Silkie Hatch-A-Long

[Debs55]

ugh, 8 days to go until hatching!!!

this is gonna be a LONG 8 days.... am thinking I will be driving everyone bonkers next week this day, the day BEFORE hatch day!

I'm so excited for you!! I've caught my silkies off their nests twice...as in nesting somewhere else in the coop. So I doubt any of mine will even hatch

 

[KV Silkies]

I'm so excited for you!! I've caught my silkies off their nests twice...as in nesting somewhere else in the coop. So I doubt any of mine will even hatch

that is sad. these will be my first silkies, I had a hatch about a month ago, shipped eggs (as are these also) only got one viable out of 20... and it hatched w/ it's intestines outside its tummy.... this time around we have 18 viable right now so i'm just going bonkers waiting!!! setting my brooder up this weekend!!!!

 

[KV Silkies]

@Debs55 your pics of your silkies are sooo cute!!!! they are making my hatching fever even worse.

 

[flocknfoal]

My chicklettes are supposed to be hatching today (and tomorrow I guess). Of the six eggs that looked viable at lockdown, only one has hatched so far. It looks lonely in there! There is another that pipped this morning, but nothing since. I makes me crazy waiting! The one that hatched looks white, but the rooster is calico or torti (splash or gray with lots of red) and I'm pretty sure the mom is blue, so I'm hoping the chick is splash, but it's possible the egg is from a partridge hen, so it could turn out to be a light buff or something. It's not even totally dry yet, so I'm just guessing. I want some more to hatch!!!! Hurry up chicks!

 

[Debs55]

that is sad. these will be my first silkies, I had a hatch about a month ago, shipped eggs (as are these also) only got one viable out of 20... and it hatched w/ it's intestines outside its tummy.... this time around we have 18 viable right now so i'm just going bonkers waiting!!! setting my brooder up this weekend!!!!

Silkies are fun cause they have such big personalities for such little birds and they are awesome moms! this is my first hatch with them that has gone less than perfect and I think it is because of the weather

ok last year during this time I had a broiler who was getting picked on in the other pen so I put her in with the silkies. I went down there to check them that night and one of the silkies was sitting on her. keep in mind the broiler was just as big as the silkie so she was up pretty high off the ground lol those birds will mother anything

 

[1 Critter Camp]

Today is lock down for me! I have everything ready and later this afternoon going to move eggs off turner. I have not candled is several days so I'll check them out as I move them.
After reading more about odd air cells (double, split and detached) I thought to move the double air cell egg sitting upright in a egg carton section. I looked at it last night and the air cell is slightly bigger, now the size of day 14 if I am lucky. I see movement in the egg. I have never had 100% hatch of viable eggs... I am so excited.
Hatch date is Saturday so I am going to work on my brooder today!

I am going to put on lots of pictures so get ready!

 

[Debs55]

One of my silkies busted 4 of my eggs

 

[1 Critter Camp]

One of my silkies busted 4 of my eggs

TERRIBLE! I'm so sorry! That sucks! How many do you have left?

 

[1 Critter Camp]

Just placed eggs out of turner... 1 egg has no visible veins and dark at the bottom, there was no movement, it was fine on day 14!
The other 10 look good. I have them all set and ready for pipping. It seemed to take FOREVER to get temperature back up to 100 degrees and humidity is now at 60%. I am wanting 65%-70% but having trouble. I have added a rag right under the air hole so I can just wet it without opening. (Next time, I am going to add aquarium tubing to the actual water tracks at the bottom.)
I have both air holes open at the top of incubator, should I close one until I see pipping, that would help with humidity???

Here's my egg that had two air cells... so far, it is still living... I placed it by itself so I could keep humidity lower until closer to day 21 (as recommended by detached air cell information)...
and a picture of lock down

Now I wait some more!!!!

 

[Debs55]

TERRIBLE! I'm so sorry! That sucks!  How many do you have left?

Only 8. I put them all under the other hen cause the busted ones were under the first hen