Set our second hatch Saturday 5/12/12

[wcstory]

OK I feel like I am missing all kinds of hatching but I can't get the cameras to work anymore! I hope all is ok--one of the chicks looked like it was having trouble!

11 late bloomers in the incubator

http://cam.wmstory.com:8085/index1.htm

11 peepin, chirpin and bumbling in the temporary brooder. They're already eating and drinking. One is quite the little tank.

 

[Avonshire]

So how are the 8 you helped? I knew shrink wrapped had to do with humidity but I am not sure if it is too much or too little. I think I have been told that opening the incubator when a chick has pipped that you can cause any pips to be shrink wrapped. Of course if you open the bator you are suppose to do it quickly and replace the humidity with extra paper towels or something. I ask because I too had a shrink wrapped chick last time but I also opened my bator to take out my one hatched chick that seemed to not be doing well in the bator. That is a hard decision--risk the unhatched for the one that has hatched!

 

[wcstory]

I think of the 8 we helped and 3 others in the incubator we are looking at a 60/40 doing good. The morning will tell.

 

[wcstory]

Morning brought mostly good news.

All 11 in the brooder are fine.

Of last nights 11 in the incubator - only one didn't make it. There is one more that is not up bouncing around. We'll put that one in the "might" make it group. The other 9 are up bumbling around.

I removed the dead one and also removed the cups with water and sponges to reduce the humidity to dry out the 9 remainders. Still plenty of water in the bottom liner so it wont be too dry.

 

[wcstory]

Did some reading last night.

Looks like the problem was due to not enough humidity during incubation. The membrane was too closed in on the chicks for them to zip the shell properly. Found a good thread - https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491421/shrink-wrap-vs-sticky-chick#post_6242756



Quote: ChestnutRidge - 5/5/11 at 10:08pm

 

[Beckymca]

Well Bill it's nice we are all learning together from one another's experiences.

My morning update is the Ameraucana expired, it had pipped but never zipped. I have 2 Salmon bouncing around in there this am and the Dorking that pipped last night had made zero progress. I pulled him this morning for dead but he was still alive, he had started to shrink wrap but I got him out and cleaned off as best I could, he is still sleepy and resting in the bator, not sure he will perk up or not.

My humididty was down to 45% this am so I added warm water when I was in and out for the Dorking chick. Now back up to 65%. I do have a lot of pips, but some look the same as last night with little to no progress. I need to get ready and be on the road to work in 15 minutes so my hands are tied this morning as far as helping and watching, darn........

I won't be home until 5ish and will be sure to update again then. I've got my fingers and toes crossed the all do just fine or at least most of them do just fine.

Giving your findings, I'm going to candle Bator #2 tonight and add a little water before I head out to work, been running dry sine 5/23.

Congrats to all on their chicks. Avonshire do you have any chicks yet?

 

[Avonshire]

No sadly I don't even have any rocking eggs. I am not suppose to hatch until tomorrow(I set on 5-15 at 10:30 am) but I sure would like to see something going on! lol! Rocking or peeping or something! I am all nervous that the huge temp dip that occurred at time of lock down will have killed them off. We will see I guess.

Bill--interesting on the shrink wrap especially since I did a dry incubation--which people swear works! I hope I did not shrink wrap my whole crew! It just sounds terrible! Interestingly I think I had some shrink wrapped last time and my one chick that did hatch was sticky when she came out and never did dry out in the incubator. I will say that I have NO idea what my humidity was for the first batch since I did not have a hygrometer. I am so glad your chickies seem to be doing well this morning! I am not looking forward to dead chickies--I guess I would rather they not hatch at all than to hatch and then die on me! Heartbreaking! Maybe it won't be too bad though if I have lots of chicks that hatch.

 

[wcstory]

That's the nice thing about BYC, we learn together.

The dry hatch method is not truly "dry". The largest variable in the method is the humidity in YOUR house.

Another huge variable is the eggs - they are from different hens of differing ages and breeds. Some eggs will be more porous than others, some are thicker or thinner shelled and some have thicker or thinner membranes. There are actually two membranes a heavy white one under hard shell and then a clear one around the chick.

One thing is definite I have 2 hygrometers and they both read totally different. Prior to any more hatches I will get them calibrated.

For me and this is JUST my opinion and I am not recommending it as a course of action..... In the future if a chick pips but does not make progress within a reasonable time frame I will get involved.

 

[Avonshire]

Well the helping can go both ways! I helped one last time and it was soooo sick and could not ever stand up. It was terrible and I had to put it in the freezer to put it out of its misery and let me tell you--that was AWFUL. Then I had another pip and die in its egg and although that was sad it was not nearly as terrible as the one I had to help--it was shrink wrapped but I also helped it zip. So this time I resolved NOT to help! We will see how long that lasts! lol!

 

[Avonshire]

Just watched your video--is that one chick in bad shape??