~ Silkie Hatch-a-Long August 2015 (SHIPPED EGGS GONE WRONG!!) ~

[Ciryluk3g]

Hi Ciryluk3g,

10 out of 12 sounds good, will be thinking of you so please keep us updated. Fingers and toes crossed particularly for your mini paints. Did you decide what caused trouble last time? 
How big do the large fowl silkies get?

Lea

Ok in the UK/Europe and the rest of the world we have large fowl Silkies even though they're classed as large fowl they're still light/small birds 4lbs for a Roo and 3lbs for a hen... USA/Canada you guys only have bantam sized Silkies... The rest of the world has bantam Silkies too in UK our bantam sized silkies are a little smaller the US/Canadian silkies.... 4 of the eggs in my incubator are miniature paints these are micro bantams that are even smaller than our standard sized silkie bantams... The eggs are roughly half the size of my standard bantam eggs.

 

[darkbluespace]

I'm unsure how it works but all the advice for badly misshapen aircells I have read suggests better results are to be had by hatching them upright so I'm trying it we'll see if it works 1 of the eggs I positioned upright has pipped so far think another may have pipped but I can't see too well as it's pipped facing the back of my incubator.. I put 4 eggs upright in the cut down egg cartons... The remaining 6 eggs have good aircells are laying down... 2 of those have pipped now... One has pipped the wrong end... I'm leaving it be for now I don't want to open the incubator and jeopardise the other eggs will keep an eye on it though if I get a window of opportunity where there are no eggs pipped I may take it out and help it along but for now I'm leaving it.

Glad to hear they are pipping!

I give my wrong end pippers 24 hours before helping at all because it takes them about that long to absorb their yolk.

I can't wait to see your chickies!!

 

[darkbluespace]

I'm so disappointed. I candled my eggs quick last night and I've lost 2 more. I don't know how the chicks that are alive will make it, as the air cells are huge, going all the way down the egg. I'll take some pics tonight. Should I up my humidity a bit to slow growth? I'm loosing hope on any being able to hatch.

Sorry to hear that... If air cells are too big then I would definitely up humidity quite a lot.

 

[RubyNala97]

Oh thats not good news, how is your porcelain? It does seem these big aircells loose more moisture, that said I did a quick candle tonight also. the one with a gigantic aircell has lost 14.7% of its weight (lockdown tomorrow morning), the one with a good aircell has lost 14.6%?? Hatching worries me, but also how can that poor chick be growing properly with no space in the egg. Poor little chicks. I'm not sure the chick will reach the shell when it pips internally, if it can do that.
Do you have a recording of the chicks peeping? I think that did help my last hatch.

Yeah, I agree. The air cell is already taking up a huge amount of the space and it's only day 12. I'm worried about the chicks not being able to grow big enough too! I've gotten this far, so I've gotta see it through. Thanks! And I'm glad I'm not alone!

I'm unsure how it works but all the advice for badly misshapen aircells I have read suggests better results are to be had by hatching them upright so I'm trying it we'll see if it works 1 of the eggs I positioned upright has pipped so far think another may have pipped but I can't see too well as it's pipped facing the back of my incubator.. I put 4 eggs upright in the cut down egg cartons... The remaining 6 eggs have good aircells are laying down... 2 of those have pipped now... One has pipped the wrong end... I'm leaving it be for now I don't want to open the incubator and jeopardise the other eggs will keep an eye on it though if I get a window of opportunity where there are no eggs pipped I may take it out and help it along but for now I'm leaving it.

So happy to hear about your pips! (Auto correct wants to say "pups"...lol). I, too wait at a minimum 24 hrs before starting to assist. Sometimes chicks manage to get out. Have you read Sally Sunshines assisted hatching guide, yet?

Sorry to hear that...  If air cells are too big then I would definitely up humidity quite a lot. 

Ok, I'm hanging around 40% dry but these air cells look very big to me. Maybe it's the crazy shapes? I'll get some pics tonight. I'm upping humidity to 50%.

 

[darkbluespace]

Yeah, I agree. The air cell is already taking up a huge amount of the space and it's only day 12. I'm worried about the chicks not being able to grow big enough too! I've gotten this far, so I've gotta see it through. Thanks! And I'm glad I'm not alone!
So happy to hear about your pips! (Auto correct wants to say "pups"...lol). I, too wait at a minimum 24 hrs before starting to assist. Sometimes chicks manage to get out. Have you read Sally Sunshines assisted hatching guide, yet?
Ok, I'm hanging around 40% dry but these air cells look very big to me. Maybe it's the crazy shapes? I'll get some pics tonight. I'm upping humidity to 50%.

Those wonky air cells do always seem to be so big.

 

[Ciryluk3g]

Miniature Paint Silkie egg infront of it is pipped the wrong way, egg to the left has pipped and the egg behind is rocking



Bantam Paint this little one is almost double the size of the mini paint

 

[Ciryluk3g]

I'm guessing you dropped temp a little?

yup that's all I did and it seems to have worked... these guys are also hatching later and at a slower rate than my July hatchies did also cuz of lower temps? Last month my eggs started hatching on day 19 and were done hatching by day 20... August only started towards the end of day 20 and looks like they may still be hatching through day 21 and possibly day 22 too also all down to the lower temps?

 

[RubyNala97]

Miniature Paint Silkie egg infront of it is pipped the wrong way, egg to the left has pipped and the egg behind is rocking



Bantam Paint this little one is almost double the size of the mini paint

I love the chick pics!! I had a wrong end pipper on my last hatch. Waited 24+ hrs and had to do a full blown assist but it was a peafowl egg. Sometimes chickens can still manage to get out.

yup that's all I did and it seems to have worked... these guys are also hatching later and at a slower rate than my July hatchies did also cuz of lower temps? Last month my eggs started hatching on day 19 and were done hatching by day 20... August only started towards the end of day 20 and looks like they may still be hatching through day 21 and possibly day 22 too also all down to the lower temps?

Yes, the lower temp can slightly delay hatch time or in your case make it on time. Did you check the temp with a calibrated thermometer? Sorry, if you already said it.

 

[silkienrescues]

thats a very high tech looking incubator. Please post a pic of a chick from the 2 sized eggs if you can, i'm curious to see the difference.

 

[Ciryluk3g]

Chick number 3 is out thought it was black at first but now think it's blue, maybe blue splash? Think I'll have to wait until it drys.. anyway not an expert on chicken genetics but not a colour I was expecting so a nice surprise .... Wrong end pipper still working it's way through chipping at its shell I've a feeling it may make it out without assistance... another miniature paint has pipped and 3 more mixed bantam silkie eggs have pipped (in addition to the malpositioned one) so 6/6 for those