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

[silkienrescues]

Shipped eggs are hard. And a 5 day trip is even worse. I'm working with my worst eggs yet and they were a 4 day trip. If you ever want any help along the way, send me a pm. I could go over everything with you and go step by step. I'd love to see you get a great hatch. Don't give up!!

I'm so stressed out!! I had the incubator lid off last night and I was candling. I was almost on the last egg and the power went out! I don't have a generator or any backup. So I called my electric company and they told me their was an auto accident that knocked down a pole and that it would be out for several hours. So I panicked. I wrapped each egg, loosely in a paper towel and put them in a styro carton. And drove them and the incubator to my grandma's house that lives only a couple miles away. Of course the power came back on a few hours later. If I would have waited it out, it would have been out all night. Now I have to go back to her house and pick them up. This hatch was just never meant to be! I'm getting a small generator before spring hatches! Is there any hope left for these guys? I drove with them on my lap, very slow...

Ruby

That must have been awful, but dont stress, remember mother hens get off the nest, and I noticed sometimes margaret (my broody) didn't quite cover all the eggs, so some where cooler. All developed further, and 8/9 hatched, only 1 lost and it pipped the underside....the egg itself seems to retain quite a bit of heat, and they are resilient. You have insulated them, and provided your own body heat, I think they will be fine. Its cold where you are but I'm sure they didn't get cold with what you have described. Moving them isn't ideal of course but they aren't at the stage of aircells being gfree to float where ever they like and their blastoderm isn't a higgledy piggleldy mess, all is in place developmentally.

It might be worth mentioning here, our body temp is very close to incubating temp. if that happened again, and your husband isnt the jealous type, put them against your stomach, cover them over well and lie down with a good book. If someone else in the family is warmer skinned than you, and compliant, get them to be broody.
Get a good nights sleep tonight, its lock down soon isn't it?
will be thinking of you

Lea

 

[littlemissbatam]

Day 22 still no babies

 

[darkbluespace]

Day 22 still no babies

Have you candled them to see in if you have any internal pips?

 

[Griffin Nest]

I know!! I'm worried about the air cells too. I'm curious to see how the higher humidity worked out for your hatch. So tomorrow is day 20, right?? Maybe pips by tomorrow for you!!

Tomorrow is day 20 for me and I'm expecting some pips. A few minutes ago I heard a quiet chirp from the hatcher! No pips yet but I think some of them have internally pipped. Hopefully it's a healthy hatch with no assistance.

 

[silkienrescues]

Tomorrow is day 20 for me and I'm expecting some pips. A few minutes ago I heard a quiet chirp from the hatcher! No pips yet but I think some of them have internally pipped. Hopefully it's a healthy hatch with no assistance.

good luck...and thanks for starting this great thread

 

[silkienrescues]

Have you candled them to see in if you have any internal pips?

ditto... or at least movement.

 

[RubyNala97]

So I locked down last night. Candled and saw good movement in 4. 1 was iffy but I still saw a tiny bit of movement in a wavy motion. 2 look dead. They look like the outline of the chick has stuck to the side of the egg. I've left them in for now but I don't think they are alive. It looks light inside the egg except for the dark outline of chick. But chicks look dried out. Hard to explain. Wondering if humidity was a factor. Will be interesting to eggtopsy. One of the eggs with good movement is the porcelain but air cell goes all the way down the egg. Will most likely be an assist if it makes it at all. I'm really hoping that one will internally pip but I don't know if it has adequate room to position correctly. If I get a pair, I will be more then lucky!!

Tomorrow is day 20 for me and I'm expecting some pips. A few minutes ago I heard a quiet chirp from the hatcher! No pips yet but I think some of them have internally pipped. Hopefully it's a healthy hatch with no assistance. 

Oh you've got internal pips then!! So exciting!! Can't wait to hear about them hatching!! Good luck!!

 

[WVduckchick]

So I locked down last night. Candled and saw good movement in 4. 1 was iffy but I still saw a tiny bit of movement in a wavy motion. 2 look dead. They look like the outline of the chick has stuck to the side of the egg. I've left them in for now but I don't think they are alive. It looks light inside the egg except for the dark outline of chick. But chicks look dried out. Hard to explain. Wondering if humidity was a factor. Will be interesting to eggtopsy. One of the eggs with good movement is the porcelain but air cell goes all the way down the egg. Will most likely be an assist if it makes it at all. I'm really hoping that one will internally pip but I don't know if it has adequate room to position correctly. If I get a pair, I will be more then lucky!!
Oh you've got internal pips then!! So exciting!! Can't wait to hear about them hatching!! Good luck!!

I so hope these babies make it Ruby!

Griffin what's up with yours??

 

[Griffin Nest]

I'm getting a little worried! Usually by mid day 20 I have lots of pips with my chickens, but I sill have none! The one chick has been chirping a lot but it still hasn't pipped yet and I'm worried it's running out of air. I won't open the incubator or intervene until tomorrow if I still have no pips.

 

[RubyNala97]

I'm getting a little worried! Usually by mid day 20 I have lots of pips with my chickens, but I sill have none! The one chick has been chirping a lot but it still hasn't pipped yet and I'm worried it's running out of air. I won't open the incubator or intervene until tomorrow if I still have no pips. 

How was your temp in the incubator? Maybe recalibrate your thermometer and see if it was a little low. Maybe that's why it's taking a little longer? How long have you noticed the chirping for? I'm sure they are ok! If nothing by tonight, maybe give them a quick candle and see what's going on? You could make a small safety hole in the air cell to ensure that one chick is getting oxygen. Hatch time is both a miracle and exciting but so nerve wracking at the same time!!!