September 2015 Hatch-A-long!!

[WVduckchick]

Thank you very much! This incubator is so tiny that it seems I add a drop & it shoots up to 50%-60%! I have been forgoing adding water the last 2 days because I was trying for 50% but I may just go dry.
I have a pocket scale & am looking for a guide that may tell about how much they should weight on a certain day. Was hoping that may keep me on track. Should I trace the air cells at 7 days to make sure they're bigger than when I started?
Thank you for any help

Yes, they should get bigger every day. Here's a chart for reference of how much they should grow:
Weight loss should be around 13-14% range total. So depending on what day you weigh, you have to figure what the loss should be by then. Easy rule of thumb is "about" 5% per week. If you are in the ballpark of that, then they should be fine. But I have had them hatch where they lost as much as 19% or as little as about 8% (measured on day 18), so watching air cells is the best guide I've found. And I will add that I am very scientific and wanted something to be hard and fast for me to follow. I thought weighing was it! But for me, it just turned out to be a good guide, to learn where the air cells "should" be...

 

[Scovy Momma]

Yes, they should get bigger every day. Here's a chart for reference of how much they should grow: Weight loss should be around 13-14% range total. So depending on what day you weigh, you have to figure what the loss should be by then. Easy rule of thumb is "about" 5% per week. If you are in the ballpark of that, then they should be fine. But I have had them hatch where they lost as much as 19% or as little as about 8% (measured on day 18), so watching air cells is the best guide I've found. And I will add that I am very scientific and wanted something to be hard and fast for me to follow. I thought weighing was it! But for me, it just turned out to be a good guide, to learn where the air cells "should" be...

That's just what I was thinking with the weighing, hard facts. Exact numbers. I need to keep on schedules & times & weights & dates, haha! I will do just that & keep the air cells as my guideline & learning how the weight thing pans out will only be bonus knowledge. Can never have too much of that! I was wondering about the air vent. The top has one air hole & I don't want them to suffocate but if I cover the hole at this stage will it help keep in heat or is it sitting well at 98-100*? I try to be fast in opening it & avoid spikes by unplugging first but it seems they should feel warmer than they do when I touch them. Maybe I'm over thinking this

 

[chickendreams24]

Also as you said they were shipped how were the air cells? If they have bad air cells(aka detached) I would consider not candling them and being as hands off as possible until day ten or so. We just lost five eggs on day 8 after candling day seven and I believe the air cells(some were loose) and of course shipping may have played a part. We went from 6 overnight to two

 

[Gloryjasmine]

Scovy Momma:Glad you're getting some good feedback,miss sacto!!! I told ya the peeps here are so knowledgeable and very easy to talk to. Glad to have you.

Chickendreams24:so sorry about your losses. I know how hard it is. Praying for the remaining lives.

 

[chickendreams24]

@Gloryjasmine
Thank you. And thank you for the prayers as well. It would be wonderful to get enough that we could sell some too but idk what I would do if we didn't get a couple hens at least. On the other hand there is a man? In Illinois who said they would donate eggs if they got pics of the chicks as they have a huge new roo breeding a big black Orpington boy and I may be able to convince DH2B to let us get some of those since they're free and these eggs so far are such a disappointment.

Disclaimer! @Scovy Momma. Hatching is addicting beware being bitten by the bug and if at first you don't succeed read more and try again

 

[chickendreams24]

@Gloryjasmine
Do you suppose it was our candling that killed all those embryos on the same day like that? Ugh I wish I knew. Tonight is day 7 for the other 12 but idk if I should risk it. I thought I read that by day 7 the veining should have stabilized the air cells but some of ours weren't stable. Ugh little eggies you must tell me what caused you to quit!

Eta:sorry this hatch may be causing me to lose what little is left of my mind if only it was that simple to know what went wrong. Am I right?

 

[junebuggena]

My broody pullet has accepted her new nest in the dog kennel I set up for her in the coop. She went right back to brooding her clutch of 12 after eating, drinking, and pooing.

 

[Joplus]

@Joplus I dont know if this is possible, but if you could still edit post #1, I was thinking it would be nice to add a list of who is hatching, with expected hatch dates. Might be too much work, and understandable if you don't want to, but it crossed my mind, and thought I'd mention it.[/quote]

I'll give it a shot. It might take me a bit. I'm busy rolling eggs, lol

 

[Cynthia12]

Oops just bought a new 48 egg incubator this could be dangerous lol will be adding gold laced orpingtons to my hatch and more paint silkies both tricolor and normal

 

[Gloryjasmine]

@Gloryjasmine
Do you suppose it was our candling that killed all those embryos on the same day like that? Ugh I wish I knew. Tonight is day 7 for the other 12 but idk if I should risk it. I thought I read that by day 7 the veining should have stabilized the air cells but some of ours weren't stable. Ugh little eggies you must tell me what caused you to quit!

Eta:sorry this hatch may be causing me to lose what little is left of my mind if only it was that simple to know what went wrong. Am I right?

You're welcome. It's hard to say exactly what went wrong. There are so many different things it could be. No honey I don't think you had anything to do with it. There could have been contamination that caused an infection before you even received them. I've heard of that happening. Some develop slower than others,I think that's why some people candle on day 10 too. Please whatever you do...don't get down on yourself and don't drive yourself crazy with the "what if" routine. You will definitely lose your mind if you haven't already.

Serenity Prayer,my dear. Are you familiar with it?