Silkie saga

[TwoCrows]

Update day 14 (or is it 13, now I'm second guessing and need to check the calendar) anyway, I have a few eggs I've been weighing and a few I've traced the air cells.

Here are the air cell photos, do these look good for day 13 / 14?

They've been much darker inside than the informational chick development egg photos, but I'm seeing healthy veins and movement so I think they're ok. Trying not to stress, I've got that in abundance at work already, but I'm really wanting to do perfect for these little growing peeps

You set these on a Friday didn't you? I think. Which would mean today is day 16? Around day 15 the candled eggs should look pretty dark and it gets hard to see anything. The chicks are starting to fill the entire space up. The cells look really good, I think things are on perfect track to a good hatch!! Definitely go back and count the days, day 1 is the day you set. On day 18 stop turners, open vents completely wide open, pipping chicks need a ton of oxygen. Lay down some sort of non skid material so chicks don't slip and get splay leg. I like to use the rubber shelf liner with the little holes in it. Get your humidity up around 10%-15% higher than it's been or somewhere around 65%. If it's too low, chicks can shrink wrap and stick to the inside of the shell and die, or the shell and tissue inside the egg gets too hard to pip through. I have trouble in my arid climate and I always end up putting a small cup of water inside the machine with a piece of a clean kitchen sponge in it to wick off humidity.

I am super egg-cited for hatch day!!

 

[2ndTink]

You set these on a Friday didn't you? I think. Which would mean today is day 16? Around day 15 the candled eggs should look pretty dark and it gets hard to see anything. The chicks are starting to fill the entire space up. The cells look really good, I think things are on perfect track to a good hatch!! Definitely go back and count the days, day 1 is the day you set. On day 18 stop turners, open vents completely wide open, pipping chicks need a ton of oxygen. Lay down some sort of non skid material so chicks don't slip and get splay leg. I like to use the rubber shelf liner with the little holes in it. Get your humidity up around 10%-15% higher than it's been or somewhere around 65%. If it's too low, chicks can shrink wrap and stick to the inside of the shell and die, or the shell and tissue inside the egg gets too hard to pip through. I have trouble in my arid climate and I always end up putting a small cup of water inside the machine with a piece of a clean kitchen sponge in it to wick off humidity.

I am super egg-cited for hatch day!! View attachment 3584959

Ok, phew! I'm glad you think they look good!

Yep, I set them two Friday mornings ago. The day numbering is confusing, I've seen it like you said that the day you set them is day 1, and also that it is day 0 and 24 hours later is day 1. The counter on the incubator says 6, I believe once it gets to 3 it shuts the egg turner off. I do need to find something to put down for traction though.

Our climate is far from arid ️ I don't think getting the humidity up will be an issue, I have the vents fully open already and with small amounts of water it stays between 50 and 55%. But, I'll soon see if getting the humidity up is as easy (likely not...) as I'm thinking.

The anticipation is growing!

 

[2ndTink]

I found this, and this totally makes sense. If you set the eggs at night, the next day is day 1, if you set the eggs in the morning, that same day is day 1.

I can't give the correct credit on this screenshot, I googled it and found this on pintrest.

So that should make today day #16. You are correct! Of course

 

[TwoCrows]

I found this, and this totally makes sense. If you set the eggs at night, the next day is day 1, if you set the eggs in the morning, that same day is day 1.

I can't give the correct credit on this screenshot, I googled it and found this on pintrest.

So that should make today day #16. You are correct! Of course

The set day is so controversial, some say day 1 starts the same day, others say it's the end of 24 hours! I go with the first one, and at least this way if I am early in the growth stage by 1 day, I can fiddle with the machine before chicks start pipping. The air cell size isn't horribly critical, as long as there is a decent sized space for them to breathe oxygen after internal pipping. I would maintain your moisture so they don't get too much bigger before lock down. Oh and nice chart! Nice to see what grows when!

 

[2ndTink]

The set day is so controversial, some say day 1 starts the same day, others say it's the end of 24 hours! I go with the first one, and at least this way if I am early in the growth stage by 1 day, I can fiddle with the machine before chicks start pipping. The air cell size isn't horribly critical, as long as there is a decent sized space for them to breathe oxygen after internal pipping. I would maintain your moisture so they don't get too much bigger before lock down. Oh and nice chart! Nice to see what grows when!

