Set some eggs just now, due date 20th July.... anyone else setting just now? Hatch-Along

[Gen9]

I

My incubator keeps going up from 100 to 104!? They go on lockdown tonight, can I give them to a broody at this point?

think you can put them under a broody at any point, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[blom545]

mines coming out this tuesday!! can't wait

 

[luvmychixandducks]

Hey AshemO you started this, and it's the 20th so how's about a report on your progress - it took us three days to even jump on your thread , and look - you now have over 70 responses... so since you began with the original post, it's time to get back to your group of interested hatch - along-ers , me included - how's it going ?????? We all want to rejoice or commiserate with you.

 

[Gen9]

So far I have 14/18 hatches- 2 internal pips, 2 external pips, but I'm afraid one internal & one external won't make it :-/

 

[epmchickens]

So far I have 14/18 hatches- 2 internal pips, 2 external pips, but I'm afraid one internal & one external won't make it :-/

That's amazing!!!! Good job! I'm excited that I have an egg rocking at day 19, what's your secret?

 

[Gen9]

That's amazing!!!! Good job! I'm excited that I have an egg rocking at day 19, what's your secret?

Thanks! I was expecting about 8-10 hatch because I kept reading that beginners have a poor hatch rate. I think it might have more to do with beginner's luck, and the fact that I rarely left the house - we're talking down-to-the-last-roll-of-toilet-paper and I still didn't go anywhere! my temps were a little high too. ranged from 97-100 (probably because when I added water, I didn't warm the water up first mostly it stayed between 99-100 and I didn't turn down the thermostat on lockdown because that thermostat was so hard to stabilize temps, I didn't want to kill the babies in the process) 15 hatched, 1 assisted hatch last night, still keeping a close eye on it, hopefully it survives. I doubt the other two won't make it because of my whole adventure last night. Before I started assisting, I candled the 2 eggs & I didn't see internal pips I could have sworn I saw them earlier that day, maybe I wanted to see them so badso I saw something that looked like an internal pip. There were 2 questionable eggs before I went into lockdown, no movement but looked fully formed. Maybe I'll keep them in the incubator until Tues.just to see if they hatch at all. but I doubt it. :-/

 

[epmchickens]

Never say never Gen9. I tried 20 earlier this year and 4 hatched....none made it past 10 days :-(. What incubator do you use? I have a hovabator and the temps stay pretty good, accept for on freakout a few days ago but my humidity only holds right for about 3 days. I figured out that one of the water trays is right under the air vent in the top so I might be able to add a little if and when it drops through the hole.... you had a really good hatch. How's the hand hatched one doing today?

 

[Gen9]

Never say never Gen9. I tried 20 earlier this year and 4 hatched....none made it past 10 days :-(. What incubator do you use? I have a hovabator and the temps stay pretty good, accept for on freakout a few days ago but my humidity only holds right for about 3 days. I figured out that one of the water trays is right under the air vent in the top so I might be able to add a little if and when it drops through the hole.... you had a really good hatch. How's the hand hatched one doing today?

I made my own incubator using a cooler. I want to make another one for hatching. Mine does pretty well temp wise, but when I have all the vents open the humidity drops constantly & I constantly have to add water which means no sleep during lockdown.

The assisted hatch is doing good, I prevented it from pushing out too soon, but it eventually had enough strength to do it anyway I think it absorbed all the yolk.

My set up for assisted hatching:
Tea kettle, pan, paper towels & a paring knife

Freaked me out to see the chick under the inner membrane, I coated with bacitracin & left it alone for the rest of the night

This is what it looks like now:

 

[Sallysec]

Hi All! I have 7 eggs due to hatch today, yesterday saw a pip and woke up this morning to a chick breaking out

now I am keeping my fingers crossed that it gets at least one friend to join it.

Pip to breakout was a twenty four hour wait !

 

[luvmychixandducks]

Late last night got my first chirping but nobody is outside the egg yet.
He/she is still yacking this morning so at least the lungs are in good shape.
Thisd is my first attempt at total dry hatch so i'm hoping I won't need to deal with shrink wrapping.
After so many drowned chicks, I decided to swing the other way and compare final hatch statistics.
So in the next couple of days I'll have six one month olds in one brooder and however many hatch this time out in another.
I just wish I had this kind of luck with the expensive shipped eggs - these local farmyard crosses are a hardy lot.