September Hatch-A-Long

[JekkaLynn]

Half my eggs go into lock down on Wednesday!

 

[earlyredrooster]

Day 17 candled for the last time tonight. Can't see much as the eggs are a mass of black with the highlights of a few veins. Double checked incubation pictures and they still look good to me. My broody hen has been doing awesome, fingers crossed. I'm a bunch a nervous energy. I wont be able to see every well if the eggs start to crack cause they're under my hen. Guess I'll just keep a eye out for when she leaves the nest and keep an ear out for chirping   .   Hopefully shes a good mom and I won't have to take the chicks away.

I'm hoping the same thing. So I guess we can worry together.

 

[Peep_Show]

A quick candling revealed one of the Welsummers is still a viable egg, so it's back in the incubator.

The other four (1 sexable OE, 1 Welsummer, 2 OE's) failed the float test and upon eggtopsy revealed yolk sacs still out, so probably died somewhere between lockdown and Day 20. And, yes, the sex-link ones were boys!

I've put in my order for the next batch of eggs due here Friday: Welsummers, Legbar, Wheaten Marans, EE. Eventually I'll get my flock, but the birds prorated are getting expensive!

 

[onmelissa]

We have a baby!!

See the egg in the pic that was partially unzipped? I ended up having to assist the hatch. It stayed just like that for 8 hours. It was so nerve wracking! The little guy appears to be fine though.
Now I'm worried about the other two...I opening the incubator a dozen times yesterday to help that second one hatch. I brought the humidity right back up by dripping water on a paper towel, but I haven't seen the egg shaking like it was yesterday. I think I must have messed something up.
But it's only 21 so they maybe still have a chance, right?
I quickly candled this morning, and it looked like they had both pipped internally, but I have no idea when it happened or if shifts in humidity at that point could cause problems.

 

[darkbluespace]

See the egg in the pic that was partially unzipped? I ended up having to assist the hatch. It stayed just like that for 8 hours. It was so nerve wracking! The little guy appears to be fine though.
Now I'm worried about the other two...I opening the incubator a dozen times yesterday to help that second one hatch. I brought the humidity right back up by dripping water on a paper towel, but I haven't seen the egg shaking like it was yesterday. I think I must have messed something up.
But it's only 21 so they maybe still have a chance, right?
I quickly candled this morning, and it looked like they had both pipped internally, but I have no idea when it happened or if shifts in humidity at that point could cause problems.

In my experience... the eggs that are going to hatch will hatch no matter how many times I open the bator. I find that the ones that have trouble are just malpositioned, usually because they have grown a little too big. I think that is why people think they have been shrink wrapped. If you have more internal pips, that is good news! They are just taking a little longer..no need to worry... you are doing great!! Congrats on your new chicks!!

 

[kada6305]

I opened all the eggs except for the one that pipped- it would have to be fully developed to pip I only had 1 fully developed that didn't have any yolk left so not sure what happened. It was the SSxRSL mix. had two that still had some yollk left one ws a fukll SS one was a SSxRSL mix. one was nothing but a mess, couldnt even find the baby but there was lots of blood so erlg quitter i guess. and one looked like to be maybe 12 dys old. not sure what i can do different this time but calibrated thermometers about to do humidity reader aclening out the bator and setting eggs tomorrow night..

 

[LBurt6]

Oh no! That's terrible. Fingers crossed for your new batch.

 

[kada6305]

I am setting them tomorrow. I hope this batch we will get atleast 2 hatched chicks. I'm not going to candle as often and not going to open the lid as often, this time I'm not using the home made bator so hopefuly a higher hatch rate this time. if all goes well they should be hatched around the 24th.

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Hi, guys, I'd like to join. My broody black silkie is on day one and only sitting on three eggs. Expected hatch day will be Sept 16. I thought I was done thinking about babies since I had all my newcomers hatch in May or June this year and now look pretty grown up. Well, silkie mama went broody and I couldn't resist slipping in just a couple under her, lol. I got a young Swedish Flower Hen cockerel this spring and he's been doing the deed with my hens, so the potential babies will be two BO x SFH and 1 NH x SFH.

Feeling kind of bummed. I candled my three eggs just now on day 6 and two were duds and one was very poopy and needed some wiping off. Of course the poopy one was the only alive one. I started to carry it back out to the mama and realized that I'd only have one chick, if it would even make it. I knew I couldn't add additional eggs because of the staggered hatch. Well, I made the tough decision of destroying the egg. Guilty as charged.

I'll see what the hens lay tomorrow and decide if I want to add more eggs under broody. It's getting late in the season, so...

 

[darkbluespace]

I am setting them tomorrow. I hope this batch we will get atleast 2 hatched chicks. I'm not going to candle as often and not going to open the lid as often, this time I'm not using the home made bator so hopefuly a higher hatch rate this time. if all goes well they should be hatched around the 24th.

Good luck!