September 2016 Hatch-A-Long

[justcackle]

Thanks! I'll keep waiting. This one started last night. I was able to see black fluff. And this is as far as it has gotten. I have another one piped and broke out within 5 minutes!! I'm just worried but I know nature has to take its course!!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Thanks! I'll keep waiting. This one started last night. I was able to see black fluff. And this is as far as it has gotten. I have another one piped and broke out within 5 minutes!! I'm just worried but I know nature has to take its course!!

If dry fluff is poking out you will likely need to help it as it is probably dried to the membrane and stuck in place. That is my experience, at least. Is it chirping?

 

[justcackle]

Yes

 

[Fluffyserama]

Yes

I highly recomend you read this

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

Often you can save a perfectly healthy chick who just hit a snag hatching for one reason or another. If you assist be careful and be patient. Stop if you see blood. I like to use olive oil to moisten the membrane. If you are really worried about temp and humdidity keep the incubator in a hot steamy bathroom for the duration of the assist. I don't bother with that unless I have more than one chick that needs help.

I lost 3 chicks last week because I was waiting for them to externally pip before I jumped in. I saved the last one but if I had waited I'm sure I would have lost it as well

 

[Fluffyserama]

Healthy chick that couldn't externally pip.
I helped extensively over the course of several hours. I had nothing to lose and this chick is now my daughters favorite thing in the world.....
well perhaps a close second after chocolate

 

[harmesonfarm]

yeah, that's what i'm figuring! well, bound to have a few duds in there for sure!
thanks for the feed back @SunHwaKwon

 

[justcackle]

I have not helped yet. I have had two more hatch with no problem. It is chirping and moving. It has been almost 24 hours since it broke through. It looked like it was zipping really good then got stuck.

 

[Math]

That Incuview is an impressive looking incubator. How many chicks did you get?

I started with 22 in the incubator, 11 turned out to be clears and 1 was an early quitter. 10 remained from day 10 on, and I have 10 chicks a cheepin' and sassy right now. I had to assist two, one that pipped at the wrong end and another that was a late chick at day 23. That one managed to pip a hole just big enough for it's whole head to hang out. Not sure if that one is going to make it, though.


I especially like that the whole top is clear. I can see all around the eggs, and so can the children.

Wow. That's 100% of lockdown. That's awesome. Congratulations.

 

[Fluffyserama]

I have not helped yet. I have had two more hatch with no problem. It is chirping and moving. It has been almost 24 hours since it broke through. It looked like it was zipping really good then got stuck.

If it hasn't progressed much I'd step in especially since its been so long. It's probably stuck to the shell. Some people say not to help, but I'm not in that camp. It easier to assist when they are as far along as you describe.

Get tweezers, some q-tips, corn starch, slightly warm water and or olive oil. Moisten the areas you can get to through the existing zip ( avoid the nostrils) carefully extend the zip. Avoid the membrane unless you are certain the blood vessels in that area have receded. I find I can see the vessels better when I use olive oil. If you see blood dab corn starch on the area bleeding and put the egg back in the incubator for an hour or two. Then start again.

Once you have completed the zip, moisten the exposed areas very well and put back in the incubator for another 2 hrs. If the chick has not made progress on its own after this point. you can chip away more of the shell. At this point I chip towards the air cell until that end is open, then moisten well again and put back in the incubator for another two hours.
If the chick is well and truly cemented in, but still seems strong, you may have to wet the egg even more before it can make it out.

It's easy for the chick to get chilled while you are working so only use warm water. Keep the time it's out of the incubator to 5-10 minutes max. Then put it back to warm up for an hour or so before starting another assist session. If it's bleeding leave it in for about 2 hrs. To let bleeding stop and the blood vessels recede

 

[two j farm]

I'm on day 7 I will candle eggs tonight. Hope to see little babies!