane.. The humidity is staying around 80% but the membranes on the pipped kids is white, so I'm a little worried about that, but.. Going to trust nature for a little longer.

The pics being taken through the incubator window really kind of suck, so.. yeah.This process is not a process for those lacking patience.

 

[speckledhen]

Don't worry about the umbilicus. It usually just falls off as it dries.
As far as the white membrane, after a long period where it has pipped and no progress made, you may have to take an eyedropper or a drinking straw and carefully drip a few drops of water around the edge of the shell onto that membrane, which will soak it up and become more pliable. If you do that, don't drip water up its little beak, though. A good time to do this may after no progress has been made in 24 hours with that particular chick, if you choose to help it at all. I've done that several times. The ones directly under the fan seem to dry out faster than the ones out to the edges.

 

[PeiTheCelt]

Quote:
Yeah, the oldest of the pipped kids is just about 24 hours, and it's the one with the biggest opening who I'm really the least concerned about, s/he is definitely making progress, slow progress, but progress.

We've lost one for sure, I hadn't seen any movement (just a little beak out the pip hole) for about six hours, and when I was changing out the wet towel for another, I lightly tapped the shell and nothing, then tapped the beak very lightly, and nothing.. *sigh* So that is 3 of the 23 accounted for..

At least the two are looking really good and running around being insanely cute.

 

[skeeter9]

How exciting, Pei!!! Keep the updates coming. What breed are you hatching?

Lori

 

[PeiTheCelt]

#3 just hatched!! #1 is currently pretty well fluffed out, but I think the chirping is helping his/her brothers/sisters with the whole impetus to hatch thing, so I'm in no rush to move him/her to the brood box (though it is set and up to temp, I'm just waiting until the last second to put food and water in).

And as for breed, they are mutts.. EEs, Black Orps, Speckled Sussex, Jersey Giant, Lt. Brahma, New Hampshire Red, and leghorn - I think that's all of the various breeds that are in there.. *grin*

They're big ol' mutts.

But their parent flock is pretty and great layers (though horribly non-broody I guess)... So far the 3 that have hatched are black, and the one who is mostly dry is black with white/grey speckles. As soon as I move them into the brooding box I'll get pics posted.. I'm taking pics of this part of the process, but they're not coming out very well.

 

[PeiTheCelt]

Another hatching, and 4-5 who should do so very shortly..

There are still a significant number of eggs showing no sign of hatching, but.. well see what happens.

*squeee*

1 is black and grey
1 is black
1 is red
1 is too wet to tell yet, but dark..

None of that leghorn blood showing up yet (leghorns are perhaps the least interesting looking chickens out there)... YEAH!!!

 

[skeeter9]

Yeah!!! 4 little fuzzy butts!!!! Congrats!!

Lori

 

[jackiedon]

It's so exciting when they start hatching. I hope you get more to hatch out.

jackie