Setting Thursday March 25.. Anyone want to join me??

[KDbeads]

I lost 2 of the silkie chicks in the first batch, they just weren't strong enough to get out after they zipped. Still hoping on the rest in there, 7 more, hoping they ar better quality than what's hatched out of there already too. Most have had 4 or 6 toes, really poor toe separation and bad toe feathering. They'll still be cool silkies but pet quality for sure.

Woke up to a blue silkie (really nice looking too) and one of Freak's babies fluffing out in the second batch. The dented egg was really bloody but still chirping away, think it hit a vein while zipping. Nearly every one had a pip.

I have to go out to the school house and start on the uprights for the quilt show displays here in an hour, hopefully I'll have a bunch more chicks when I get back.

 

[KDbeads]

With all the fun this morning of getting my tools packed in the car, feeding and watering everything.... I really didn't pay too much attention to where the eggs were pipping in the second batch....


Almost ALL are pipping at the small end

Even the taped egg. The two that have hatched already did the same thing. I have a third nearly out of it's shell and it's another Junior, looks just like his daddy did when he was hatched. I've got one that has knocked off most of the shell all the way around the entire egg and off the ends but hasn't torn through that membrane yet, looks like one of those shelless eggs sitting in there moving around. I'd have pics but this is my bator without the windows, I cracked it open to check everything a few minutes ago.

 

[GreenGoddess]

Quote:
Sorry you lost two.. Wow.. 6 toes? I thought chickens either had 4 or 5 as a rule? What would make several of them have 6? Do you think it's just the stock they came from or something in incubation?

Goddess

 

[GreenGoddess]

Quote:
I thought it was a bad thing when they pipped at the small end? I saw a few posts about a week or so ago about eggs without the shells but the membranes were still intact and they were wondering how that could happen.. Is your humidity high enough? Must be some tough membrane...

Goddess

 

[Ga Grain]

I'm a little far behind all of you, but I have a question. I get to day 18, (lockdown?), on Wednesday. Can someone explain to me how this works.

Do you just turn the automatic turner off or remove it completely?
Do I need to cover the hardware cloth under the turner with anything or will the biddies be able to walk/lay on it ok?
Temp stays the same but humidity has to go up? Currently 101/30%
Do I remove them as they hatch to put in the brooder box or leave everything alone until all hatch?

Any other things I may not know to ask about?

Thanks in advance for any help that may be provided.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
You need to take the turner completely out of the incubator or you will end up with a hard mess to clean up and it won't give the chicks that hatch room to walk around in the bator. They could also get hurt.

I use the waffle like shelf liner in the bottom of my incubator to cover the hardware cloth. Many people do not, but I had one chick get its wing stuck on the pointy ends of the hardware cloth one and I felt so bad that I've covered it since!

If your humidity level is only at 30% right now, you might want to try and raise it up towards 40%. 30% is just to low.

On day 18 you will bump your humidity levels up to around 65%. The temp. stays the same.

Lot of luck to you and your hatch!

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
So sorry you lost two chicks and that you weren't having very good luck with the others. It sounds like things have turned around now though.

 

[momiphouph]

We are officially in Lockdown!!!

Super excited!!!

We are down to 10 eggs out of 18... today we took out the last 2. One egg had developed a few days and died, but that is the only one that actually developed and didnt make it so we are encouraged. (I think a lot of them were to old and the ones we ordered must have been scrambled in the mail) The other egg exploded in my sons hands as he was cracking it... LOL

He was NOT happy... I was rolling!

Im sure glad we did finally take that one out. I have one egg that we left in the bator that I could not find the air sack, it was all dark and I just couldnt see in it well at all. I went ahead and left it in just in case and Im really hoping it doesnt explode!

Out of 6 silkies we ordered only 1 looks like it might hatch, I say might because the airsack in that one takes up most of the egg... but the chick was moving... I really dont know what to think about that. I remember seeing something about the airsack being to big, but I dont remember what it said. So if anyone has any thoughts... I would appreciate it.
Ok Im done rambling... LOL

 

[momiphouph]

Humidity is at 63% does that sound good to all of you? Ive never done this before... Im getting nervous!!!

 

[Ga Grain]

My humidity has held at 30% since I put them in so I hope that doesn't mess things up too bad. I have never put water in the incubator and haven't opened it since I put the eggs in. I guess I will put some in when I take the turner out on day 18.

Any guidance on how much water to put in to get things up to 65%?
Is adding water something I will have to do everyday or just the once and the humidity will hold?
Can I assume assume correctly that if you have to add water daily that it would be okay to open the incubator even during lock-down to do that?

Lastly, I just got a three foot by three foot box type pen to put them in after the hatch. How many and for how long will this be enough space for the biddies and when can I turn them out with my other grown flock?

Thanks again for all the help. Now that it's getting close I'm getting a lot of questions.