Using the set day as day 1 seems safer, especially since I've read some people have silkies hatch a little early. Although, as with all things chicken, I've seen disagreement on this too

 

[TwoCrows]

Using the set day as day 1 seems safer, especially since I've read some people have silkies hatch a little early. Although, as with all things chicken, I've seen disagreement on this too

I've had them hatch 2 days early and 2 days late all in the same batch of incubator eggs! But yes, they frequently hatch early and it's perfectly fine to go into lock down up to 5 days before hatch if you get your days mixed up. I like to have everything ready ahead of time, I tend to be a "fiddler" with things so I need time to fuss with lock down.

 

[2ndTink]

I've had them hatch 2 days early and 2 days late all in the same batch of incubator eggs! But yes, they frequently hatch early and it's perfectly fine to go into lock down up to 5 days before hatch if you get your days mixed up. I like to have everything ready ahead of time, I tend to be a "fiddler" with things so I need time to fuss with lock down.

I'm not sure what style of lockdown person I will be yet, so much to discover

I still need to get a brooder ready, what I used this spring is already outside and still set up from their "grow out porch" with exit holes cut in it so the bigger chicks could use it like a coop.

Is it bad that I'm already planning my next hatch for the spring? I might get eggs from the same breeder again depending on how these chicks turn out. Half of them will be satin, I know two weeks ago I said I didn't want any satins, then maybe 1, and now I think I'm fully open to them, but I still want a decent number of silkie feathered hens too.

 

[TwoCrows]

I'm not sure what style of lockdown person I will be yet, so much to discover

I still need to get a brooder ready, what I used this spring is already outside and still set up from their "grow out porch" with exit holes cut in it so the bigger chicks could use it like a coop.

Is it bad that I'm already planning my next hatch for the spring? I might get eggs from the same breeder again depending on how these chicks turn out. Half of them will be satin, I know two weeks ago I said I didn't want any satins, then maybe 1, and now I think I'm fully open to them, but I still want a decent number of silkie feathered hens too.

It depends on your personality, I like things to be a certain way, not because I think its perfect but more for my peace of mind. And I have to admit sometimes I get myself into trouble by messing with things too much, its probably more like an OCD than anything else.

I get ahead of myself all the time, so I think there is nothing wrong with you thinking about future hatches! And its fun to dream and plan for the future, makes this hatching stuff all the more interesting! And this way you can create breeds and experience more.

 

[2ndTink]

It depends on your personality, I like things to be a certain way, not because I think its perfect but more for my peace of mind. And I have to admit sometimes I get myself into trouble by messing with things too much, its probably more like an OCD than anything else.

I get ahead of myself all the time, so I think there is nothing wrong with you thinking about future hatches! And its fun to dream and plan for the future, makes this hatching stuff all the more interesting! And this way you can create breeds and experience more.

I expect I'll get everything set up the best I know how, then once I've decided the touching time is past, I'll freak out, second guess myself, slightly panic for awhile, then you'll let me know what I did right or not so right, and likely say all should be fine. Then I'll be fine and wait out the hatch and I really hope I don't get stuck in the "to assist / not to assist" conundrum.

Planning and dreaming is fun, it's the details that often bog me down

A new breed, what would they be called?

 

[TwoCrows]

I expect I'll get everything set up the best I know how, then once I've decided the touching time is past, I'll freak out, second guess myself, slightly panic for awhile, then you'll let me know what I did right or not so right, and likely say all should be fine. Then I'll be fine and wait out the hatch and I really hope I don't get stuck in the "to assist / not to assist" conundrum.

Planning and dreaming is fun, it's the details that often bog me down

A new breed, what would they be called?

You sound like me, second guessing is what I do best! Yes assisting a hatch is nerve racking, let's hope you don't run into this early on in your hatchings. My personal opinion is that hatching is the first test in life and if they can't get out of the egg, they may not be fit for living, however this is only my opinion if all the others made it out well enough. BUT....at the same time, I can't stand around and watch them struggle, so I step in and help. Let's just keep our finger crossed this doesn't happen any time soon!

Hmmm.....name that breed! I have no idea.