Set 3/9/12 HATCH ALONG!

[Hazelrah]

Thanks for the encouragement Cali and best of luck with round 2

 

[Domestic_goddess]

Ended up with 3 chicks out of 11 eggs, sadly one of the chicks hatched late yesterday afternoon has spraddle leg. Its leg was caught in the egg during hatch and it struggled for a long time to get it free, looking back I probably should have helped it along but was afraid to open the incubator during lockdown. When I woke up this morning it was moving around but like a seal moves with both legs dragging behind. I did quite a bit of searching archives for information on how to help the chick and found a nice link on how to attach a hobble using a bandaid. Chickie has been in hobbles for about 3 hours now and is standing, I am now reading up on chick physical therapy. I am going to try everything I can to save this chick.

Happy to have you all as hatch buddies and congrats on all the cute chicks!

I having been cramming my brain, wondering if I had helped a few more out of the eggs...how many more could I have saved. It's a fine line, you never know how much good or harm you many do when helping them. I hope your little one pulls out this okay! Good luck, keep us posted!

 

[Domestic_goddess]

It has been a joy hatching with all of you. Maybe we'll bump into each other on another hatch! I've actually got 13 more eggs that go into lockdown on Tuesday and should hatch next Friday...I call them round 2!

May all your babies grow strong and healthy.

Take care, Cali!

Good luck with round 2, keep us posted and I would love to see pics!

 

[adrian]

It's just my two cents, but I think helping is not a bad thing, nor is opening the incubator during lockdown, as long as you know what you're doing and are careful. If I see a chick is struggling in the egg, I will take a look inside, open up the pip a little bit and get a view of the egg so as to watch the veins. I only do this, however, when the chick has been taking a long time to do anything. Assisting is fine as long as you do it when you know the chick has had enough time, and the yolk and veins have all been absorbed.

I have, in the past, had extremely little issue opening my Brinseas up -- the humidity will, especially in the mini, climb back to normal within seconds, especially when the humidity is up really high. I had more trouble with this in my Hovabators. I think it is best that humidity remains stable, which means it is best to resist the temptation to open the incubator, but it is not dire if you do.

My suggestion would be that if you are going to open it a few times, then be willing to keep tabs on all your eggs and assist if necessary, because you might find that some get stuck. Go all the way, or none of the way. Decide you will have a hand in the hatch, assisting if you are needed, or leave them alone for the most part.

 

[chickee35]

HI all! Congratulations on your newbies!

Sad to report that my little guys didn't make it.

Don't know what happened. I have hatched many times and have had great success. I HAVE NEVER Lost all of them! This was actually two hatches for me. Set eggs on the 9th and 10th. I did however open a couple up (something I never want to have to do again but I just had to know what I did wrong) I noticed that the membrane was really tough on them and their yolks werent absorbed. Pretty sure this was a humidity issue. The only thing I can think of, is that I had an unexpected trip to Colorado and left my little ones in my husbands care. I even went out and purchased an egg turner so, just in case he forgot to turn the eggs.......and instructions on 35 humidity. After talking to him today, he said that there were a couple of times the humidity went real low etc etc.

Something that i wish I knew a few days ago.....Although these were shipped eggs so I guess it is anybodys guess...,

I have my showgirls in the bator and they are scheduled for lockdown on Tuesday so I am hoping these ones will make it.

I also have the frizzled naked neck green eggers that will lock down on th 11th So wish me luck!

I want to end on a positive note....I spent the day sprucing up my brooder house. It got a new paintjob some added chicken wire over the original on the window ..(can never have enough chicken wire)

Built a new run on the side and dug up some really THORNY rasberry bushes from one of the gardens and relocated them to the backside of the brooder house (just a little welcoming commitee for any predator that would happen to sneak up on my little house)

I am hoping the house will be filled up with little fuzzy butts very soon! IIt has been great following this thread! Have a great evening everyone!

Cheers!

 

[DirtCreature]

sorry!

HI all! Congratulations on your newbies!

Sad to report that my little guys didn't make it.

Don't know what happened. I have hatched many times and have had great success. I HAVE NEVER Lost all of them! This was actually two hatches for me. Set eggs on the 9th and 10th. I did however open a couple up (something I never want to have to do again but I just had to know what I did wrong) I noticed that the membrane was really tough on them and their yolks werent absorbed. Pretty sure this was a humidity issue. The only thing I can think of, is that I had an unexpected trip to Colorado and left my little ones in my husbands care. I even went out and purchased an egg turner so, just in case he forgot to turn the eggs.......and instructions on 35 humidity. After talking to him today, he said that there were a couple of times the humidity went real low etc etc.

