My first hatch was a disaster, resulting in a bunch of shrink wrapped, fully formed, beautiful, but dead Silkie chicks. This hatch has gone better, not so many temp spikes and I've gone crazy keeping the humidity up (with sponges, wet paper towels, and dishes of water, no more room to add anything else!) though it will not go over 55-60%. ast time I never had a single pip- well I was thrilled to see a pip tonight on this batch!!!! But, I'm worried. The eggs are laid on their sides on paper towels, not in cartons. The pip is smack in the middle of the part of the egg that faces up. Kind of like this- ( x ) bad illustration, I know.
Will this one drown since it didn't pip into the air cell (I assume, the air cell is at the rounded end and the pip is not), or will it hatch ok? The hole is tiny, like a pinhole with cracks all around it. I don't hear noises but I am afraid to screw things up so am not opening it to try and candle or listen for peeping. I've been opening one of the little top windows when I need to add water, open it super fast dump water, slam shut. Otherwise humidity drops to 40%. Stupid LG.
I've never had a pip before, so I am a nervous wreck now. The end of this hatch hasn't gone great, temps stayed steady till like day 17 and then I've had spikes and drops non stop though they're under control now. I shut off the fan at lockdown to keep the humidity in there better, seems to have helped.
Any advice? Reassurance? I am so desperate to at least have one live chick out of the 16 in there. My breeder friend keeps giving me eggs to hatch and I'm starting to feel like an egg murderer. I need some live fuzzy butts to prove I'm not Death to chicks. These are buff Silkie chicks from SQ stock. I want them aliveeee. Oh, and one from by blue Sizzle, bred to a white Silkie roo.
Will this one drown since it didn't pip into the air cell (I assume, the air cell is at the rounded end and the pip is not), or will it hatch ok? The hole is tiny, like a pinhole with cracks all around it. I don't hear noises but I am afraid to screw things up so am not opening it to try and candle or listen for peeping. I've been opening one of the little top windows when I need to add water, open it super fast dump water, slam shut. Otherwise humidity drops to 40%. Stupid LG.
I've never had a pip before, so I am a nervous wreck now. The end of this hatch hasn't gone great, temps stayed steady till like day 17 and then I've had spikes and drops non stop though they're under control now. I shut off the fan at lockdown to keep the humidity in there better, seems to have helped.
Any advice? Reassurance? I am so desperate to at least have one live chick out of the 16 in there. My breeder friend keeps giving me eggs to hatch and I'm starting to feel like an egg murderer. I need some live fuzzy butts to prove I'm not Death to chicks. These are buff Silkie chicks from SQ stock. I want them aliveeee. Oh, and one from by blue Sizzle, bred to a white Silkie roo.
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