Please Hold My Hand

[RepoBob]

Henrietta, Oh great, now I know what I have to look forward to. The hatcher is in a room just off the kitchen and my computer is upstairs in my room. I have found a reason to go downstairs about every 15 min so far this evening. Its gonna be a long couple of nights. Good Karma to you, lets us know how they are doing. If they are piping your only a few hours away, right?

Aw come on Yogi, what else is there to do between tornado's. Hope you and yours are all safe. I started this by trying to build one. It went pretty well, but the thermostat I wanted to use wasn't sensative enough. A friend loaned me his, and here I am. It is really pretty easy. You pretty much just get the temp and humidity right, wait and don't touch nothing

until day 18 then you boost the humidity, wait, and don't touch nothing. Its a snap, yea right.

Don't feel bad when you finally cave in, this is contagious...especially after you look at some pictures of these tiny little creatures.

 

[RepoBob]

Ok, Now what do I do. I'm into day 19. I have read every post, been to chat, and looked at brown eggs laying on shelve lining at leat 100 times. Maybe someone could twitch there nose for me and make it day 21.
Thanks

How you doin Henretta?

 

[okiechick57]

twitch twitch

 

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
About the same as last night. Three hatched. The fourth didn't make it. Pipped but died over night. Just couldn't zip and I wasn't awake to help. Should stayed up I guess.

The fifth egg hasn't done anything yet so I'm still waiting....

 

[chickenranchwife]

common chickies pip pip pip. Good luck to the two of you.

 

[Katy]

Kristin....Don't feel bad that you didn't stay up to help. Over the years I've found that if they aren't strong enough to hatch on their own, they're probably to weak to survive. I've never had much luck at all in helping them to hatch. They've usually died in the first week. I try very hard to leave them alone and whatever happens, happens. I know that's hard to do tho.

 

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
I'm really doing okay with it. With three little fuzzy butts here I'm happy. I do hope the last one hatches because I really want to know what a buttercup silkie cross is going to look like. So I'm still peeking through the window for a pip every 10 seconds!

 

[PurpleChicken]

Your're getting close Bob.

Last pieces of unsolicited advice.

Don't open the bator!!!

Don't touch anything, including hatched chicks untill the end
of day 22. Don't be in a rush (another mistake I've made)


Next time make sure you start your eggs on a Friday so they hatch
over the weekend. I won't be around Monday & Tuesday to experience
the birth. Well, maybe a little.


Cmon Peepers.

 

[RepoBob]

You know me well PC. I have a big sign next to the bator that says "Keep Your Hands Off!!!!" I'm the only one here til Sunday. That tells who who the sign is meant for.

Just so I have it right:

Don't open the lid until day 22 (24hrs after they hatch)
I want to get this right, and I'm a little confused. The chicks will hatch over a period of time, could be as long as 24 hrs, right?? I have 35 eggs in there if that makes a difference. So, can I open the bator and remove the first chick that hatches after it is 24 hrs old, or would I be better to leave them in for 24 hrs after the last one hatches, or somewhere in the middle

Sorry if I getting a little picky, but I really don't want to screw thing up. I keep watching the chicks my buddy's broody hatched (4 wks old now) and thinking how cool its gonna be to watch them from the beginning. Boy, am I sounding sappy.

Thanks For Holding My Hand Everyone

Bob

 

[speckledhen]

The only problem with leaving them in after they're fully fluffed out, as far as I've read, is that if the hatch is a bit drawn out, they can begin to dehydrate from the air flowing. Not sure how true that is, but if a few are fluffed out pretty well, and I have none zipping out at the time, I'll quickly reach in, grab the babies, and get them to the brooder under the heatlamp. I rarely leave mine more than 12-15 hours in the bator, but that's just me. You sort of have to guage if it's a good time to grab them out by what stage of hatching the others are in.