Monday is hatch day for me!!!
This is my first hatch and I am so excited.
If only I was patient enough then the days would just fly by. I will keep you posted on how they are doing. I have 32 Ameraucana eggs and 2 Ameraucana/Black Australorpe eggs.
I would appreciate and tips on hatching and what to do after they hatch. I am so excited!!!!!!
I really hope they hatch.
Congragulations!!! It doesn't seem like it's time for our hatches. I'm due for Saturday. I have been really patient and not paying much attention to the days until tonight and now it seems like forever! I have other chicken chores to do and I keep finding myself going in with the flashlight and looking for tiny cracks.....and there are none. It doesn't seem like Saturday will ever get here!
Will you be in school Monday or are you possibly on spring break?
Okay. So after they start hatching in the incubator, do not, do not, do not open the lid. You have to wait for all of them to hatch or else you could shrinkwrap the ones that are pipping. My last hatch took 48 hours for everyone to finish, but I had some heating issues that drug it out. After they hatch, it will take a few hours for them to dry off and fluff up. They will flip and flop around in there until they get up on their feet and that is okay. With the number of chicks you are going to have hatch, I would highly recommend you hatch them in egg crates. That will keep the first ones that hatch from rolling the others around on the floor. If the ones that haven't hatched get knocked out of position, they say they expend more energy to reposition themselves and may die before they can zip. I used egg crates the last time and I really liked it and I'm using them again this time. If you are interested, you just cut the bottoms of the individual egg crate out and put the egg in with the big side, or air cell, up.
After they finish hatching and you're ready to take them out, put them in a brooder box. Already have it set up and adjusted for the right temperature, that being about 95 or a few degrees less. If they get too hot, that helps lead to pasty butt. Which speaking of, for the first many days you need to check their vent and make sure they don't have poop stuck to it to where they can't use the restroom. It will kill them if they do. If it happens, sometimes you can gently pick it off or else use a warm washcloth. Don't use pine shavings the first few days as they don't know it's not food. I use a rubber mat like you would put on shelves. I use that in the bottom of the hatcher too so they can get better footing. You will need to dip their beaks in the water so they know it's water. With so many chicks, they will learn from each other. Use chick starter food for them. Some people use vitamins in the water. Use a brooder that is large enough that they can get away from the heat, if they need to. If they huddle under the light altogether, they are too cold. If they get away from the light they are too hot. Oh, yes, you have to have a brooder light. Use a red one because it is more calming to them. You can put a thermometer in it to help gauge the temperature. Keep a good eye on them for the first few days that you don't have any that are a little weaker and need extra attention. Make sure they are all eating, drinking and pooping and you are on your way!
Does anyone else have something I added or didn't get right?
Good luck. Keep us posted. Oh, and we all love pictures!!!!