Something that i wish I knew a few days ago.....Although these were shipped eggs so I guess it is anybodys guess...,

I have my showgirls in the bator and they are scheduled for lockdown on Tuesday so I am hoping these ones will make it.

I also have the frizzled naked neck green eggers that will lock down on th 11th So wish me luck!

I want to end on a positive note....I spent the day sprucing up my brooder house. It got a new paintjob some added chicken wire over the original on the window ..(can never have enough chicken wire)

Built a new run on the side and dug up some really THORNY rasberry bushes from one of the gardens and relocated them to the backside of the brooder house (just a little welcoming commitee for any predator that would happen to sneak up on my little house)

I am hoping the house will be filled up with little fuzzy butts very soon! IIt has been great following this thread! Have a great evening everyone!

Cheers!

 

[bobbi-j]

Well, I got a pleasant surprise when we got home tonight. The one that I helped was out of the shell and looks good. I'll leave it in till tomorrow so it will be strong enough to hold its own against the others. AND... two of my eggs that seemed to be behind in development had pipped! I was ready to write off the other 12 eggs! So, we'll see what's in the 'bator in the morning. If they haven't made progress, I may help them, too. I have learned a few things from this hatch. 1. If an egg is iffy or hard to see through, keep it. I had about a dozen with question marks, and all but one have hatched so far. 2. Try to go into lockdown with lower humidity. It was at 75% when I locked down because I just filled both troughs without even thinking about it. But when they start hatching, humidity goes up anyway. 3. Don't be too hasty to write off the late bloomers.

DG - It is a fine line with helping, I think. Do you want to open the incubator and risk the other chicks? Do you want to take a chance of doing more harm than good? (that's always been my fear) So many things to take into consideration. But you can't go back. Enjoy the ones you have and don't dwell on the ones that didn't make it.

Cali - Good luck on round 2! Keep us posted.

Hazelrah - Good for you for taking care of that little one with the spraddle legs. Not sure I'd take the time to do it, and I commend you for it.

Adrian - Good advice on opening and helping.

Chickee - So sorry about your chicks! Maybe something happened to them during shipping? Let us know how your next hatch goes!

 

[live2shine]

I have a bad report. We had a busy day yesterday and I thought things would be good with our hen and her 3 babies and remaining eggs. This morning we went outside and her first one was happily following her along but the other 2 were dead on the ground outside the hen house/in the outdoor coop area. Her nesting box was cold so it looks like she abandoned them. I opened the cold eggs up and 2 were beautiful and just about ready to pip- I think one had started!

I had given her plenty of food/water (not enough to drown the babies) but I'm wondering if the other chickens got to it (even though they have plenty outside!) and she was too hungry/thirsty to wait. My instincts told me to bring the babies inside to brood. For some reason I knew they wouldn't do well "naturally" with this push-over hen and pushy group of hens and rooster. I know this is part of the cycle, but I do feel at fault for not being home to watch all of this. I thought the "natural" way would give me the ability to worry less, but from now on I'm going to incubate myself so I can have total control over it all.

Congrats to all the newly hatched chicks here, and I'm so sorry for those of you who had problems....I know how you feel!

 

[DirtCreature]

Sorry for your loss, all my eggs where bad from the get go on this thread/hatch date.... i know how you feel.

I have a bad report. We had a busy day yesterday and I thought things would be good with our hen and her 3 babies and remaining eggs. This morning we went outside and her first one was happily following her along but the other 2 were dead on the ground outside the hen house/in the outdoor coop area. Her nesting box was cold so it looks like she abandoned them. I opened the cold eggs up and 2 were beautiful and just about ready to pip- I think one had started!

I had given her plenty of food/water (not enough to drown the babies) but I'm wondering if the other chickens got to it (even though they have plenty outside!) and she was too hungry/thirsty to wait. My instincts told me to bring the babies inside to brood. For some reason I knew they wouldn't do well "naturally" with this push-over hen and pushy group of hens and rooster. I know this is part of the cycle, but I do feel at fault for not being home to watch all of this. I thought the "natural" way would give me the ability to worry less, but from now on I'm going to incubate myself so I can have total control over it all.

Congrats to all the newly hatched chicks here, and I'm so sorry for those of you who had problems....I know how you feel!

 

[live2shine]

I'm so sorry! Such a bummer!!